Title
Commemorating the 28th Annual Community Peace Celebration and declaring a day of Peace and Unity.
Body
WHEREAS, the Community Peace Celebration originated as a response to loss of a precious young life in the Frogtown neighborhood of St. Paul in 1996, and initiated with a traveling Peace Pole with the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in four languages visiting 30 neighborhood sites; and
WHEREAS, in June 1997, the inaugural Community Peace Celebration took place, bringing together healing words from community leaders with music and dance by local performers to foster the meaning of peace and a vision of cooperative relationships; and
WHEREAS, the Community Peace Celebration has evolved into a network of neighbors, community organizations, local businesses, artists, and youth utilizing their superpowers for peace, seeking to disrupt cycles of oppression, violence, and poverty through art, community health, education, youth empowerment, and reconciliation discussions; and
WHEREAS, the vision of Community Peace Celebration is to create peaceful spaces within the Rondo, Summit-University, Frogtown, and surrounding neighborhoods, where residents have ownership, feel secure, and build a culture of justice and peace; and
WHEREAS, the continuing mission of the Community Peace Celebration is to promote healthy community and cultural values, the symbolism of the Peace Pole, and advocating for justice and to dismantle systemic racism and other forms of oppression; and
WHEREAS, in recent months our communities have witnessed troubling acts of violence that endanger our youth and seek to promote fear, we respond with and assert love and unity in the same spirit as those neighbors who came together 28 years ago; and
WHEREAS, we dedicate this day, June 21, to peace and joyfully insist on safety in our neighborhoods, urging residents to support young people and invest in resources for their well-being and bright futures;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED hereby declare June 21, 2024, as “Community Peace Celebration Day” in the City of St. Paul and encourage all residents to participate in fostering a Culture of Peace and Unity throughout our city and beyond.