GPA PROJECTS - Global Peace Alliance

PROJECTS UNDERTAKEN BY THE

GLOBAL PEACE ALLIANCE, SURREY SOCIETY (GPA)

Celebration of diversity among humans

GPA celebrates diversity among humans with a major multicultural event once a year. GPA plans and designs this event as the (annual) culminating event of its ongoing ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (GPAC) Program. The event helps bring together peoples of varied cultural backgrounds, celebrate their diversity with the public display of their varying cultural traditions (music, dance, dress, art, craft, food, beliefs, customs, etc.), and build a culture of durable peace in the local communities through better understanding and mutual respect.

GPA conducts this event in partnership and collaboration with a number of other community organizations locally based. GPA has worked with these organizations in the past as well. The specific events where this happened include GPA inaugural workshops, the launch of a new book on world peace (A New Beginning for Humankind: A Recipe for Lasting Peace on Earth), press conferences, 2015 Surrey Canada Day celebration, and the celebrations of the International Day of Peace in 2015 and 2016. All such partnered and collaborated events have immensely helped enhance public engagements in GPA activities in a true spirit of inclusion.

The first of this annual series of multicultural events took place on Saturday, September 24^th, 2016, at the Fleetwood Community Center in Surrey, BC. It was the first time a peace-themed multicultural event of global significance of this importance was held in the City of Surrey or, perhaps, anywhere else in British Columbia or Canada. There were live performances by a record number of varied cultural groups from around the world: Aboriginal, Mexican, Sri Lankan, Indian, Vietnamese, Scottish, Tibetan, Japanese, Arabic, Ukrainian, African, Greek, Filipino, and more. The turnout was tremendous. Lots of fun for both young and old. You can watch this 2016 event on You Tube at https://youtu.be/1sWei8_wzCk Photos of the event can be viewed at Photos

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Development of a Peace Dictionary for the Children by the Children:

GPA develops an annually expanding ‘Dictionary of Peace for the Children by the Children’ based on direct and indirect peace messages embedded in the arts and literary works submissions made by children aged 5–12 years. They make these submissions for the annual peace-themed Arts & Literary Contests conducted by GPA. These contests are designed and planned as part of GPA’s ongoing ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (GPAC) Program.

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A Literary Competition on Peace building:

GPA also develops an annually expanding database of peace building ideas of adults expressed through poetry, prose, non-fiction, and artwork submissions made by adults. They make these submissions for the annual peace-themed Arts & Literary Contests conducted by GPA. These contests are designed and planned as part of GPA’s ongoing ‘Give Peace a Chance’ (GPAC) Program.

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Empowerment of People in Peace building (EPIP):

A series of continuing quarterly workshops (say each for 50 participants) on peace building for the purpose of leadership development and the spread of skills and practices of peace building in local communities and beyond.

This project has been now fully developed. GPA plans to implement it upon the receipt of the funding assistance from potential donors.

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