EMBRACING PEACE
Saturday, May 18
Registration begins at 8:30 AM
St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Lake Worth Beach
100 N Palmway, Lake Worth, FL 33460 - 561-582-6609
Embracing Peace is a full day program devoted to peace,
music, meditation and climate justice brought to you by the
Lake Worth Interfaith Network (LWIN), in partnership with
Temple Adath Or and St. Andrews Episcopal Church.
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St. Andrews 100 N. Palmway, LWB
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Free street parking
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Check-in at 8:30 am
Morning Qigong with Dr. George Love
George Love is a doctor of Oriental Medicine. He is the President of Blue Dragon Qigong Academy.
Author of ten books, Dr. Love trained in Tibetan, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Sri Lanken and Korean medicine. He studied Tibetan medicine with the personal physician to the Dalai Lama.
GeoLove49@gmail.com - 561-502-6200
Meditation with Prem Shakti and Maya Malay
Prem Shakti is the owner of the Prem Yoga Center for Enlightened Living. The center offers teachings and trainings which inspire and support realization of one's full potential and integration of spirit in daily life.
PremCreativePower@gmail.com - 561-351-3680
Maya Malay has a Master’s degree in Theology. She is a Pastoral Counselor and is ordained in Tibetan Buddhism. Maya leads retreats, and teaches meditation. Maya moderates the Lake Worth Interfaith Network Global Enlightenment Meditation (GEM), a 30-minute online experience where experts and diverse faith leaders share meditation styles. Maya advocates for social justice, religious reform and resolutions to establish greater harmony in the hearts of humanity. Maya founded Lotus Mind Ministries and serves on the Board of Directors of Lake Worth Interfaith Network and Temple of Understanding.
MayaMalay@aol.com - 561-832-0224
Opening Interfaith Prayers
The day begins with prayers offered by Rabbi Marc Labowitz, Imam Kamruz Hosein and Pastor Jason Fairbanks.
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Panel Discussion on World Peace
Six faith leaders will share their religions’ approach to this challenging topic. LWIN asks: What can the average citizen do to further the cause of world peace? Time permitting, there will be an opportunity for audience questions and comments. Our panelists are:
Rabbi Marc Labowitz
Rabbi Marc Labowitz is a teacher, lecturer and award-winning composer serving as the Rabbi of TAO - Temple Adath Or, in South Florida since 2002. Rabbi Marc Labowitz's deepest spiritual practice is to foster a world in which Freedom, Acceptance and Love are the essence of all paths. He endeavors to do this by helping to garner a wise, warm, vibrant, caring Jewish community.
TAOcenter.net - 954-888-1408
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra
Sheikh Ghassan Manasra is the Abrahamic Reunion’s International Director, and an ordained Sheikh in the Qadiri Sufi Order of Peace in the Holy Land. He is the founder of Anwar-Il-Salaam, the Lights of Peace Center and a founder and the Director of the Islamic Cultural Center in Nazareth. Sheikh Ghassan has worked in interfaith peacemaking in the Holy Land, and around the world, for more than 38 years building bridges between Jews, Christians Muslims, and Druze. Sheikh Ghassan Manasra quote: "As a peacemaker from the Holy Land, I believe that all people around the world from all religions are equal and must continue as partners and colleagues together to build a world of peace, harmony, and humanity."
AbrahamicReunion.org - 941-993-9994
Maya Malay
Maya Malay has a Master’s degree in Theology. She is a Pastoral Counselor and is ordained in Tibetan Buddhism. Maya leads retreats, and teaches meditation. Maya moderates the Lake Worth Interfaith Network Global Enlightenment Meditation (GEM), a 30-minute online experience where experts and diverse faith leaders share meditation styles. Maya advocates for social justice, religious reform and resolutions to establish greater harmony in the hearts of humanity. Maya founded Lotus Mind Ministries and serves on the Board of Directors of Lake Worth Interfaith Network and Temple of Understanding.
MayaMalay@aol.com - 561-832-0224
Omar Udden
Omar Uddin was born and raised South Florida to Pakistani and Nicaraguan parents. He discovered, and began practicing Islam at the age of 13. His passion is to be a good ambassador, sharing and inviting others to know God. He and his loving wife are raising three beautiful teenage children. He is also a small business entrepreneur, and enjoys serving our communities in many ways.
561-531-3592
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Catherine Martinez
Catherine was raised in the Episcopal Church but always felt the universality of human belief in a higher power, and that there are dimensions beyond this level of existence. She became a Baha'i in 1971 while in college, and the rest of those 50+ years have been a journey of discovery into finding new faiths and new points of view. She attended the Parliament of World Religions in 2023 and holds a vision of a united, peaceful world where everyone has the basic necessities of life and the freedom to explore meaning for themselves.
csmartinez@1998@gmail.com - 561-985-4519
Donna A. Kerner
Donna A. Kerner has over 25 years of technical expertise spanning stabilization, disaster response, political transitions, election security, disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration, democratic governance, and democratic backsliding programs in conflict and post-conflict countries. Ms. Kerner’s global experience includes projects in: Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Ukraine, Moldova, Afghanistan, Iraq, Israel, Uganda, Liberia, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Macedonia, Kosovo and Croatia. She has worked at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the Department of State, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the International Organization for Migration and with international NGOs and program implementers.
