"Be the Peace..."

Today is the International Day of Peace for those of you who didn't know (I didn't until yesterday) and this year it seems particularly relevant.  Maybe it's because I'm half a world away from the normalcy of my daily life in Austin, where it's easy to think peace is always with us.  Here - not so much.   Here in this country newly at peace, among a host of nations in active conflict,  that nice soft cocoon of peace we take for granted in the States has some holes in it. 

Some of this has been brought home by the fact that we're in a little-bitty country literally surrounded by hot spots:  the Congo, Sudan, Kenya and those are rubbing shoulders with places like Libya, Egypt, Tunisia - all in some degree of deep conflict if not all out war.  Some of those seem constantly in discord, others more recently.  I'm not trying to over dramatize this - it's just fact.  Although I feel absolutely safe in Uganda, and especially so in Gulu, we were just  alerted again about anti-American demonstrations planned for Kampala this weekend.   Jokingly we call Kampala The Forbidden City, because we are "forbidden" to go there without approval and warned to stay away on the weekends.  Well - we don't always - stay away that is, but that's another can of worms.   We do generally avoid crowds - always a sure sign of mischief afoot.  As somewhat of an adrenaline junkie from my police and fire department days, I have to admit that my instincts are always to find out what's going on, but here - well - I'd get the hell out of Dodge if I saw a crowd building.

The point is, that here, the issue of "peace" is more in your face - and more than a concept.  Although September 21st is the official International Day of Peace,  Uganda for some reason decided it was yesterday - or at least that was the day chosen for the big celebration in Gulu.   I went to work as usual, knowing nothing about it - until a band tuned up outside and I slipped out to investigate. A gathering crowd was awaiting the start of the event.  There were the Cuk Madit (Main Market) Stage Boda Drivers all dressed up in their black T-shirts with Uganda's colors decorating the sleeves - waiting on their motor cycles splendidly decked out with streamers, small Ugandan flags and various and sundry shiny baubles along the handle bars.  Groups from several schools awaited - all gussied up in their school colors of pink and blue, black and white, blue and black - waiting to take their place in a parade through town. A group  that really caught my attention was one of twenty-some-odd young women dressed in hospital green and white all topped off with a tiny nurses cap bobby-pinned into their cropped fuzz.  They all have identical hair, purposely not a shaved head because there would be no place to pin the cap - and absolutely nothing frivolous like braids...  Each group held their banner: the ones in green - from the Gulu School of Nursing.

There was an award given to someone who had dedicated his life to education and specifically education regarding reconciliation, peace building and  non-violent conflict resolution.   Peace is serious stuff in a country ravaged by war for two-plus decades.  Most of the people here have had direct contact with atrocities Americans and those of us from more developed countries only read about - and make movies about - but by now you know this. These folks have lived it and yesterday were celebrating the absence of war, the presence of peace.     As I often am here,   I was humbled to be present at this small, but significant and emotionally powerful event.  As the parade started, everyone fell in line and marched in step as the procession wound around through the city - to finally land at the fair-grounds. The military band played loud, dramatic measures of something that sounded vaguely victorious and drum majorettes strutted their stuff with an earnestness that would put college marching bands to shame.  

Then just a few minutes ago,  something came into my inbox, titled "Be the Peace."   I followed the link (www.BeThePeace.com) to the youtube video of celebrations large and small around the world:  London, Paris, Rome, Chicago, Nepal, Bali and many others including - our very own - Austin, Texas.   I was moved. I am still moved.  Because, even as a child of the 60's I have not seen - or perhaps just not been aware of - such a public and peaceful outpouring and demonstration of the desire for PEACE.  The 60's were about rebellion, changing the status quo and often in  non-peaceful means.    Seldom were Peace Demonstrators received peacefully. These were.

Starting in the 80's there's been a huge focus on the ongoing global shift in consciousness and the accompanying earth changes. The topic has become large enough that is has moved beyond the domain of "New Age"  and is being embraced/addressed by every philosopher, spiritual leader and many prominent hard-scientific researchers of our time.  Those of you who know me know that I'm smack in the middle of it and have taught and lectured on this topic for years.  When I see the events that occurred on this Peace Day it makes me smile and give me hope.