Women in Black Meditative Procession

The WILPF Women in Black procession down the Pathway to Peace will be the opening event of the 2008 Twin Cities commemoration of the 63rd anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan.

The procession will begin at the corner of 40th Street and Bryant Avenue at 4:30 p.m. and will end at the Japanese Tea ceremony in the Peace Garden. The readings at each of the seven cairns along the Pathway will be taken from two award winning books, A PLACE WHERE SUNFLOWERS GROW, written by Amy Lei-Tai, and WEEDFLOWER by Cynthia Kadohata, both illustrated by Felicia Hoshino. The stories tell of the difficult lives of two children in Japanese internment camps during World War II and how they overcome their despair by planting their favorite flowers. Therefore the theme of this year's procession is "Planting the Seeds of Hope".

People participating in the procession will be asked to bring a flower with a personal message for peace to leave in the Peace Garden. Women, men and children are invited to join in this event. Although it is an activity sponsored by the WILPF Women in Black movement, it is not required to wear black to participate.

Plan to stay for additional events in the Peace Garden following the procession - storytelling, music, songs and a Japanese tea ceremony.

WOMEN IN BLACK is a worldwide movement dedicated to civic actions to promote non-violent solutions to conflict. It is an activity in the Twin Cities area sponsored by the Minnesota Metro Branch of the WOMEN'S INTERNATIONAL LEAGUE FOR PEACE AND FREEDOM.