Peace Project "Harmony is the Child of Peace"

2013-09-15

Dedicated to the International Day of Peace

Harmony is an elusive goal in the world
but achieving it may change its story.

Mark Brown (UNO)

Peace is what all people want.

Every year on September 21 the proactive community celebrates the International Day of Peace. Establishing this Day, the UN General Assembly devoted it to commemoration and strengthening of the world ideals, and suggested all countries to celebrate it by means of educational and public information campaigns on the problems of the peace.

This year the International Day of Peace is held under the theme "Education for Peace".
What role can education play in fostering global citizenship?
"It is not enough to teach children how to read, write and count.
Education has to cultivate mutual respect for others and the world in which we live, and help people forge more just, inclusive and peaceful societies." – it was stressed in the official message of the United Nations Organization on the occasion of the 100-day countdown to the observance of the International Day of Peace 2013.

The team of like-minded people dedicated the first month of autumn to the peace project "Harmony is the Child of Peace", an educational initiative in which all citizens of Kharkiv may participate - children, youth, adults, seniors.

Let creativity, music and constructive action show how much we can do together!

The Scenario:

September 15, 16:00

The official presentation of the peace project and summarizing the city share on the Day of Knowledge "Pack a school bag for a child!"

6 September - 5 October, daily from 10:00 to 18:00 (except Saturdays)

Exhibition of paintings by the American artist Sri Chinmoy

Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) is known to the world primarily as a peacemaker. He was endowed with a variety of talents. He is a distinguished philosopher, athlete, poet, musician and artist. He tried to inspire people in different fields of life to disclose their infinite inner potential opportunities and to become more receptive to the highest human values of kindness and peace.

Sri Chinmoy began to paint at the age of 43 years.
At the exhibition "Harmony is the Child of Peace" you can see computer copies of his works.This is only a small part of the huge heritage of the author, which contains 150 000 paintings and 16 millionth series of drawings of birds. There are works of the size from a postage stamp to the wall paintings 4x20 meters. They are primarily made with acrylic paints. He used sponges, homemade brushes.Sometimes he painted with fingers. His style creates a striking effect of smear lightness and filigree shapes. Because of the intuitively obtained color combinations, his abstract paintings, that seem simple at first glance, radiate energy and give a healthy atmosphere of revival.

On the occasion of his seventieth birthday Sri Chinmoy created a series of 70 paintings and called it "World Harmony", the originals of which were exhibited at the main building of the United Nations for the International Day of Peace in 2012.
His paintings embody the artist's dream of peace, harmony, brotherhood, unity, non-violence, benevolence, greater awareness and responsibility for the fate of human civilization, the planet, future children.
At our exhibition you can see some works from this series.

September 15, 15:00

Planting trees and opening Community Alley in JCC “Beit Dan", is a perpetuating tradition.

From ancient times the custom of planting trees has come to us as a sign of new life coming into this world. Talmud says that when girl is born parents shall plant a pine tree, and when boy is born – a cedar shall be planted.

Trees - are life itself, and therefore the best monument to those who perished in the Great Patriotic War and those who fought for the sake of Victory.

Trees will remain in memory of those who saved the lives of others during the Holocaust and who do a mitzvah today.

So, in spring of 2013, we decided to establish a park of Peacemakers in Drobickiy Yar where Tree of Peace would become a heart of it. And we dream that in this sacret to all residents place a real garden, park, forest will grow in memory of those who parished and for those who alive and will enjoy it.

We have started layout the Alley of Sorrow and the Alley of Heroes.
There is an Alley of the Righteous among the Nations and Philanthropists. And yet everyone can plant a tree of their own on the Alley of Alive.

We believe that the Kharkiv Jewish community needs a tool that would allow extending remembrance of prominent people of our community who passed away.

In our Jewish Cultural Center "Beit Dan" the first days of new year of 5774, a day after the most important Jewish holiday of Yom Kippur and on the eve of the international Day of Peace, we would like to do just the first step.

