PEACE FORUM
Seeking a Culture of Peace in the Age of Pandemic and Strife, with guests:
Dr. Arthur Clark
Dr. Paul Sherman
Dr. Ghada Alatrash
Ms. Stella Constance
Jose Tenga MA
We are so excited to bring you this engaging forum with our inspiring guests, all of whom work tirelessly in their communities and have so much to teach us. If you are interested in learning what you can do to help cultivate a little bit more peace in your life, enjoy watching this video!
If you enjoy what you are seeing and would like to contribute to the Calgary Floating Lantern Ceremony, so that we can come back next year bigger and better (and hopefully all together at Olympic Plaza!) please consider making a donation here.
MESSAGES FOR PEACE August 2 – 7
A High Schooler’s Quest for Peace
With Dai, next generation Peacemaker
Part 1
Interview with Mr. Kobayashi,
Consul-General of Japan in Calgary
Part 2
Interview with Dr. Trudy Govier, Chairperson of Ploughshares Calgary Society
Part 3
Interview with Dr. Arthur Clark: A Founding father of Calgary Peace Movements
Mr. Shigenobu Kobayashi, Consul-General of Japan in Calgary
Born in Tokyo and graduated from the Faculty of Law, University of Edinburgh in the UK. Working in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, he has been around the world: including the European Union, United States, and Africa, among others. He is a father of two daughters and likes visiting historical sites and skiing.
Dr. Trudy Govier, Chairperson of Ploughshares Calgary Society
Trudy is a philosopher, author of some 13 books, and formerly taught at Trent University and the University of Lethbridge. She was a founding member of Project Ploughshares Calgary in 1982 and since that time has been deeply interested in peace and conflict issues.
Dr. Arthur Clark, Founder of Calgary Center for Global Community
Arthur is a Professor Emeritus of Neuropathology and Clinical Neurosciences at the University of Calgary, and author of The ABCs of Human Survival: A Paradigm for Global Citizenship. He is a citizen of the United States and of Canada, and also holds a World Passport. He served as a Captain in the US Army Medical Corps 1971-73, during the era of the Vietnam War. He has been active in public affairs since the time of the 1990-91 crisis involving Iraq. His emphasis has been on the necessity of responsible global citizenship. Arthur also launched Humainology Dialogue Cafe, a weekly dialogue session designed to help make Calgary a microcosm of a healthy global community.
VIDEOS TO INSPIRE
Dr. Ghada Alatrash
A Voice That Connects All Humanity
To Syria, With Love
by Ghada Alatrash PhD
TEDxCalgary
Ghada Alatrash, PhD
Ghada is Syrian-Canadian academic and researcher. She is a professor at Mount Royal University in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department, Calgary, Canada. She holds her PhD in Educational Research: Languages and Diversity from the Werklund School of Education at the University of Calgary. Her doctoral research speaks to the lived experience of the Syrian Diaspora in Canada and she was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Scholarship for her research. She is the author of Stripped to the Bone: Portraits of Syrian Women. She is also a Globe and Mail opinion columnist and has written for a number of international newspapers across the world.
Setsuko Thurlow’s Quest for a World Without Nuclear Weapons
The series of videos portray the life of Ms. Setsuko Thurlow, a hibakusha (a survivor of the atomic bombs) and Nobel Peace Laureate, whose life has been a continuous struggle to actualize a lasting peace in the world free from nuclear weapons.
Setsuko Thurlow (1932- ), born Setsuko Nakamura, is Japanese–Canadian. One of the principal advocates of nuclear disarmament and Hibakusha who survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima on 6 August 1945. She is well known worldwide as a leading figure of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear weapons (ICAN) and to have given the acceptance speech for its reception of the 2017 Nobel peace prize.
Artists Share Their Talent With Their Melodies For Peace
Vocal Artist: Leila Keith
Video Editor: Vincent St. Pierre
Leila the Opera Singer dedicates her songs for children who lost their lives in the wars and conflicts occurring around the world.
"Corro a bocca chiusa" from The opera Madam butterfly by Giacamo Puccini “Eriskay Love lilt” Accapella.
Leila Keith
Originally from London and Toronto, Ontario Leila has called Calgary home for over 25 years. She sings spiritual, musical theater, light opera and dramatic opera genres and has won awards in the Kiwanis music festival for light opera (2000). She has sung the songs of Dan Forrest in New York City (with the Scarboro and Knox United Church choirs) at Carnegie Hall, in January of 2016. She travelled to Ottawa in 2017 to sing with this choir in the festivities for Canada’s 150th birthday at the National Arts Centre. Her vocal expertise comes from training through the Royal Conservatory of Music (Toronto) and Trinity College (London, England) Examinations. She has studied in England for a summer music workshop (The Summer Music Summer School at Wellington college, Berkshire, U.K). Ms. Keith currently owns and operates Leila Keith Studios, teaching privately and subcontracting to other studios in Calgary for vocal teaching, as well as performing privately in functions in Calgary and internationally.
Misako the Violinist
Misako the violinist brings you the melody of Hope and Healing.
“Ave Maria” “Amazing Grace” “The Morigasaki Seashore” “Mother” “When You Wish Upon a Star”
Misako Kono
After graduating from Toho Gakuen University School of Music, Misako was recruited by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra. While being a violinist of the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, she had extensive concert tours around the world; in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and more. Currently, as an independent viola player, she performs various locations in both Japan and Canada, and as a teacher and trainer she is fostering the next generation.
Multicultural Performance By The Matsuzaka Family
Oh Canada
Sukiyaki Song
As a Japanese Immigrant family, we just recently received our permanent residence. With both our nationalities of Canada and Japan in heart, we wish for a world that embraces peace without nuclear weapons. Here we sang two songs: Oh Canada and Sukiyaki song! We hope that our harmonies will reach your hearts and speak for peace amongst us all.
Thank you,
The Matsuzaka Family