A peaceful gathering
Young Chang
With music, among strangers as well as friends, religious and
community leaders from throughout the county will gather Sept. 21 to
peace out.
Changed from a “peace walk” to this year a “peace jam,” the 9th
annual Orange County Peace Jam will be held at the Orange Coast
Unitarian Universalist Church in Costa Mesa instead of its usual home
of Triangle Square.
“It’s not like walking around Triangle Square, easily,” said
Reverend Karen Stoyanoff, from the Unitarian Universalist church.
“Our campus -- there are no easy streets and it’s not as conducive to
having a walk. On the other hand, the music stuff is even better.
We’re going to be able to do more with sound and everything.”
Musical features include performances by such Southern California
groups as And the Angels Sing, vocalist Brian Taraz and the Orange
Coast Unitarian Universalist Church Choir. The style of music will be
joyful and upbeat.
“We’re there to celebrate... that we love peace,” Stoyanoff said.
The Peace Jam is held every September to observe the United
Nations’ International Day of Peace, which is always on the third
Thursday of the month. Next year the tradition will likely return to
Triangle Square and back to its walk-form. Costa Mesa Mayor Linda
Dixon will give the opening remarks this year. Participating area
groups include the Baha’is of Orange County, Amnesty International of
Orange County, the National Association for the Advancement of
Colored People and the United Nations Assn. of Orange County.
The Baha’is started what was until this year the Peace Walk nine
years ago after they had approached other groups including the
Newport-Mesa Irvine Interfaith Council.
“We were looking for a community project that we could get
involved in that would help make the world a better place,” said Lane
Calvert, vice chair of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Costa Mesa, a
leading group in the Baha’i community. “And we are very active on the
national level with the United Nations.”
Stoyanoff said her church and her faith also support peace.
“Both the Baha’is and the Unitarian Universalists believe it’s
part of the living out of our faith to have peace,” she said. “We
believe that part of what we have to stand up and say is... for peace
and to honor those groups working for peace and justice.”
Aside from the music, there will be other expressions of peace.
Students from a Mission Viejo high school will enact a Model United
Nations session, a representative from each of the participating
groups will also speak. But there will be no preaching.
“It’s to celebrate peace and to be together as a sign of support
for peace,” Stoyanoff said.
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