Perpetuating a tradition of commemoration community members whose lives were linked to the Jewish Cultural Center "Beit Dan" another alley was established – a Community Alley.

Anyone can help in this good deed. This made possible only because of generosity of people who sponsored this event.

The participants of tree planting will surely get their certificates in memoriam of this event.

September 15, 17:00

The concert of the Austrian duet "Eufonia Duo Wien", Stephan Achenbach (violin) and Shamita Achenbach-König (cello)

We invite you to become the participants of the amazing musical journey, offered by the duet from Austria "Eufonia Duo Wien", Stephan Achenbach (violin) and Shamita Achenbach-König (cello).

Stephan Achenbach is the first violin in the Vienna Symphony Orchestra and a chamber musician. He studied violin and chamber music in his home town of Friedrichshafen and then also at the Vorarlberg Conservatory and at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. Stephan Achenbach appears in all the major cities of Europe and overseas. As a member of the Wiener Mozart Trio (piano trio) he gave concerts in such renowned concert halls as the Vienna Konzerthaus, the Warsaw Philharmonic, and the Concert Houses in Beijing and Shanghai. Appearances at major music festivals included the Vienna Klangbogen, the Bregenz Festival, the Festival de Musica Costa do Estoril, the Jakarta International Festival of Performing Arts and the Thailand Festival of the Arts.

Shamita Achenbach-König received violoncello lessons in her home town of Bregenz and at the Vorarlberg Conservatory (Austria). Further studies were at the music universities of Salzburg and Vienna and the Konservatorium Wien University. Sometimes she plays with different ensembles, such as the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna, the Vienna Concert-Verein and the Vienna Bach Soloists. As a member of the women's vocal-instrumental group "Mountain Silence" she toured Europe, America and the Far East. In 2005, Shamita Achenbach-König hit the Guinness Book of Records for playing the cello non-stop for 24 hours at the Games "Impossibility Challenger" in Munich.

During the concert of the project "Harmony is the Child of Peace" you will hear classical compositions, Jewish compositions and Sri Chinmoy's music, devoted to Peace and Harmony.

All the events of the peace project are held in the Jewish Cultural Center "Beit Dan" in Kharkiv, Tobolska street, 46.

Admission by free invitation cards. For more information contact: (057) 766 55 96

The Peace Project was prepared by:

Jews on the Map of Ukraine.
Internet-based project.
Teams of volunteers visit cities, towns and villages to discover relics of Jewish heritage, meet with interesting people. On the site there are travel diaries, logs, historical data, useful addresses, as well as photo- and video clips of various events.

Global Shapers Community, Kharkov Hub.
This is an initiative by International Economic Forum that unites young people with leadership qualities in many major cities around the world.
These volunteers work on projects that will positively influence life in their communities and their countries.

Beit Dan.
Jewish Cultural Center, symbol of the new Jewish rebirth.
Center offers over 50 programs for children, students and adults.Professional educators, newly equipped facilities, including center for childhood development, Judaic studies etc. This is the best place in Kharkov for recreation, creativity and development.

Fund 'Joint'.
JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, impacting millions of lives in more than 70 countries today. JDC leverages a century's experience confronting poverty and crisis around the world to save the world poorest Jews, revitalize Jewish life, rescue victims of global emergency. Today 'Joint' is one of the important non-governmental agencies in Kharkov.

Fund 'Livelihood Development Programme' in Kharkiv. The LDP is a unique social project for those who are unemployed and out of material support. The LDP helps people to find either a job which suits their interests or explore a path to help them improve their lives so they are able to find employment and bring in a stable income.

Sri Chinmoy Centre.
People all over the world draw their inspiration from Sri Chinmoy's creative work and lifestyle. There are public agency departments in more than 60 countries. Sri Chinmoy Centre organizes concerts, art exhibitions, sporting events, delivers lectures and workshops on forming a harmonious personality.

Preparing this project we used the artworks and the aphorism 'Harmony is the Child of Peace' by Sri Chinmoy.