This week of posts will be a retrospective of the past year. So here we go with the first installment.
On 12/11/10, little Peace-nik announced the arrival of Santa at The Water Not Weapons & Friends winter holiday hootenanny at St. John’s Church at 81 Christopher St. in NYC. Our friends made music to ring in an inclusive holiday of peace and goodwill for all with representative songs from all the traditions: Muslim, Jewish, Christian, Buddhist, Indigenous, folk and nature.
Paul Sladkus, the master of ceremonies, played Jingle-Bells on his saxophone and Phil Sauers
presented to all the children Water Not Weapons buttons on Hugg-A-Planet™ soft earth-globes to spread the message of keeping water safe, clean, available and free for all the world as a right of nature and life. Rev. Lyndon Harris, was at his usual light and love messenger for Gardens of Forgiveness to bring compassion and grace to all the places so in need of ways to move forward with hope and heart.
David Amram brought his joyful soul and his flutes uplifted everyone. James Cannings created the Reggae beat that got all the kids up on their feet to sing his song, We The People (want peace). Caitlin O’Heaney sang her Water Not Weapons song, Who Have We Freed? and Walker Rumpf, a youth environmental leader, did rap music while his father, Jeff and mom, Lori danced with their young son. Walker had everyone singing along with a joyful
Islamic tune with all the kids participating. Michael Lublin added his musical flair and Mighty Xee debuted one of her new songs on the plight of the oceans caused by the impact of plastic and other toxins. It was a joyful, hopeful invitation to engage in different ways to support clean water. She had the children wiggle, jiggle and giggle singing and shouting. It was a great way to inform this next generation of environmental leaders in the Clearwater and Pete Seeger tradition while becoming Water Not Weapons stewards. Shorewalkers’ Cy A Adler sang a song he co-wrote with Pete Seeger
and involved the kids with his spunk and spirit. The group of peace and enviornmental Street Singers also rocked the rafters. Spook Handy led the chorus in This Land is Your Land and roused everyone to care about our beautiful green nature and take ownership to protect its integrity. Santa, World Water Rescue Foundation President, Tom McManus, Esq., an expert in water, environment and transparency for corporate, legal and political disclosure, had two jolly elf helpers to bring good cheer to all.
On the way to the program, Peace-nik met many Santa-like charity workers dressed in all manner of holiday gay apparel.
May Peace Prevail on Earth and Good will to All.