We Need a Season for Nonviolence

This time last year, we were celebrating the museum’s first fall and winter in the new building on Courthouse Square. It’s amazing how much has happened at the museum and in the world since then.

We welcomed five new exhibits and a few dozen programs in 2023, including the successful return of our summer Peace Camp. We had programs on
disinformation, the legacy of landmines and unexploded ordnance in Southeast Asia, we heard from Ambassador Tony Hall and his experiences with victims of war and genocide, youth mentorship, the power of art in a democracy, a photo essay on protest, and more.

We sadly endured another year of war and atrocity in Ukraine. October 7 became another awful day of memory for the world as a terrorist group attacked civilians in southern Israel, followed by counterattacks in Gaza, leaving thousands more dead, injured, and homeless. As 2023 ends, people in Ukraine, Gaza, the Congo, Yemen, and other places endure more war and loss.

As the only museum of peace in the US, we support the right to live without fear and violence. We support all efforts for peace and diplomacy. We reject revenge, using civilians as targets, and taking hostages. We advocate the following humanitarian laws of the Geneva Convention. We support an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. 

As 2024 looms, we have been planning more ways to be a part of a more peaceful future. Our annual Season for Nonviolence is something truly amazing and covers 64 days between January and April. We have a lot to share with you soon, but watch our website and the next newsletter!

One major way that can happen is starting peace education early. As our middle and high school program, Peace 101, takes off, we’re expanding that to include elementary students as well. Eventually, we will add adults and specialized groups like first responders, educators, and the medical community to that list.

All of that takes human and financial resources. Thank you for your continued support. Please let us know what you think.

-Executive Director, Kevin Kelly