BUILDING BRIDGES ACROSS COLUMBUS: OHIO INTERNATIONAL PEACE EVENT

Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP) and Universal Peace Federation (UPF) joined hands to create a celebration of Respect, Safety, and Dignity for All for the UN Day of Peace in Columbus, Ohio on Saturday, September 23rd. The venue was the upscale Nationwide Hotel and Conference Center, where 120 guests of multiple origins and faiths gathered. It could not have been a more perfect autumn day with the leaves just starting to turn brilliant yellow, orange, and red.

WFWP facilitated a Bridge of Peace Ceremony, and UPF provided quality speakers and appointed 21 new Ambassadors for Peace. American Clergy Leadership Conference and the International Volunteers Organization brought guests from far and wide to convene on the topic at hand. The synergy and contributions between the organizations made for a memorable morning together.

The program began with a Bridge of Peace Ceremony, which was explained and facilitated by WFWP Ohio Chairwoman, Mrs. Nadya Hinson. Volunteers were given the opportunity to cross the bridge with someone of their choice, whether it was a stranger, a family member, or an old friend. After the bridge crossers finished, photos of the new peace partners were taken. This ceremony brought to light that a bridge is often necessary to eliminate gaps between us as a family of mankind.

There was a lot of enthusiasm to take this ceremony to the community to reach out to schools, churches, mosques, synagogues, and city and public event forums so that we could create a Bridge Across Columbus. Our goal now is to widen the work to be accessible throughout the Columbus community. We are using the “Peace Starts With Me” message in all that we do.

In the upcoming Logic of Love Newsletter, we will share more from the rich content of the program!