Peace Day Philly returns with plenty of meaningful programs in 2024

Since 2011, Peace Day Philly — the local initiative for the United Nations International Day of Peace—has provided diverse programs focused on topics related to personal, local and global peace and justice. To get involved this year, Philadelphians can participate in the initiative now through Sept. 22 with both virtual and in-person options to choose from, all of which are free.

The activation’s main program holds the theme of “Cultivating Peace in Philadelphia,” and this speaker and networking program on Sept. 18 will feature diverse peacebuilders sharing their challenges, successes and thoughts for the future.

Guest speakers include president of the nonprofit Global Citizen, Todd Bernstein; nonprofit executive and fundraiser, Malia Gilbert Neal; pastor and community activist, Rev. Gregory Holston; co-founder and manager of Let’s Talk Philly!, Karen Cervera; and leader of the Philadelphia Ethical Society and the Baltimore Ethical Society, Hugh Taft-Morales. “Cultivating Peace” will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Philadelphia Ethical Society, 1906 S. Rittenhouse Square. 

On Sept. 19, BuildaBridge will be at the Ethical Society as well, from 5 to 7 p.m., for a two hour class that will show participants the “magic of drumming.” The next day (Sept. 20), a virtual Democracy Rally will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. With it, the Peace Center’s Democracy Circle program has been designed to foster collaborative and democratic community dialogue, a release notes.

While participating, individuals, organizations, or other groups can come together to promote peaceful education, raise awareness and encourage understanding by emphasizing inclusivity, transparency, and collective decision-making on emerging issues that matter most in our community. The objective of this particular program is to strengthen community relationships.

On Sept. 20, Peace Day Philly will also feature the “Footballs Not Firearms March and Rally” (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.) at Fairhill Square Park and “An Evening of Singing Our Grief” (7 to 8:30 p.m.) at the Chestnut Hill United Church, located at 8812 Germantown Ave. With the former, police and youth will march together with their chants for peace, followed by a rally, tag football and lunch. With the latter, guests can gather using singing and sound to “access, express and release some of the grief we are all carrying.”

Saturday, Sept. 21 will hold the most events for the initiative. International Day of Peace in Norristown will be in full swing all day until 5 p.m. at the George Washington Carver Community Center ( 249 Jacoby St.),  the Peace Lit! Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Field of Dreams (1431 N. Frazier St), and the Prayers for Peace Half Day Mantra and Meditation Retreat will take place virtually from noon to 4 p.m.

Sept. 21 is also the Philly Day of Hope (noon to 3 p.m. at the Martin Luther King High School), and the “How to Find Peace in a Time of Turmoil” program (noon to 1 p.m. at the People’s Gallery Project) where Peter Jam, UN Ambassador of Peace and musician, will speak to peer to peer mediation and building peace in challenging times. 

And on Sunday, Sept. 22, Peace Day Philly will hold an event titled “Stoicism and Peace” from 11 a.m. to noon at the Philadelphia Ethical Society and a screening of the film, “Crossings” from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Germantown Friends Meeting (47 W. Coulter St.) A full list of events and activations can be found online.

Now in its 14th year, the volunteer-led Peace Day Philly has encouraged, collaborated on and organized over 200 programs and engaged over 185 organizations. 2024 will continue that tradition through a team up with over 25 different partners.

To find out more about Peace Day Philly 2024, visit peacedayphilly.org