Celebrating Unity

Celebrations of Unity in New Hope and Around the World

Rose petals  for everyone to spread under the two newly planted trees symbolic of preserving Mother Earth… With a soft rain falling, lovely shakuhachi music by Glenn Swann and a meditation by Miriam Belov created the mood. George’s great-grandson, Toshi Amagasu, led the ribbon cutting of the newly restored Ben Shahn mosaic wall. There, in front of the canted Arts Building wall, Master Mosaic Artist Vladimir Aituganov spoke about the restoration process. Attendees also learned about Shahn from Elizabeth Allan of the Morven Museum before Julian Lines introduced our Advisory Board and Peace Altar Committee. Julian closed the celebration speaking about George Nakashima’s founding vision and plans for the next Peace Table—possibly in Africa to join those already in North America, Asia and Europe.

In late August, 2019, the Auroville International (AVI) Board held their annual meeting in Russia. In the spirit of global unity, helped by the Nakashima Foundation for Peace (NFP), co-temporal gatherings took place in Auroville, New York and Moscow.  These gatherings took place in the spirit of George Nakashima’s vision to ring the world in actions of peace-making and global unity. 

In Moscow, AVI chose to convene their delegation at a gathering of Contemplation and Concentration at the Nakashima Peace Table in the Hall of Peace at the Russian Academy of Arts (RAA). There, words reflecting on unity were spoken, while deeper moments of silence and placing of rose petals on the Peace Table carried the spirit of peace. We appreciate the Russian Academy of Arts’ effort to honor our special request for meeting at the gallery on a day when the Academy was officially closed.