Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Encompassing local and international themes of peace, Tri-Co Peace Week will begin at the end of this week, lasting from March 31st-April 2nd. Peace Week is being sponsored by a large number of on-campus organizations such as SAVE R US, SASA, Rotaract, Swat Sudan and Amnesty International. Unsurprisingly, Peace Week was also sponsored by the Peace and Conflict studies department at Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr college.
This is Swarthmore’s second Peace Week. While Peace Week 2005 was just sponsored by Swarthmore, this year Peace Week has been expanded to the tri-college consortium. “Peace Week promotes important themes of non-violence, it just made sense to promote these values into Swarthmore’s immediate community,” adds Soraya Lakhani ’09, secretary of Peace Week.
Kicking off Peace Week, Swarthmore College will host “Open Mic and Music on the Beach” on Friday with poetry readings and other literature by social activists. Using various forms of art to express themes of peace, Haverford will host the “Tri-co Dance and Music Jamboree,” which includes Swarthmore’s Grapevine and Rhythm and Motion. Other performers include Dancers Under the Influence, Looney Tunes, and Humtones.
Various speakers from many different disciplines will give talks and sponsor discussions about local and international issues. T. Kumar, a prisoner of conscience who now serves as an Advocacy Director for Amnesty International, will speak to audiences about the conflict between India and Pakistan at Haverford College. Back at Swarthmore, the Scheuer room will host “An Evening with Dangerous Women-Making Peace a Reality,” including Leaders of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom who will discuss global activism for peace and justice.
An assortment of film screenings will take place on all three campuses to display different conflicts and movements of peace. A screening of “Seeds of Peace,” followed by a discussion will take place next Wednesday at Swarthmore in Science Center 101. Haverford College will sponsor a documentary a documentary concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict entitled “The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: A Historical Perspective.” The documentary will focus on the U.S. and global coverage of the conflict and the multitude of misconceptions resulting from often biased coverage.
Urging students to find internal peace, some events will ask students to find peace closer to home. Sponsored by various organizations at Swarthmore including the Student Health and Wellness Committee and the Office of Multicultural Affairs, the Kohlberg Courtyard will host “Turning Inward: An Afternoon of Meditative Peace” on Sunday. The workshop offers various meditative techniques from teachers of diverse backgrounds on Sunday. Further providing students a chance to meditate, Haverford will host “Candlelight Walking Meditation with a Concern for Nonviolence” next Thursday. “There are many levels to peace, the best way to bring peace to others is to first have a sense of inner peace,” adds Lakhani, summarizing a Buddhist belief promoting self-contentment.