“If Everyone Cared” by Nickelback
Peace begins with us
By Representative Jon Riki Karamatsu
On Monday, September 21, 2009, Hawaii will celebrate its 3rd annual Peace Day. In 2007 Hawaii became the first state in the nation to commemorate its own Peace Day annually, a day also marked around the world as the United Nations International Day of Peace.
It is a day of global ceasefire and nonviolence that each member state of the United Nations agreed upon. It is also a day in which each one of us can do something for peace, no matter how big or small.
Last year 1.4 million children living in volatile areas of Afghanistan were given polio vaccinations. The significance of this event was that the Taliban did not interfere and pledged to not harm any vaccination teams.
Peace Day is a universal effort. However, it must begin within us, our homes, our schools, and our communities. This is why I introduced legislation officially recognizing Peace Day in Hawaii on behalf of the members of the Hawaii Federation of Junior Young Buddhist Associations.
An ad hoc Peace Day Hawaii Committee, which I have served as chair since its establishment, was formed in 2007 to plan annual events. It includes leaders from state government, not-for-profit organizations and peace-education community. Each year the committee plans an educational forum and celebratory ceremony to be held on or around Peace Day.
The committee has hosted forums on international relations and bullying in schools, and has held Peace Day ceremonies, which include guest speakers, entertainment, the presentation of the Peace Day Hawaii Award, and a unified candlelight ceremony.
Past award recipients were the late U.S. Senator Spark M. Matsunaga, an advocate for world peace throughout his political career and Dr. Glenn D. Paige, a university professor who taught nonviolence education and founded the Center for Nonviolence.
This year, we are honoring Scot Matayoshi, a former teacher at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, who created the Peacemakers Club to help students make good decisions and advocate for nonviolence in their school. As you can see from these extraordinary peace leaders, peace can be achieved at all levels: around the world, in our communities, and within ourselves.
One Peace Day Hawaii objective is to educate residents – especially our children – about the existence of Peace Day and encourage them to think about what they can do to make Hawaii a better place to live in, to make the phrase “lucky we live Hawaii” true every day.
This year, despite the dismal economy, the Legislature protected monies for legal services for survivors of violence, and updated harassment and temporary restraining order laws. However, we must get to the root of where the cycle of violence can be broken: our keiki. One way to do this is to implement a nonviolence education program for our public schools that includes education on conflict resolution, discrimination, harassment, bullying, sexual assault, and domestic violence. We need to put more emphasis on education and awareness and be proactive rather than reactive.
Hawaii can play a major role in international peace. We have a unique society with a variety of cultures and traditions that we share with each other. One of my long-term political goals is to create an “Aloha Mission” to the Middle East region to support our Hawaii troops, meet with political leaders, exchange culture, and provide medicine and toys for children.
Many people shy away from peace initiatives because they think that one person cannot make a difference. That is wrong. We can all make a commitment to strive to embody the Aloha spirit through acts of compassion, acceptance and understanding. Peace must first start within us. Compassionate actions from one person can make a huge impact, and all our actions combined will help the world reach our goal of celebrating peace 365 days a year.
I urge all of you to do something that symbolizes what peace means to you on Peace Day. It can be anything that helps or educates yourself, your neighbors or the world. You could make a donation to a charity, take a moment for self-reflection and personal development, ruminate on best non-violent responses during conflicts, talk about Peace Day with your children, create a recycling bin for your home, plant a vegetable garden, or attend one of the many Peace Day events around the state.
The State Capitol will host two public events. There will be a forum on “Sustainability in the Schools” from 12 – 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 20, 2009 and a Peace Day Hawaii Celebration Ceremony from 4:30 – 6:30 p.m. On September 21, 2009. Betty Williams, a Nobel Peace Laureate will speak at both events.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 