*Day of Peace participants Laila, Steph and RoseAnn*

Together with four collaborator organizations, the WFWP Oregon Chapter organized an Interfaith Peace Service, Meditation, and Dance celebration to commemorate the UN International Day of Peace via the Internet and our own live program.

The event took place on Sunday, September 21 in West Linn, Oregon, with the cooperation of the Portland Family Peace Fellowship, the Wholistic Peace Institute, BeThePeace (a global event through live streaming), and instructors of Dances of Universal Peace.

*WFWP Oregon Chairwoman Chaplain Claudia Al-Amin*

Peace messages were delivered by Pastor Eric Sylte and two Ambassadors for Peace, Mr. Gary Spanovich of the Wholistic Peace Institute and Chaplain Claudia Al-Amin, WFWP Oregon chairwoman. Two special guests, Mr. Michael Sheehan and Ms. Michelle Sparks-Smith, led everyone in four dances of universal peace. (See their website for further information: www.movingmeditations-dup.com.) The dances represented interfaith traditions of Christianity, Judaism, and Sufism (Islam), as well as a peace dance from Russia. All could feel a new spirit and hope for peace through dancing together. Even WFWP's most senior local member danced the peace dances and inspired all of us!

The event was part of a collaboration of organizations around the world joining to create what may become the largest synchronized prayer and meditation for peace in history. With over 400 organizers registered to hold events across all continents, BeThePeace has become an opportunity for world cultures to connect as one voice for peace with the tagline "Everyone, Everywhere, Together, Now."

The International Day of Peace was sanctioned by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981 by UN Resolution 36/37. Inspired by the collaboration between the Culture of Peace Initiative and Peace One Day, two organizations that have organized global truths and peace initiatives and have impacted on millions of people over the years, many global peace organizations now collaborate to celebrate this day on September 21. The 2014 theme is "Rights of Peoples to Peace." All people of every culture, spiritual tradition, and political perspective are welcomed to join "Together As One" on this special day. You can find out more about the event by visiting www.BeThePeace.com.

The International Day of Peace was established as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. In 2001 the UN General Assembly further voted unanimously to declare September 21 as a day of cease-fire and non-violence. A moment of silence is observed at 12 noon all over the world, creating a wave of silent meditation for peace that moves as a peaceful wind across the world.

For 2014, it is estimated that there were 1 billion people involved worldwide. There were 1,100 events registered in PEACE DAY this year, and the Portland Day of Peace picture is on the Unify global website along with other events around the world at following website.

For those interested, the bios of the speakers and facilitators follow:

Pastor Eric Sylte was raised in Florence, Oregon. His father, an immigrant from Norway, was a strong advocate for the Peace Protests of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., thus bringing him to a conscious awareness of the need for peace in the world. He began meditating for peace in 1974 in the Transcendental Meditation tradition. He began praying and working for peace in 1976 as a Unificationist. He has been a pastor since 1978, and a pastor of the Portland Family Peace Fellowship since January 2014.

Mr. Gary Spanovich is the founder and executive director of the Wholistic Peace Institute (WPI) and has done humanitarian work in India since 1992. In 1995, with assistance from Rotary International, he built a school for Indian street children. His work later extended to 53 Tibetan refugee camps in India. In 2001, he held his first World Peace Conference in Portland, Oregon, and welcomed the Dalai Lama. Since then, Mr. Spanovich and the WPI continue to bring Nobel Peace laureates to Oregon to educate others and promote peace.

Chaplain Claudia Al-Amin is the Pacific Northwest representative of the International Sufi School for Peace and Service, and a local chairwoman of Women's Federation for World Peace. She is the mother of four children, grandmother of three, and mentor to many who wish to change their lives to become global peace citizens. Her educational background includes advanced degrees in world history, social work, and counselor education. She is a student of interfaith studies, world religions, world history, and social networking. Chaplain Al-Amin conducts facilitated dialogues and workshops around the topics of cultural competency and non-violence as a choice.

Mr. Michael Sheehan and Ms. Michelle Sparks-Smith are certified dance leaders, having 25 years combined experience leading the Dances of Universal Peace. They currently lead a weekly circle in Portland and another in Hillsboro.