International Women’s Day – Women for Peace 2015

In summer 2014, I participated as a peace ambassador from the Universal Circle of Peace Ambassadors (France-Switzerland) in the Friedensfest Festival of Cultures, the Peace Feast in Augsburg, Germany. Of all German cities, only in Augsburg is there a holiday that celebrates Peace. In 2015, the city will celebrate the Peace Feast’s 365th year. The experience inspired me to create two events in celebration of International Women’s Day.

The first event took place March 6, 2015: Reading for Peace at the ancient building of the public library of Göggingen, a very traditional neighborhood of Augsburg. The main gathering, on March 07, 2015 was called Women for Peace 2015 Frauen für Frieden. This was the second International Women’s Day meeting I have organized at the cultural center Annahof, located in the heart of old downtown Augsburg. More than 100 people – children and adults, locals and international visitors – participated in both celebrations.

The following international authors and artists joined the local community for the Women for Peace 2015, dedicating their work to peace: Barbara Jursic (Slovenia), Elidia Kreutzer (Colombia), Elizabeth Petz (Austria), Gloria Jung (Panama), Maria Julia Pascali (Brazil), Marcia Mar (England), Fatima Nascimento (Germany), Sandra Santos (Germany) and the German author Gunter Brasil.

Dr. Julia Pascali, Brazilian actor, professor and writer,  brought from Pirenópolis, a city located in the heart of Brazil, the  Divine Flags (bandeiras do Divino), a special art creation by her and local artist Marta de Oliveira Enizia Lobo. The flags were part of an art exhibition with the artists Elidia Kreutzer, Elizabeth Petz and Marcia Mar.

During the recreational program dedicated to children, authors Fatima Nascimento, Barbara Jusic and I read from our books. Julia Pascali was also responsible for part of the children’s activities in the role of a lovely clown named Maricota Pirulita von Augsburg.

Both celebrations held in Augsburg had the support of the General Consulate of Brazil in Munich, the Department of Environment, Integration and Inter-Culture from Augsburg city, the House of All Generations and the Samaritans Association. For the main event three associations contributed to the buffet served by MB Catering of Augsburg: Casa do Brasil of Liechtenstein, Imbradiva, a Brazilian women’s association of Frankfurt and Madalena’s of Switzerland.

A special thanks to all of the authors and artists who sent their books and art work to be part of the event. Through your words and colors, the energy of PEACE united the hearts of all of the participants, both big and small.

I’m also grateful for the unconditional dedication of everyone who actively participated in this event, a wave of Peace involving Brazil, Colombia, United States, Japan, Panama and several European countries.