Hello Friends,
Since designated by the United Nations General Assembly in 1981, every 21st of September the world celebrates International Day of Peace. In honor of this year’s holiday, we will be installing a peace pole outside the Ward 4 Council Office dedicated to the people of Tucson.
International Day of Peace is a day devoted to furthering the ideals of peace worldwide. This year, the theme is “recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world,” focusing on healing from the global trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. This year’s theme highlights resilience, health, strength and equity. I believe this year’s theme perfectly captures the strength of our community. Tucsonans are resilient and we lift each other up. I’ve seen this firsthand on Council by watching the number of local businesses, nonprofits, and neighbors that stepped up to provide resources to our community during the pandemic. The work we’ve done over the past year and a half is an attestation to our collective goal of growth and sustainability. As we continue to face the challenges of the pandemic, my hope is we can all stop the negative rhetoric and finger pointing and simply come together in peace, to make the best decisions that will positively impact the residents in our community.
On Tuesday, September 21, we will hold a short dedication ceremony for the new peace pole at the Ward 4 Office in Lincoln Regional Park. The peace pole will feature the words “May Peace Prevail On Earth” in eight languages that represent the rich diversity of our city: English, Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic, Russian, Swahili, Chinese, and Tibetan. Although we tried very hard, we were unable to receive a translation of the phrase in the native language of the land. Many people from the Tohono O’odham Nation tried to help us, but the phrase does not easily translate. Instead, we will be installing a plaque near the peace pole to acknowledge the original keepers of the land. While this peace pole will stand proud in our community, it is one of tens of thousands of peace poles standing worldwide in over 180 countries. It will serve as a reminder of the role we play in promoting global peace and furthering a more just, sustainable world. The peace pole and the new surrounding sitting area will be open to the public so stop by anytime. We hope this will serve as a space of rest and contemplation for our Eastside community.
On Thursday, September 30 at 5:30 PM, the Ward 4 office is hosting a town hall with the Department of Transportation and Mobility. You can register at bit.ly/W4TownHall. Enjoy the rest of your week. I’ll be back next month with another Ward 4 Update.
