A better job. A more understanding community. A warm walk in the countryside without the possibility of stepping on a landmine.
Peace, true peace, means something different for everyone, but the Salem MyPeace project is intended to draw those visions out of each resident seeking something better for themselves, the families, their communities and the world.
Sponsored by Oregon Peaceworks, the MyPeace Project begins with a kick-off event at the Coffee House Cafe in Downtown Salem on March 13. Music, poetry readings and art displays beginning from 5-7 p.m. lead in to a concert by Eugene folk singer Patrick Dodd. Organizers are promoting a community-wide effort to draw out visions of peace through art projects that culminate in a October event.
“You can’t get from where you are to where you’re going if you don’t know what that looks like,” said Peter Bergel, executive director of Oregon Peaceworks. “For too long the peace movement has been defined by what we don’t want, rather than telling people what we do want.”
Expressing visions of peace through works of art is at the root of art as a vehicle for personal expression, said Jonathan Boys, founder of the Emerge art shows and artistic consultant for the MyPeace project.
“Throughout history art has told us stories, it has taught us specifically about our own history, sometime more than the history books. This is a chance for three generations to come together and create art that explains their stance on peace,” Boys said.
For some, crafting a personal vision of peace can be a turning point, said Bob Brown of Vidya Priory and another MyPeace organizer. Brown works with individuals in Salem’s prison population.
“Many [inmates] have never known what peace is. We have to plant the seed that gives them something to work toward,” Brown said.
Poetry from some inmates will be read during the kick-off event.
The MyPeace project will culminate in an October event showcasing visions from throughout the community.
“This is a chance for the three generations to step forward, the working professionals, the factory workers, the waitresses and waiters, the store clerks, doctors and nurses, the small business owners, the musicians and actors, writers and artists and show that the new peace activist is now a living, active, responsible part of our community and are vital to its health,” Boys said.
