Peace Wall Unveiling

Celebration at Koshland Park on June 9

Yes, it is finally happening. An eight-year labor of love is resulting in the Western Addition Peace Wall, installed on the Koshand Park retaining wall over the next two weeks. Here is the story: Since 1999 churches, schools, and community based organizations in the Western Addition have been learning a peace empowerment process, and painting tiles of what PEACE means to each person.

Through the integration of the visual arts, volunteers have taught a program in two local elementary schools, Megan Furth Academy (formerly Sacred Heart Elementary) and John Muir Elementary, and over fifty community based organizations in the Western Addition, that focused on tolerance, understanding, and non-violence. Participants collectively learned ways to develop positive and proactive solutions to resolving conflicts and defusing anger. The project was developed and implemented by residents for residents - a true community endeavor.

As a result of this project, children, residents, and seniors designed over 1,800 tiles that will be placed on the retaining wall surrounding the Daniel Koshland Community Park on Page and Buchanan Streets in San Francisco in the next few weeks. A community celebration will follow on Saturday, June 9, 2007. The wall will be dedicated to the families who have lost their children to violence in the Western Addition.

Peace Tiles Painted by Residents and Youth of the Western Addition

Photo: Barbara Wenger

Please join us in celebrating peace and the community. Our partners include Mo Magic and Community Partners United. To get involved in this celebration, do an advertisement ($25), have a booth ($250) or submit a prayer for the program book (all deadlines are Friday, May 18th - final!), please contact the Hayes Valley Neighborhood Parks Group at hvnparks@hotmail.com, or 415-431-8112.

The Peace Empowerment Art Project is a direct, personal, and far reaching undertaking that will enhance the quality of life for generations in our community. This project has been funded in part by the San Francisco Foundation, San Francisco Beautiful, the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Beautification and the Community Challenge Grant Program, with consultation and training from the World Wall for Peace and unifying art by Justine Tatarsky.