Dear Peacebuilder:
The mission of Pasos Peace Museum is to connect, inspire and empower peacebuilders. So, how do we propose to do this?
Unlike many peace museums, Pasos does not commemorate any particular historical event. Rather, Pasos is dedicated to exhibits and activities that inspire the peacebuilder in each person and then calls for their unique response. Our museum and center will always be a work in progress—ever changing, and evolving. We are a place you will come to be inspired by the peacebuilding efforts of others, find your own answers, and discover your personal voice. Pasos is a collective endeavor that only succeeds in its mission with your ongoing participation.
To begin this process, our inaugural programs have included “A Day of Peacebuilding,” where the public was invited to a full day of art exhibits, dance performances, lectures and play opportunities for children—all centered on building positive peace. School events have tied the goal of peacebuilding to a celebration of the life of Martin Luther King and have promoted positive peace through artistic expression as varied as student art shows, choral presentations, orchestral performance and dance. Conference sponsorship such as “Global Change in Performance,” focused on cross-cultural diversity in the Arts. We will be continuing such activities as we also expand our online “Virtual Museum” that features creative personal responses to peacebuilding from our global community.
Our activities are inspired by a historical reality. Today there are over ten million NGOs around the globe. Most of these provide services or information that relate to a commitment to some aspect of social justice. Believing there can be no peace without justice, we will explore how these activities are changing the face of peacebuilding, what lessons we can learn from these developments, and how we can connect the peacebuilding energy of each group in order to accomplish our shared vision of empowered peacebuilders.
How will “Pasos” accomplish this lofty goal? Our organization’s name is a Spanish word meaning “steps.” Indeed, peacebuilding through “positive peace” is a process. However, if one considers all the people who have joined NGOs as volunteers, benefactors, staff, boards or service recipients, it is clear that the momentum of billions of people is already moving the world in this direction. Join us. Together we will take each progressive step toward a peaceful world.
Sincerely,
William Repicci
Museum Curator