By Mark Dreger

Kelowna residents gathered at Stuart Park Sunday to participate in the 4th annual Peace Walk.

In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Season for Nonviolence, locals took part in one of hundreds of walks across the world to create an awareness of nonviolent principles, and practice as a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower local lives and communities.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 about celebrating peace and the practises and principles of nonviolent living,91裸聊视频� said Nadene Rogers, the chair for the 2018 Season for Nonviolence. 91裸聊视频淚t happens in I think about 500 cities around the world during a specific 64 day period.91裸聊视频�

The 64 days mark the commemoration of Mahatma Gandhi91裸聊视频檚 death on January 30, 1948 and Martin Luther King Jr.91裸聊视频檚 death on April 4, 1968. This year marks the 70th and 50th anniversaries of the deaths of Gandhi and King respectively.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 an opportunity for people to come together and be for something that91裸聊视频檚 a lot greater than who they are as individuals in their own lives,91裸聊视频� Rogers said. 91裸聊视频淚t brings us out of ourselves as individuals and it brings us into this collective mindset or consciousness: A feeling of unity and spiritual community with people you91裸聊视频檝e never met before, standing for a cause that everyone91裸聊视频攄espite the differences in faith or cultural backgrounds91裸聊视频攂elieves in and wants and desires.91裸聊视频�

The Give Peace a Voice event prides itself that they are inter-faith, inter-generational, and multi-cultural with their slogan, 91裸聊视频渂eing for something and against nothing.91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 really a deep statement,91裸聊视频� Rogers said. 91裸聊视频淢etaphysically speaking when you91裸聊视频檙e for something you can91裸聊视频檛 be against anything. If you91裸聊视频檙e really for everything then you can91裸聊视频檛 be divided and be against something. If we91裸聊视频檙e for peace does that mean we91裸聊视频檙e for war? Well, we91裸聊视频檙e for the possibility and the solution that war can bring. Would we choose to use war as a way to bring peace? No. But if war is existing, what within it is solution-based and how can we move forward in a peaceful manner from there?91裸聊视频�

As the walk began to move away from the park and to Bernard Avenue, participants led the walk with a sign from the Centre for Spiritual Living commemorating Gandhi, King, and the Dalai Lama with the quote, 91裸聊视频淭urning the Global Tides.91裸聊视频� The marchers also sang the lyrics to John Lennon91裸聊视频檚 1971 song Imagine.

91裸聊视频淚 have invited a lot of different spiritual leaders to attend this year,91裸聊视频� Rogers said. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 the first time we91裸聊视频檝e really reached out to really start understanding and listening to them, (learning) what inclusivity really means, and what their traditions and observances might ask of us to do differently in order for them to feel comfortable being who they are.91裸聊视频�

While on the walk, locals placed Peace Rocks where they felt the city could use more peace, and handed the rocks out to individuals that might not have a smile on their face.

91裸聊视频淭he route is a lot bigger and we are trying to have a presence more in the downtown core where a lot of business happens, a lot of decisions are made for the City of Kelowna, and where there91裸聊视频檚 a lot of people gathered who are temporarily without a roof over their head and food in their tummies.91裸聊视频�

Rogers concludes with a quote from Denis Waitley: There are two primary choices in life: To accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.

91裸聊视频淭oday we take responsibility.91裸聊视频�

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