Disclaimer: The members of the collective Origamilitantisme do not support the controversial "Quebec Charter of Values".

Pacifest 2013 - Montreal

Origamilitantisme was honoured with an invitation to take part in the celebration of International Peace Day, a world-wide, UN-sponsored event created in 1981 to promote peace education and cultural events advocating for peace across the world. This year's celebration in Montreal took place at Peace Park on St-Laurent Boulevard.

Organised by small local chapters, but coordinated internationally, this little-known event unfortunately does not attract a lot of media attention, at least not in the Montreal area. Organisers said that they tried to engage the mainstream media - radio and television - but there was little interest in picking up the story. There may have been a couple of hundred people at the site throughout the day, a bit of a disappointing turnout. In these times, when the thunderous drums of war are heard around the world, we are greatly in need of contemplative moments of sanity and solidarity, where we can celebrate together the common goal of cultivating peace amongst ourselves at home and between nations.

The atmosphere at Peace Park was festive and congenial nonetheless, with speeches from Jean Trudel, President of the local chapter of the Cercle de Paix, and Chief Dominique Rankin, once Grand Chief of the Algonquin Nation, who travelled to the UN headquarters in New York for the opening ceremonies of Peace Day. Music and family activities followed.

Peace Day celebrations also took place in Sherbrooke, Ottawa, Toronto, Edmonton and Winnipeg.

http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

http://metronews.ca/news/winnipeg/793617/winnipegs-peace-day-celebration-expands-from-one-day-to-week-of-activities/

http://peace.cdpiedmonton.ca/

Origamilitantisme: Carolina Aponte, Melanie Murphy, Judith Brisson