Our Keynote Speaker - John Englander
Author of Moving to Higher Ground - Rising Sea Level
and the Path Forward.
John will be autographing copies of his best-selling book,
Moving to Higher Ground-Rising Sea Level and the Path Forward.
John Englander's engaging presentations clearly explain sea-level rise without bias and technical jargon, allowing any audience to easily "connect the dots" on the latest science, the impending impact and the potential solutions. John is an Oceanographer and Sea Level Rise authority. His broad marine science background coupled with explorations in Greenland and Antarctica and degrees in Geology and Economics allows him to see the big picture on the large-scale financial and societal impact on sea level rise.
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He brings the diverse points of view of an industry scientist, entrepreneur and executive, having served as CEO for such noteworthy organizations as The Cousteau Society and The International Sea Keepers Society. As Founder of the Rising Seas Group, he works with businesses, government agencies and communities to understand, plan and adapt to the impact and risks of sea level rise.
JohnEnglander.net - 561-299-5920
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As featured on...
Langar Lunch presented by the Sikh Society of Florida.
A lacto-vegetarian* Langar Lunch lovingly provided by the Sikh Society of Florida. In Sikhism, langar means community kitchen. The tradition of serving meals to all is free of charge. People sit on the floor and eat together serviced by the Sikh community volunteers doing 'seva', which is selfless service.
miamigurudwarafl.org - 954-766-4501
We recommend you bring a yoga mat or pillow for your comfort. Chairs will be available for those unable to get down on the ground. If you prefer a different meal, you are invited to bring your own lunch and join us in community.
* Made with dairy, no eggs, no meat
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Afternoon Program
Inter-Cultural Peace Building Workshop
led by Sheikh Ghassan Manasra of the Abrahamic Reunion.
Find out how Sheikh Ghassan and the Abrahamic Reunion have continued to foster multi-faith and cross cultural peace community in the Holy Land, amidst tension, war, conflict, trauma and hatred creating trust, hope, cooperation, knowledge and resilience. Join Sheikh Ghassan Manasra for a session of peace-building exercises used to train clergy, women, youth, and men - Israelis, Palestinians, Muslims, Jews, Christrians and Druze - to become peace makers in Israel and Palestine. Learn some of the techniques, theories of connection and change, and methods for helping others encounter and open up to each other by experiencing them first-hand.
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Buckley Griffis
The drum circle is an ancient practice of community building and self discovery. We will connect with one another with the rhythms and send out the energy of healing and peaceful living. The circle is for the first time players and the pros. We will provide all the drums but please bring your own if you like.
Buckley founded The Rhythm Weavers as a community-based world percussion program and has offered these teachings all over the United States, Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru. He is also the co-founder and artistic coordinator of Arts For Everyone and has written the world percussion module for Prime Time of Palm Beach County. Buckley teaches music at The Benjamin School and was the Instrumental Music Teacher at the Palm Beach Academy coordinating performances and festivals for the school community. His educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Syracuse University and a Master’s of Education degree from Florida Atlantic University.
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Planting the Peace Pole
The Peace Pole Project is a signature project of May Peace Prevail On Earth International inviting peacemakers throughout the world to plant Peace Poles in their communities.
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The Peace Pole Project was started in Japan by Masahisa Goi (1916-1980) who dedicated his life to spreading the message, May Peace Prevail on Earth. Mr. Goi was greatly saddened by the destruction caused by World War II and the atomic bombs that fell on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. His desire to assist in the creation of world peace was answered in 1955 when the message of May Peace Prevail on Earth came to him in a moment of inspiration and deep prayer.
After Mr. Goi authored the message, May Peace Prevail on Earth, it was promoted throughout Japan. Soon after, Peace Poles inscribed with the message began to appear in locations across Japan. After the United Nations International Year of Peace in 1986, supporters around the world began to plant peace poles in their communities across the United States and the world. Peace Poles are now the most recognized international peace symbol and monument worldwide with more than 200,000 Peace Poles standing in almost every country around the world. PeacePoleProject.org
Traditional Christian Taize Service
The Taizé Community is an ecumenical Christian monastic group located in Taizé, Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France. Founded in 1940 by Brother Roger Schütz, a Reformed Protestant, it brings together more than one hundred clergy from Catholic and Protestant traditions, representing about thirty countries worldwide. The community’s primary purpose is service and the promotion of ecumenism. It was established as a place of silence, work, and inner freedom during World War II.
Brother Roger envisioned it as a refuge for those discouraged and deprived of livelihood. The community follows The Rule of Taizé, written by Brother Roger and first published in French in 1954, guides their life and emphasizes kindness, simplicity, and reconciliation. https://www.standrewslwb.org (561) 582-6609
