Now, more than ever, peace and understanding are things everyone must strive for, as individuals and as a society. That’s the message organizers of Santa Maria’s 14th annual Peace Week are trying to get out to the public.
Festivities promoting peace throughout Northern Santa Barbara County will begin Sept. 20 at noon with a luncheon and the 10th annual Community Builders Awards. The event will also feature keynote speaker Veronica Jordan-Farmer, who will share her own experiences with restorative justice and the power of forgiveness.
Peace Week is sponsored by the People for Nonviolence Committee of Marian Medical Center, and was founded by committee chair and Marian employee Sister Janet Corcoran.
“There is so much violence in the world; we have come together to focus on promoting and building peace now and for the future,” Corcoran said in a press release about the event. “Peace Week reminds us that one by one, we must be peacemakers.”
Organizations involved in this year’s Peace Week celebrations include the Santa Maria Valley Boys and Girls Club, the City of Santa Maria, Conflict Solutions Center, Fighting Back Santa Maria Valley, Marian Medical Center, Orcutt Union School District, Restorative Justice Task Force, Santa Maria Bonita School District, and many more.
All Peace Week events and activities are open to the public. For a complete list of the week’s events, call Marian Medical Center Communications at 739-3580 or visit marianmedicalcenter.org.
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This article appears in Sep 16-23, 2010.