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People's Comments About the Event
The Dreams
This event is part of
The World Children's Festival
June 23-25,2007
Sponsored by
The World Dreams Peace Bridge Also invites participation in our
Aid for Traumatized Children Project
Learn more about the plight of
The Children of Iraq
Supporters of this event include: |
WHAT PEOPLE HAD TO SAY ABOUT
DRUM DANCE AND DREAM FOR PEACE
 All around the world, from Thursday, June 21 through Monday, June 25, people were celebrating Drum Dance and Dream for Peace. Here are some of the comments they made.
STARTING WITH THE SOLSTICE ON THURSDAY, JUNE 21...
Bridgewater State College, Massachusetts
We had a very nice kick-off ceremony at the Bridgewater solstice site on Thursday evening. For a while it looked like it would just be Mary Joyce, Patricia Schmieg, Tobi, and me - but then we were joined by Sonia (who was one of our volunteers last year, and is a member of my Middleboro dream group) and her 7-year old daughter. Though the little girl was shy at first she eventually really got into it and there was no stopping her! And while I was waiting for the ladies to get themselves ready, a group of grad students came up the trail, led by one of my colleagues in the Phys. Ed. dept. They are taking a course in - get this - the Philosophy of Physical Education - all of them are public school phys. ed teachers. I explained to them what we were doing and why, and they asked to join in! So we had about 20 people altogether. We drummed for about 2 hours - not long enough to drum the sun below the horizon, but it was a very good ceremony, and there have been glowing reports from the class.
Southern California
Dear Dreamers,
Our dreamcircle met tonight. We meditated on the Beloved and instead of dreams, tonight we shared what we each signed up for in this life and how we are healers: how it is that we heal and what we heal in each of our lives. It was a profound conversation and then we closed the circle with the song "Anthem" by Leonard Cohen. I called you all in as we held hands and sang the refrain of this song:
Ring the bells that still can ring
Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack, a crack in everything
That's how the light gets in,
That's how the light gets in,
That's how the light gets in.
The moment I called you all in I felt and saw the presence and spirit of Jean Campbell enter the room and then the whole room filled with the collective light of all of you and more. Tears were streaming from my eyes as I felt all of us together in the room joining in love. Jean was standing there in Spirit with a big smile on her face:))
Ontario, Canada
Aanii ...
Celebration began here on the 21st the Solstice..and is acknowledged as Aboriginal Day in Canada.. Ceremony opening and thanksgiving addresses.. began the 4 day gathering...
Today dancing in the circle with the Drum and carrying the Medicines I offered up Prayers to the Sacred Fire for all to unfold in good ways and appropriate timing for the time before, of and after the 25th of June.
Prayers upon the Sage to Gzhe-Manidoo..
Regards,
Little Eagle Woman Daughter of Seven Grandfathers
Wolf Clan
Anishinaabe
Rainbow Medicine Blanket Council North Clan Mother
Ontario, Canada
 SUNDAY, JUNE 24...
Dallas, Texas
We had a good showing for the event. Lots of grandparents brought their grandkids out for a day of drumming and dancing for peace.
Moab, Utah
We had a small, all Native American but myself and one other person, drumming circle here over the weekend, so were with ALL gathered in spirit. It was sweet, meaningful, powerful. Two traditional Natives (one my current partner) drummed, rattled and sang songs from the Native American Church... songs of prayer for Peace and for the Children.
Mexico City, Mexico
I just came back from our Drumming for Peace ceremony. It was a small one (in physical number) but huge in energy, love and enthusiasm.
There were 7 of us. We brought pictures of our own children, flowers, incense, candles, seeds, water, crystal bowls and -of course- a drum which is used for balancing energy therapeutically. We made a peaceful meditation, asking for the violet flame to transmute all war into peace, all disease into healing, all darkness into light among many other petitions, all based in light, love and harmony in the world. After every petition, we beat the drum and at the end we cleaned each others bodies, passing the drum beat around our bodies. The person to our right cleaned the person next to him/her and so on completing the circle. After the last person was filled with the drum beats, I gave each one some of the mustard seeds that were part of the seeds presented in the circle as a blessing, remembering what Christ said: "If we shall have faith as big as a mustard seed, all what we´d ask for will be granted" So we asked for peace on Earth, for the Children in Iraq and all over the world.
