Day of Peace Celebration coming to North Park

A procession of 195 United Nations flags will be part of the festivities of the 20th North Hills International Day of Peace Celebration on Sept. 22 in North Park.

The free event is from 2 to 4 p.m. at North Park Point Grove on Lake Shore Drive.

The flag ceremony is held every year at the event, along with a host of local groups of differing cultures, faiths and backgrounds.

The event promotes dialogue and a chance to learn about one another, said Geil Wesley Williams, president of North Hills Ebony Women Inc., one of the sponsors and coordinators of the event since it began two decades ago.

“We all think about wars, and it’s horrible. Domestically, we have to think about our neighborhoods. People don’t treat each other with respect. Each person can make their own little peace in their own little part of the world,” Williams said.

Additional groups hosting include the American Association of University Women, Sisters of Divine Providence, La Roche University, Muslim Association of Greater Pittsburgh and other members of North Hills communities.

The Coro Latinoamericano of Pittsburgh vocal group will perform, and Edward Brett, a La Roche professor, will speak on the event’s theme, “Cultivating a Culture of Peace.”

“We want to continue to bring the community of North Hills together to continue to support one another in different ways,” said Sister Carol Stenger, director of the social justice office for the Sisters of Divine Providence in McCandless.

Ethnic food sampling will be provided. The flag procession is listed to occur at 3:45 p.m.

La Roche students, staff and alumni volunteers assist with the event setup, perform cultural dances and participate in the flag ceremony, said Sarah White, executive director for diversity, equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer at La Roche University.

Other organizations set to attend include Amnesty International, YWCA, Catholic Relief Services, CeaseFire and THRIVE, a community of people who desire to practice hospitality by connecting newly arrived immigrants and refugees.

The Olive Branch, a nonprofit in Pine, will attend to show how its fair-trade sales and mission projects contribute to creating a culture of peace globally and in the local community, said Mary Sheehan, one of the founders.

Barbara Matthews of AAUW North Hills Pittsburgh said the peace festival committee “is proud to offer this opportunity to bring together our multicultural North Hills neighbors with the hope of promoting a culture of peace.”

In 1981, the U.N. General Assembly established an International Day of Peace. In 2001, it set Sept. 21 as an annual day with the intention of having the entire world observe a full day of global peace and nonviolence.

“It’s all about wanting peace, dialogue and understanding, and it can all start locally,” Williams said. “With all that’s going on in the world today, I think it’s important to take time to celebrate peace and what peace means and what it looks like to all people.”