- Peace Tree Day
Peace Tree Day is an annual
festival for children and families of everyculture andfaith to share and celebratepeace and diversity together. It was founded byeducator /filmmaker Mitra Sen , the producer/director of the award-winning film "The Peace Tree ".History
In 2004, Mitra Sen, the founder of Peace Tree Day, produced and directed the film "The Peace Tree", which shares the story of two little girls, one
Muslim and oneChristian , who dream of celebrating each other's festivals,Christmas andEid . While working on the film, she came up with the concept of a Peace Tree that has thesymbols of all our cultures and faiths on one tree to reflect the beauty of "diversity in unity". She also realized that it was important to create an inclusive festival that celebrates all cultures and faiths together as most of the festivals have their roots in only onereligion and not all.Proclamation
In 2006, Mayor
David Miller proclaimedJune 1 as Peace Tree Day in the city ofToronto . The city of Vaughan, Windsor, Markham, Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville, York Region,York Region District School Board ,York Catholic District School Board andYork Regional Police have all proclaimed Peace Tree Day and have organized celebrations forJune 1 , 2007. Children in schools inCanada , America, theBahamas ,England ,Ireland ,India ,Pakistan andAustralia are creating Peace Trees that highlight symbols from all our cultures and faiths on one tree.Peace Tree Day Celebration 2006
On
June 1 ,2006 , 300 school children and educators from over 40 schools across Southern Ontario, from Niagara to Durham, flocked toNathan Phillip’s Square in downtown Toronto, celebrated the world's first Peace Tree Day celebration, proclaimed by MayorDavid Miller in the City ofToronto . Crafted by their own hands, each child created a symbol of cultural or religious significance, and as an act of fellowship andharmony , placed it upon the Peace Tree. Each participant, given the title ofPeace Tree Ambassador , was encouraged to teach their family, friends, and entire communities the value of the Peace Tree project and Peace Tree Day. Peace Tree Day celebrations included workshops presented by children and seniors that sharedliterature ,music ,art ,dance , andfood from around the world.List of workshops during the Peace Tree Day celebration 2006:
*Storytelling (Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes )
*Paper Cranes for Peace
*African Drumming Village
*Bharatnatyam Dance Place
*Tai Chi Centre
*Aboriginal Peace Art
*Yoga Corner
*Peace Tree Day Card Corner
*Sushi Bar
*Tabla Beats
*Peace Tree Place
*Spin the Dreidel
*Mehndi
*Peace Planet
*Chinese Lantern Peace Tree Day Celebration 2007
Celebrations were held in
parks ,schools ,hospitals , camps, andorganizations across York Region, Windsor, Hamilton,Toronto andCharlottetown, PEI this year. Children in schools andfilm festivals around the world have started creatingPeace Trees after viewing the film. In Toronto, students have also started Peace Tree Clubs, Peace Tree Centres and the Peace Tree Ambassadaors’ Network has connected children around the world who have started the Peace Tree movement in their schools.Peace Tree Garden
In the year
2007 , during the celebration of Peace Tree Day, the Police Services and sponsors unveiled the plans for the world’s first Peace Tree Garden. The Peace Tree Garden, located inBruce’s Mill in York Region in Ontario, will incorporate plants from diverse cultures, include a medicine wheel around the Peace Tree and share peace quotes by human rights leaders likeMahatma Gandhi ,Martin Luther King ,Mother Teresa and many others. The Peace Tree, located in the center of the garden, highlights the symbols of every culture and faith to celebrate the beauty of "diversity in unity".Peace Tree Stand
In June 2007, a group of preschool and kindergarten children worked together to create the first Peace Tree Stand and raised $5,000 worth of medical supplies for
Free the Children , the charitable organization founded byCraig Kielburger . The Peace Tree Stand, created in celebration of Peace Tree Day, featured drinks and treats from around the world along withworkshops reflecting diversity and peace. Drinks includedSharbat Alabalou fromIran andMugi Cha fromJapan ,Jeera Pani fromIndia , and sweet treats from different parts ofAsia . The workshops featured children drawingmehndi peace symbols, makingorigami paper cranes , drumming workshops and sharing books about peace. The little toddlers tried their hand at creating new rhythms on the tabla and African drums blending beats and creating new rhythms.Peace Trees Around the World
To date, the Peace Tree has begun to grow in
India ,Canada ,USA ,Pakistan ,Australia ,China ,South Africa ,England ,Germany ,Ireland ,Dubai , and in theBahamas .Peace Tree Ambassadors
Peace Tree Ambassadors are young people (mostly children) who are really inspired by the idea of the Peace Tree and Peace Tree Day, who are trying to spread peace around the world.
ee also
*
Peace Tree Ambassador
*Peace Tree Ambassadors' Network
*Peace Tree
*The Peace Tree External links
* [http://www.peacetreeday.com/ Peace Tree Day Official Website]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.