SO SHALL IT BE!
In the beat,
 Warwick, Rhode Island
At the Museum in Warwick, our wonderful hostess Laura Atkinson, noticed the Hawk circling above us as soon as we started drumming.
MONDAY, JUNE 25
Southern Virginia
John and I drummed together for about 30 minutes. I played the Irish bodhran and he played my Djembe. It was quieting, lovely and sweet, not aggressive, just a lovely cadence of my tipper rolling across the skin and his hands on the African drum head. We sat in the living room, where we pray and meditate rather than outside in the heat- though we pictured you on the Mall and I saw you grinning!
San Francisco, California
I'm so happy for you and all of us. I was there in spirit, and thought about you a lot during the day. I can't wait to see the photos.
Noe Valley, California
Music4Children
I’m sorry I didn’t read the email until today – so I didn’t take photos – we did have a wonderful day drumming in SF. I’m glad we got to be a part of the drum for peace!
-Jill Pierce
Northern New York State
Go for it, dreamers and drummers, and know that your effort WILL help to bring peace to our world, and awareness of the plight of those who do NOT have what we on our continent so quickly take for granted.
On Monday besides drumming here at the lake, I will also light multicolored candles as prayers and wishes that you all be safe in your travels, and while in DC, all covered by the rainbow blanket of blessings for what you are doing to wake up a nation and the world to peace and prosperity for all.Much love, XOXORita
Washington, D.C.
 The Blessing Ceremony for the children today that preceded the Drumming on the Mall was really sweet with a circle of children who spoke prayers from the heart for the children all around the world. The song I played on my flute came to me in my dreams the night before, and played all night long. I played the song on my Native American Flute and led the children to the blessing ceremony where we made offerings of prayers with wild rice, Indian corn, sage, and tobacco for the future of the children of the World. I am grateful that we were able to create a space to give voice to the prayers of the children.
The drum circle was jamming and many people came and played and it went on for quite sometime. Many people commented that this is just what is needed, healing rather than so much anger to get to peace. It was quite amazing to be there speaking prayers of peace and hearing prayers of peace from the children standing in front of the Nation's Capitol. I am grateful for all of dreams, and the hard work and commitment that everyone put into this project to make it a reality. I feel it has gotten things moving. The drum circle even managed to bring in the rain for a light sprinkle for a little while just to cool things off! We were blessed in many ways this day.
Many Blessings and sweet dreams.
Love,
Valley
Oh Jean you looked like you were in heaven. How wonderful to see the dream come true. Yes, to be for something instead of against something.
I tell you what- the drums were easier to keep up with then the kids. Thank goodness also that drums do not have to eat, go to the bathroom, get hot, get hungry. I should have just given birth to drums :-)
Sonia
TUESDAY, JUNE 26
Badendorf, Germany
I can feel your heart beat with every drum-beat. Congrats, you (all) do so much for the children, for future and peace in the world. I'm FOR all that.
BTW I joined in and played "Give Peace a Chance" by a campfire in my garden. But no pics taken...
Gainsville, Florida
I will take your suggestion and stop at noon to make a little drumming somehow. Then Tuesday night my group of 5 will keep the drumming going! God bless you and all of the efforts made around the world to bless the children.
Washington, D.C.
Dear Jean -
A million thanks. Your participation made the World Children's Festival more unique and global, and added a strong and positive peace-building component to it. We are forever grateful and hope that you and your team of peace builders around the world will be a part of our children's celebration again in 2011 on the National Mall.
Thanks,
Ashfaq
Ashfaq Ishaq
Executive Director
International Child Art Foundation
1350 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington DC 20036, USA
1(202) 530 1000
1(202) 530 1080 fax
www.icaf.org
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