Last Thursday, the University of Rhode Island hosted a Peace Day event on the quad, organized by the Center for Nonviolence and Peace Studies.
Peace Day involved different tables and activities that were set up for students to walk through and engage with, while getting some cool, free, peace related merchandise along the way. Students were able to enjoy live music, the making of flags and talks with people about any and all things related to peace and nonviolence. In the afternoon, students attending the event created a human peace sign and held a candlelight vigil for victims of violence.
Especially in today’s society, peace is something that is on everybody’s mind. Attendees of Peace Day each have a different idea of what peace is and what peace means to them. With a campus as big as and as public as URI, it’s easy to gain different perspectives and ideas on what peace means to different people.
So, what does peace mean to you?
“Peace means to me a moment of silence away from people, music and no arguments,” Ivan Mendoza of The Greene School, a school located in West Greenwich, focusing on an education of “learn-by-doing.”
“That everybody is getting along. Everything is calm and everybody’s having a good time,” Ashley Almonte, The Greene School.
“Peace is understanding and acceptance, and being content with both of those things,” Pablo Youngs, senior art major.
“Peace means to me serenity in the world, no violence and everyone getting along. Pure happiness,” Kylie Vanluvender, freshman psychology major.
“Peace means everybody getting along, no arguing or fighting,” Patrice Amour, senior nutrition and dietetics major
“The absence of war,” Tom Levesque, senior computer science major.
“What does peace mean to me? Everyone is treating others how they want to be treated. If you treat someone nice, hopefully they’ll treat you nice back. Just treating each other the same, being nice and helpful.” Molly Tumulty, senior nutrition and dietetics major.
“Peace is loving one another. It’s living in harmony with each other and not caring about what others look like, who they worship, who they love and where they’re from. It’s tranquility. It’s choosing not to fight the guy insulting you. It’s listening to a band at a cafe with your friends. It’s walking through the woods and feeling the trees sway in the breeze,” JP Govan, senior environmental and natural resource economic major.