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聯合國大會全體一致正式通過一項決議，訂定每年九月二十一日為國際和平節。這項議決用意在要世人遵守一日的和平及非暴力主義。這個日子裡，全世界數百萬人民和無數的團體都能保持停火和廢止暴力。
貞‧古道博士說：「我們以和平鴿提醒大家：和平是可能的！我們慶幸人類本有而尊貴的靈性，也為打造更好的世界，許多人一年來已做和明年將繼續的工作而慶祝。」
萬佛聖城於九月二十一日週四下午慶祝國際和平節，該公開活動由育良培德學校主辦，天主教聖瑪利學校幼稚園到二年級生等三百位人士到場參加。
當天天氣晴和，大眾集聚在聖城山門，由幼稚園小朋友領隊，小手拿著象徵和平的鴿子折紙與各式彩色畫，穿插在行人間的是三隻大和平鴿，是幾年前培德女高生做成的，其他同學也分別拿著旗幟和手製的白色和平鴿在竿上搖曳，也有的同學穿著白鴿服，隊伍齊唱「唵嘛呢叭彌吽」步行到大殿。
進入大殿，方丈恆律法師歡迎大家，恆音法師帶領短時間的靜坐。
育良教師夏鈴‧光亮是節目主持，第一個節目是德‧黑克吹奏一首動聽的印地安曲，內陸婦女合唱團獻唱，光亮老師帶著她學生在吉他伴奏下，唱了幾首和平歌，二年級女同學也跳了一隻印地安鴿舞。高中生一一走到台前念著各國國號也展示她們所畫各國的國旗，還以各國語言說出和平，表示世界各地的人都努力致力於和平，我們都是一體，互有關聯。
大衛‧史密斯 - 婓利談到如何做一個和平人士，接著各宗教代表祈福：印地安波謀聯盟的洛依絲‧拉卡特，天主教修女貞‧凱莉，蘇菲派凱洛‧克瑞都，猶太教教士秀珊納，衛理公會的麗莎‧華納-卡銳，基督教長老會退休的賴瑞‧巴稜格牧師，貴格會的珍‧莫耳，巴哈派崔霞‧艾倫，女校學生米妙雲和米妙善唱了一首好聽的歌代表印度教，最後由方丈律法師祝福。
聲樂家麥樂蒂領眾唱「讓世界有和平」及佛教的迴向功德歌，圓滿了這項慶祝和平節的活動。
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The United Nations General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution designating Sept. 21st of each year as International Peace Day. The intention of the resolution is to have the entire world observe a day of peace and nonviolence. On this day, millions of people and countless groups and communities throughout the world will observe the day as a day of ceasefire and non-violence.
Dr. Jane Goodall says, “With the peace doves we remind everyone of the truth they sometimes forget – that peace is possible. We celebrate all that is free and noble in the human spirit. And we celebrate all that so many people have done throughout the year — and will do next year – to create a better world.”
International Peace Day was recognized and celebrated at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas (CTTB) on Thursday afternoon, September 21, 2006.. The event was coordinated by Instilling Goodness and Developing Virtue Secondary Schools. It was open to the public and attended by about 300 people, including sixty K-2 students from St. Mary’s Catholic School.
It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and everyone met at the entrance to the City and then walked to the Buddha Hall chanting, “Om Mani Padme Hum”. The kindergarten and first grade girls led the CTTB students while holding a paper dove or a colorful banner on which they had painted beautiful pictures that represented peace to them. Other students and children from the community also carried banners, handmade doves dangling from sticks, and some even dressed as white doves. Interspersed throughout those walking and chanting were three giant dove puppets that the high school girls had made a few years ago.
Once in the Buddha Hall, the guests and students were greeted by the Abbot, Dharma Master Heng Lyu and then led in a short meditation by Dharma Master Heng Yin.
Thane Hake opened the program by playing a beautiful song on his Native American flute and was followed by the Inland Women’s Choir, led by Madge Stong. Charlene Light, a teacher at the Girls School, was the MC and also led the students in several peace songs, accompanying them on her guitar. The second grade girls also performed a Native American peace dove dance. The junior high and high school girls came up to the microphone one by one saying the name of a country they had chosen while displaying their hand drawn flag of that country. Those who knew the word for peace in that country’s language also said that. The purpose of this was to show that people all over the world are striving for peace and that in so many ways we are unified and interconnected.
David Smith-Ferri gave a short talk on how to be a peaceful person, and then several representatives of various faiths gave blessings and short talks on peace. These representatives were: Lois Lockart, from the Pomo Nation, Sister Jane Kelly – Catholicism, Carol Crandal – Sufism, Rabbi Shoshana – Judaism, Pastor Lisa Warner-Carey from the United Methodist Church, Rev. Larry Ballenger – a retired Presbyterian Minister, Jan Moore – Quakers, and Trisha Allen of the Bahai Faith. Gopika and Radika Misri, students at the Girls School, represented Hinduism with a beautiful song in Sanskrit, and Abbot Heng Lyu ended with a Buddhist blessing.
Soloist Melody Ishihara concluded the event by singing and leading us all in “Let There Be Peace on Earth,” followed by the Buddhist Dedication of Merit. That concluded the celebration this year.
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