It’s Time to Speak Your Peace: Where, How

While I was reading student papers this morning, a flash of orange caught my eye: the first monarch butterfly of fall.

The maps say I live in Ventura on the edge of Prince Barranca on the bluff above where it dips down to join San Jon Barranca and then the Pacific Ocean.

But the Chumash lived here before I did. For the Chumash, as for me, the return of the monarchs was also a sign of the equinox–of the days getting shorter and the nights longer, and for the Chumash, the time for the Harvest Festival to give thanks to Hutash. 

For the Chumash, this is also the start of the new year.

With the arrival of the San Buenaventura Mission, the Festival for Hutash became San Miguel Days as San Miguel Day is in late September. As Ventura became more secular, the celebration of harvest took place in late September or early October at the county fair starting in 1874 and held concurrent or immediately after San Miguel Days until commercial and tourism interests dictated the fair’s move from late September to early August.

As you can see, Ventura has a many centuries old tradition of celebrations timed with the Fall equinox, and this weekend is no exception with events here tied to global events including:

UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE and events 9/11-9/21

CALIFORNIA BEER FESTIVAL AND VENTURA COUNTY BEER WEEK 9/14-9/21

PEDAL POWERED ACTIVISM 9/18-21

BEACH CLEAN UPS 9/20

PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH 9/21

Details on all of these activities follow:

UNITED NATIONS INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

During this same time, the International Peace Project has also launched We The World’s 11 Days of Global Unity September 11 – 21  to promote peace and sustainability culminating on September 21st. This year Daniel Ellsberg,  Desmond Tutu, Amy Goodman, and Bill McKibben are participating in this Free Tele-Summit 9/11 – 9/21. Register here

On September 20th, Playing For Change Day unites a global community through the power of music to effect positive social change. The performances take place on stages, street corners, schools, yoga studios and cafes to bring music into the lives of young people and benefit the laying for Change Foundation.

Sunday September 21 Peace Day Party produced by the Good News Broadcast. The celebration take place in New York’s Central Park with a flag ceremony honoring the flags of all the member countries of the UN and a live sing along of peace songs. The annual Peace Vigil and Concert at the Bandshell will follow.

Create your own Peace Day anywhere on the planet.  Hundreds of videos have been curated for a webcast – all with the message that peace is possible and peace is real.  This Peace Day, September 21, please  visit here to enjoy PEACECAST 2014.  If you would like PEACECAST 2014 to stream directly, please contact here for instructions.

Locally, the Ventura Buddhist Temple is holding activities on Sunday from a potluck with Sri Lankan food, yoga, meditation, and more. Details in an upcoming post.

CALIFORNIA BEER FESTIVAL AND VENTURA COUNTY BEER WEEK

Starting September 14  and continuing until Sept 21, 2014 is Ventura County Beer Week with craft beer events happening all over the county and culminating in the California Beer Festival in (of all places!) Mission Park.

PEDAL POWERED ACTIVISM

Make & Eat Pedal-Powered Ice-Cream
Thur, September 18 5-7pm

VCCool/HUB Bike Shop
1150 N. Ventura Ave
Ventura, CA

More Parks –
Less asphalt

Friday, September 19
10am-4pm
Downtown Ventura, CA

Ever wondered what Down Town Ventura would look like if Main St. was lined with parks, benches, kids playing, and people talking? Well, pop downtown this Friday, and check out the different parking spaces that have been redecorated into nice little hang-outs. VCCool will have a parklet too, so come see us at PARKing Day!  NEEDED: People to help VCCool on PARKDay.

Discover The ROOTS of PARKing Day

BEACH CLEAN UPS

Saturday September 20 9-noon is this year’s fall Californis coastal clean up day. To participate,

• Choose your Cleanup Location. They are all over–not just on the coast because just about everything washes out to sea eventually.
• What to Bring to the cleanup.
• What to Expect at the cleanup.
• Special tips for Educators and Youth Groups.

And there’s a whole lot more at the website.

PEOPLE’S CLIMATE MARCH

There will be fewer and fewer Monarch butterflies if we don’t do something about the steady march of climate change.

On Sunday, September 21, people of all ages will march in solidarity with the March in NYC calling on world leaders to take action against global warming. Here’s the schedule planned for Ventura:

8:00 AM Breakfast at Ventura City Corps
8:30 AM Live Telecast of NYC People’s Climate March
10:00 AM Rally at Ventura City Hall
11:00 AM March to Ventura pier
1:00 PM March Back to Ventura City Corps
2:00 PM Free Film Screening: “Disruption”
3:00 Climate Workshops & Kids’ Activities
5:00 Open Mic
6:00 Dinner
7:00 March to 101 overpass for Overpass Light Brigade

Join us for all or part!
BICYCLISTS WELCOME!

Sponsored by: Ventura350 & Ventura Citizens Climate Lobby
Contact Ron Whitehurst 643-3640