Last Saturday evening Pere Marquette Park, an intimate little park on the Milwaukee River in downtown Milwaukee, became a nucleus for Peace. The program for Lanterns for Peace, a ceremony (sponsored by Peace Education Project of Peace Action Wisconsin) in rememberence of the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagaski on August 9, 1945, states, “We remind ourselves that this kind of human suffering must not happen again and that we must unite with all the people of the world to abolish nuclear weapons and put an end to war.” (Additional photographs of the setting can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
(click images for larger view)
The evening light, cool summer breeze, musicians, speakers, and people, believing peace as possible, transformed the park into a magical space and time. (Additional photographs of people enjoying the event can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
Children of all ages crafted their very personal lanterns. (Additional photographs of people creating lanterns can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
Music filled the park; from heartfelt folk songs provided by Dangerous Folk’s Cap Lee and Julie Thompson to the joyful Afro rhythms of the Lucky Diop and Kassumai African Band. Holly Haebig breathed life through her classical flute as individuals read heart wrenching Survivors’ Stories from Hiroshima/Nagasaki; and again through her native American flute as the lanterns floated onto the river. (Additional photographs of the Musicians can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
As the sun set the lanterns were lit; with some difficulty due to the wind. (Additional photographs of the lantern lighting can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
The creators silently walked their lanterns to the canoes waiting in the river. The canoes took the lanterns into the river as the Native American flute remembered, and called to, all those killed and maimed by the violent ones. (Additional photographs of the lantern float can be viewed here) 10% of print sales will be donated to Peace Action Wisconsin.
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George:
Your images from the Lanterns for Peace event are wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing them with me. Actually I am not pictured, but I think the second photo of the canoists is worthy of an award…..the green, lavendar and yellow light contrasted with the reds of the canoe and life jackets, and the softness of the lanterns themselves all work beautifully together. Well done, friend. I say submit it in a competition. Has Julie Enslow seen them yet? I’ll have to call her tonight and check.
It was great seeing you Saturday…..take care,
Mary