PEACE DAY SEPTEMBER 21, 2007
Daley Center Plaza, Chicago, Illinois
for photos, click here
Peace Day 2007 opened with One Minute of Silence for World Peace led by Peace School president Charles Kim. Members of the Chicago Consular Corps joined him on stage for this observance.
The highlight of Peace Day was the Call to Peace and World Peace Flag Ceremony, which opened and closed with the Earth flag to represent harmony and peace among all peoples. Live music depicting the regions of the world was played throughout the flag ceremony. Flags of all 192 nations were respectfully presnted on stage as everyone joined in sending their wishes, thoughts and prayers for peace to each country equally.
Flag bearers included students from Chicago Vocational Career Academy Junior ROTC, Howard Leadership Academy, Northside Catholic Academy and Rudolph Learning Center. Volunteers from Misericordia Heart of Mercy, Lions Club International, the Cambodian Assoc. of Illinois, The Peace Museum and the Netherlands Club of Chicago joined Consular representatives and Peace School members in carrying flags.
The program also included performances by Chicago's remarkable trio The Other 3 Tenors, Chicago's leading taiko drumming ensemble JASC Tsuksa Taiko, and spirited bagpipers from Tunes of Glory Pipes & Drums. Barry Weisberg, Executive Director of the Violence Prevention Peace Promotion Strategy and former U.N. consultant, was master of ceremonies.
The Peace School held a fundraising campaign earlier in the year to purchase its own set of flags to be used exclusively for global peace and harmony. Thanks to generous contributions from individuals and Consulates, along with a grant from Loyola University's Course-Based Philanthropy Project, this goal was achieved. The new flags made their first trip around the world for peace on Peace Day.
Sincere appreciation is extended to the Consulates of the following nations for their support of Peace Day 2007:
The Consulate General of the Argentine Republic
The Consulate General of Austria
The Honorary Consulate of Barbados
The Honorary Consulate of Belize
The Consulate General of Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Consulate General of Canada
The Consulate General of the People's Republic of China
The Consulate Genearl of Croatia
The Royal Danish Consulate General
The Consulate General of Ecuador
The Consulate General of the Arab Republic of Egypt
The Honorary Consulate of Estonia
The Honorary Consulate of Finland
The Consulate General of Greece
The Consulate General of Haiti
The Consulate General of Honduras
The Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia
The Consulate General of Liberia
The Honorary Consulate General of the Royal Nepalese
The Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Consulate of Pakistan
The Consulate General of the Philippines
The Consulate General of the Republic of Serbia
The Consulate General of the Republic of South Africa
The Consulate General of Switzerland
The Royal Thai Consulate General
The Consulate General of Turkey
The Consulate General of Ukraine
Planning is already underway for the 30th anniversary celebration of Peace Day in September 2008. For information, or to join the Build the Peace committee, call 773-248-7959.
For information on Peace Day 2008 call 773-248-7959