For release: October 12, 2012
For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901-678-2843

Students and faculty of the Barbara K. Lipman Early Childhood School and Research Institute at the University of Memphis will observe their annual Peace Day on Friday, Oct. 26, from 9:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the school at 3771 Poplar Ave.

At 9:15 a.m. peace doves will be released in the Leslie Phillipsen Outdoor Classroom.  Following immediately on the Brown Family Stage in the adjacent pecan grove will be “Story Troupers,” a presentation by students from the University’s Department of Drama, who will enact two children’s stories about making peace in the world.

Between 10:30 and 11:15 a.m., each classroom will present an age-appropriate peaceful activity for the children, their families, and their University friends.

A multicultural “peace-nic” lunch will follow at 11:30 a.m., served “potluck” style, with dishes prepared by the families of the Lipman students, who hail from 13 different nations.  “This will be a wonderful way to break bread together in the spirit of community and share our cultures with each other,” said Sandra Turner, director of the Lipman School.

Peace Day grew out of Lipman School’s long tradition of diversity and anti-bias educational practices. The first “Multicultural Luncheon” was held in 1985 and continued until Sept. 11, 2001. In the aftermath of that day’s terrorist attacks, the school re-evaluated its priorities and decided that the concepts of peace and justice were at the root of all dreams for a better world.  The week of Oct. 24 was chosen for the celebration of peace, because that date is the birthday of the School’s namesake, Barbara K. Lipman, and because it is United Nations Day.

Peace Day observances have always featured a variety of events dedicated to bringing about a more peaceful world.  Among them were “peacing” a quilt with squares on which the children had drawn peaceful ideas, creating a mosaic of the Chinese symbol for peace, lighting a “world peace” candle from the World Peace Organization, planting springtime bulbs of hope, creating the “Green Circle” of inclusion and social justice, listening to the story of Sedako and the Peace Cranes and then making origami peace cranes, creating an American flag with the children’s handprints as the stars, releasing peace doves, hosting Native American storyteller and magician Autumn Morningstar, and developing a family cookbook, The Larger Pot, from Peace Day “peace-nic” recipes.