Revolution

Somewhere in the world, it seems like one group of people will always be killing another over something.

But almost all of those people would likely say they want peace. It's the one thing the entire planet can agree on, but we just haven't made it happen. It seems like an insurmountable obstacle, unless we start with one day.

In 1981, the United Nations declared the third Tuesday of September to be the International Day of Peace. That decision didn't carry much real weight until 1998, when an activist named Jeremy Gilley decided to push the day as a global cease-fire.

On Sept. 7, 2001, the U.N. unanimously passed a resolution declaring Sept. 21 as a day of nonviolence, crediting Gilley's Peace One Day movement.

Four days after the resolution, two planes struck New York's Twin Towers. Nothing much happened on Sept. 21 for several years. But things are changing.

In 2008, the Taliban, the U.S. and NATO agreed to recognize Sept. 21 as a cease-fire in Afghanistan. Health officials were able to access villages otherwise unreachable because of the conflict, immunizing 1.8 million children for polio in an all-out blitz.

Charleston Peace One Day Executive Director Beth Wendt learned about Peace One Day in professor Reba Parker's Sociology 101 class at the College of Charleston. Inspired by the event and surprised by her peers' lack of knowledge about the day, the student/teacher team launched Charleston Peace One Day.

Since 2007, the event has grown from a small gathering at the college to a city-wide festival. Growing off the success of last year's event, they will host a full array of activities this Sunday in North Charleston at Riverfront Park to celebrate and foster peace: abroad, in our community and in our own lives.

Local bands James Justin & Co, Gaslight Street, Po'Ridge, Lindsay Holler and Howard Dlugasch are donating performances to the festival.

Various local artists and children have contributed to a "What a Day of Peace Means" art show. Eight speakers and forums are planned throughout the day, with topics including "Sustainability and Peace" with Charleston Waterkeepers and a religion workshop with representatives from the Tibetan society.

Parades, yoga, face-painting and more are planned throughout the day in a Kid's Global Village, and a host of food and shopping vendors will be on site.

"It's really about culture, taking a global initiative and localizing it," says director Wendt. "We're not an anti-war organization or politically affiliated. We want to help reflect on what we're doing to our people and environment. If you can bring peace into your life for one day, you can find peace every day."

Wendt has made Charleston Peace One Day a full-time job, although it doesn't yet pay a salary. She organized a Dining With a Difference fundraiser after the Haiti earthquake last winter.

The nonprofit helped create a Sociology of Peace class at C of C, and is encouraging the formation of a Peace and Justice Studies program. It also is designing a free curriculum to teach peace in grade school, allowing Charleston teachers of every subject to incorporate nonviolence and conflict resolution into their classes.

In a vacant storefront on upper King Street, Peace One Day launched its own "Make A Commitment" photography show, featuring notable Charlestonians including Mayor Joe Riley and the band Dangermuffin displaying their commitment to promoting peace.

Peace One Day continues to grow as a year-round event. Wendt aspires to incorporate sports into the programming, citing the experience of a woman in Africa who organized a soccer tournament between warring tribes, then mixed the tribe members between the teams. After three days of competition, the warriors no longer wanted to fight each other.

Charleston Peace One Day offers a chance to relax, meet fellow Charlestonians, and enjoy a celebration of shared culture.

The event falls two days before the International Day of Peace on Sept. 21, hopefully leaving organizer Wendt time to cool down.

"I'm putting out all my outer peace on the 19th," she laughs. "Tuesday will be for inner peace."