Imagine a Parade for World Peace led by Gandhi…

Imagination to reality was scheduled for October 26, 2006 when Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, would take historic steps as he led from Hollywood and Vine in the premiere of what has blossomed into a series of Peace Parades in a year-long global peace movement. Born from a conversation between KTLA's "Harrison on the Edge" (AM 1150) and Gandhi, plus Harrison's call to action for “One Human Family”, this event unintentionally occurs during the 100 th Anniversary year of Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha Movement.

Local, national and international interest, support, synchronicity and momentum began to flow immediately after the announcement of the Parade. The Unity Foundation, The United Nations Associations in both Southern and Northern California, and The "Art Miles Mural Project" also played integral parts in the efforts of this event.


Photo by Rita Haverkamp
"Peace is essential. Whenever we can work for peace ...and plant the seeds in the minds of people... we must do it"

-
ARUN GANDHI, 2006

“A Prayer for the World”
Artwork to Represent '
A Parade for Peace'

The city of West Hollywood, possibly one of the most progressive cities in the nation, told Harrison's staff that they would be awarding a proclamation recognizing the effort towards world peace. Additionally there is a p roposal to have a Peace Pole installed at City Hall inscribed with “May peace prevail.”

As we went to press the following plans for the Hollywood event were in progress:

Harrison and Gandhi were to be joined by celebrities, politicians, nonviolent philosophers, musicians and artists as well as receiving support from Noam Chomsky, Gore Vidal, and a message to share from UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

Some of the notables expected to participate were: Cindy Sheehan, Marcy Winograd, Aaron Russo ( www.freedomtofascism.com ), Billy Hayes (Midnight Express author), Lorraine Newman (SNL) and her twin brother Paul, Jodie Evans (co-founder of CODE PINK), Mimi Kennedy, Hal Sparks, and members of the Peace Team (candidates for the midterms that have all taken a pledge of peace, to platform on it too) and more were being added daily.

Plaster casts of the footprints of headlining participants were scheduled to be made and then travel with future parade events. The walking shoes from celebrities were to be signed and auctioned off for peace related causes.

The "Art Miles Mural Project" and the "Art Miles Shoes" for orphans of HIV/AIDS and Disarmed Child Soldiers contributed extraordinary people-power in creating "peace shoes" and a series of gigantic hand-painted murals for international public display. One of Joanne Tawfilis' and the "Art Miles Mural Project" goals , whose home base is San Diego, is to have 12 miles of murals to be unveiled at the pyramids in Egypt in 2010. Artists and children make these murals from all around the world. Visit www.artmiles.org for more info.

In 2007, the following cities are planning to join in Peace Parades and events: Toronto, Canada; Alexandria, Egypt; Narnia, Italy; Paris, France; Tijuana, Mexico; USD San Diego, California; Houston, Texas; Tokyo, Japan; Ft Lahore, Pakistan and Vienna, Austria.

For details, photos and more, visit www.goharrison.com . Harrison plans to continue to be a reporter for the entire movement as it progresses.

Mahatma Gandhi's Satyagraha (the pursuit of truth ) Movement birthed what became principle and practice of nonviolence, which changed the world. Some people say history repeats itself. Gandhi gave us the wisdom that "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." So what would it look like in a reality where a culture of peace and nonviolence flourished? With each step we take, let us be that change in action, here and now.

“A Prayer for the World”

Art chosen to be a representative of the worldwide movement starting in LA -'A Parade for Peace'

The explanation of the painting: A painting for World Peace (Japanese Character) . We all emanate from the one Source, and now are in different directions, of different descriptions, and across the world in an effort to harmonize. (Zia Sun Symbol at the center of the painting, originated with the Indians of Zia Pueblo in ancient times. Its design reflects their tribal philosophy, with its wealth of pantheistic spiritualism teaching the basic harmony of all things in the universe.

Four is the sacred number of Zia, and the figure is composed of a circle from which four points radiate. These points made up of four straight lines of varying length personify the number most often used by the Giver of all good gifts.

To the Zia Indian, the sacred number is embodied in the earth, with its four directions; in the year, with its four seasons; in the day, with the sunrise, noon, evening, and night; in life, with its four divisions--childhood, youth, manhood, and old age. Everything is bound together in a circle of life and love, without beginning, without end.

The Zia believe, too, that in this great brotherhood of all things, man has four sacred obligations: he must develop a strong body, a clear mind, a pure spirit, and a devotion to the welfare of his people. --New Mexico State University)

The most forefront example of a place in the world without peace is in the Middle East. On the one hand the people of Allah (in Arabic Characters), and on the other the people of Yaweh (in Hebrew Characters). A prayer for them and all other places in our world for reconciliation (in Chinese Characters) where in their case the unity of One God (Ek On Kar in Sanskrit Characters: Ek means "One, the essence of all", On” is the primal vibration from which all creativity flows”, Kar is "creation") must be placed in the hearts of people creating disharmony.

We ask the help of Mother Earth (Gaia as the yellow and green sphere at the center). We ask the help of the Cosmos (a blue sphere surrounding Gaia). We ask all levels of Existence, (eight red facets surrounding the cosmos). We ask our Creator (a white light surrounding the entirety) as our requests go through to the Ethers (light blue background) to help give us support (purple square symbol from Ghana in Africa which means “To Climb a Good Tree”) as we send our thoughts and actions of peace and harmony to ourselves and our world.

On the surface of all is a shape created to resonate with frequencies for the collective consciousness of forgiveness, tolerance, unity, acceptance, compassion, family, sisterhood, brotherhood, Gaia, love, peace, joy, gratitude, respect, advocacy, wisdom, reconciliation, happiness, friendliness, responsibility, democracy, harmony, support, cooperation, peace making, solidarity, mercy, equanimity, prayer, enlightenment, self love, dignity, care, self worth, patience, blessing, beauty, glory, abundance, prosperity, wonder, calm, among other frequencies. All things including our actions and thoughts are in our world as reality and as vibrations. In the science of subtle physics these vibrations can be replicated, in this case by shape. From the image of this shape come the above mentioned frequencies or vibrations and it is these vibrations that are included in ‘A Prayer for the World' . - Stephen Miele.

Learn more about this local artist's energy balancing works at www.mieleart.com.