Peace Day Austin & GlobalAustin Partner for Week's Worth of PEACE DAY Events

Peace Day Austin together with GlobalAustin's Welcoming Week for Austin's resident international and immigrant communities are hosting an 11-day, citywide celebration of the United Nations International Day of Peace from September 11-21. A full list of dozens of activities and participating organizations can be found on the Peace Day Austin website, www.peacedayaustin.org.

Beginning with the Austin Firefighters' Memorial on September 11, Austinites will have multiple opportunities to commemorate, participate and celebrate in community peace activities. There will be a Mayoral Proclamation on September 17 and the celebration culminates with a press conference and reception at City Hall on International Peace Day, September 21, with Austin's Mayor Adler offering closing remarks. Special guests will include Consul General of Mexico, Carlos Gonzalez Gutiérrez; Consul General Adrian Farrell of Ireland, representatives of the participating Peace Day Austin organizations and a performance by Conspirare Youth Choir and the Akins High School Choir.

The global theme for International Peace Day 2015, 'Partnerships for Peace - Dignity for All' inspired the partnership of Peace Day Austin and GlobalAustin as well as the many other organizations that have joined this initiative.

Latifah Taormina of the Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) which spearheaded Peace Day Austin says, "With the current, very tense climate surrounding race, immigration, sexuality and religion, 'dignity for all' has become our rally cry. It's also been a hallmark of the best of Austin leadership - including our current Mayor. I think Austin can make a significant contribution to the global effort to build a lively culture of peace in our world."

In 2009, the United States Senate passed a resolution in support of the goals and ideals observed on Peace Day and encouraged all Americans to observe Peace Day with appropriate programs, ceremonies and educational activities in order to raise awareness of the need for peaceful resolution of conflicts of all kind. This year, Austinites will be joining millions of people around the world participating in Peace Day activities. The Peace Day Austin website lists many ways in which people can either celebrate on their own, or participate in scheduled Peace Day Austin events, which are listed on www.peacedayaustin.org.

Highlights include:

· Austin Firefighters 9/11 Memorial Service, Stair Climb and Bagpipes & Drums, Friday, September 11, multiple locations (peacedayaustin.org)

· Poems for Peace hosted by SICA and Austin Parks & Recreation

Friday, September 18, 7:30 pm, Dougherty Arts Center, 1110 Barton Springs Rd.

· Peace Potluck Picnic, Peace Crane Project & Therapy Sisters concert, Saturday, September 19, 2:00 pm - 9:00 pm, Ground Floor Theatre, 979 Springdale Rd.

· Global Minute of Silence at Noon on Peace Day, Monday, September 21

· Closing Peace Day Ceremony - Press Conference & Reception

Monday, September 21, 4:00 pm, Austin City Hall, 301 West 2nd St.

Peace Day Austin includes the following organizations and initiatives; 1 Billion Acts of Peace, AISD: Akins HS Choir, Amala Foundation, Austin Community College, Austin Firefighters Association, Austin Parks & Recreation, Austin Sister Cities International, Charter for Compassion, City of Austin Economic Development, Classical Music of the World, Compassion Games, Compassionate Austin, Eremos, GlobalAustin, Global March for Peace and Unity, Ground Floor Theatre, Huston-Tillotson University, Interfaith Action of Central Texas (IACT), MedMob: Austin, Emma Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center, Peace Through Commerce, Peace Through Pie, Subud International Cultural Association (SICA), Travis Manion Foundation 9/11 Heroes Run, Terrazas Public Library, Unify, United Nations Association of United States, Austin Chapter, VSA Texas, and Wobeonfest.

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ABOUT PEACE DAY AUSTIN - Peace Day Austin grew out of the work the Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) was doing with Poems for Peace- which was inspired by the passion and dedication of Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day. Gilley, who founded Peace One Day, was the driving force behind getting the UN to give Peace Day a set calendar date, September 21. Peace Day Austin is now a collaborative grass roots initiative to explore, express, share, welcome, and celebrate what peace means to each of us as we travel from 9/11, a Day of Remembrance and Service, to 9/21, International Peace Day. Every year, millions of people and thousands of organizations across the world organize all kinds of events and activities to promote awareness of Peace Day, to encourage peace-building, forgiveness, reconciliation, nonviolence, and dignity for all in their own local communities.

ABOUT GLOBAL AUSTIN - WELCOMING WEEK -- GlobalAustin is a non-profit with over 50 years of leadership in citizen diplomacy. Serving as the international exchange community for Austin, we design and implement professional programs, provide cultural activities and offer home hospitality for foreign leaders, specialists and scholars participating in the U.S. Department of State's International Visitor Leadership Program and other exchanges. September 10 - 21 is WELCOMING WEEK in Austin; a series of events that highlight the contributions of international visitors and immigrants to the community. These events will bring together foreign- and U.S.-born community members in a spirit of unity.