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Home Page About Us Future Events Past Events Links Join our Yahoo e mail group Contact us via our webmaster	WARoNOke Peace Action Group Walk for a New Spring 2006 Page The February 22, 2006 Westfield leg of the "Walk for a New Spring 2006" led by Brother Toby of the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, MA was coordinated by the Waronoke Peace Action Group with support from Students for Peace and Justice at Westfield State College and the Veterans for Peace. The walk drew particular public attention to: - the Mayors for Peace initiative which focuses on nuclear disarmament by 2020 - HR 4232 which requests withdrawal of troops from Iraq At 3:00 p.m. the peace walkers arrived at Westfield City Hall from Huntington for a meeting with Mayor Sullivan (one of the Massachusetts Mayors for Peace) At 7:00 p.m, following a pot luck supper, the peace walkers led a meeting/discussion open to the public at the Second Congregational Church, 487 Western Ave, across from Stanley Park, near Westfield State College campus - Click here to see a photographic record of the events described above. - See below for more information about the Walk for a New Spring 2006 The following additional information is based on the flyer created by the Peace Pagoda. Walk for a New Spring 2006 - Reclaiming the Ground of Peace from Leverett to Boston - Feb. 19 to Mar. 20 A four week walk to root and nourish the power of peace and equity locally, nationally, and globally This annual walk was initiated in 2002 by the Nipponzan Myohoji, Buddhist Order of the New England Peace Pagoda, 100 Cave Hill Road, Leverett, MA 01054 The walks began as a response to the post 9/11 call for a "War on Terror". Hundreds of friends across Massachusetts have joined the walkers each year to reflect, pray, and share food together community be community, renouncing fear and seeking ways to establish the beneficent power of peace and to uphold and be held by the stabilizing force of equity and justice. This year, the walkers hope to also draw particular public attention to the following: A. The Mayors for Peace initiative which focuses on nuclear disarmament by 2020 This year their efforts, begun last year, are being redoubled to reach out to cities and towns inviting mayors and municipal governments to join the inspiring Mayors for Peace initiative. Over one thousand mayors around the world have joined the invitation of the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to become a force directly linked to grass roots populations calling for abolition of all nuclear weapons by the year 2020. Over one thousand mayors globally, and a growing number of Massachusetts mayors are committing their cities to be Peace Cities. The House and Senate of the Massachusetts legislature passed historic resolutions in 2005 calling for a nuclear abolition and support for the Mayors for Peace movement. In 2004, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in support of the Mayors for Peace. B. HR 4232 which requests withdrawal of troops from Iraq They will be carrying information about this bill submitted by U.S. Representative Jim McGovern [D, Worcester]. HR 4232 calls for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Iraq, consultations with foreign governments and international forces to insure Iraqi security and transition to democracy, and contributions of money and equipment to Iraqi security forces. This well thought out legislation can become a vehicle for the U.S. military disengagement with Iraq and for the support of Iraq's needs for its reconstruction.

WARoNOke Peace Action Group
Walk for a New Spring 2006 Page

The February 22, 2006 Westfield leg of the "Walk for a New Spring 2006" led by Brother Toby of the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, MA was coordinated by the Waronoke Peace Action Group with support from Students for Peace and Justice at Westfield State College and the Veterans for Peace.

The walk drew particular public attention to:

- the Mayors for Peace initiative which focuses on nuclear disarmament by 2020

- HR 4232 which requests withdrawal of troops from Iraq

At 3:00 p.m. the peace walkers arrived at Westfield City Hall from Huntington for a meeting with Mayor Sullivan (one of the Massachusetts Mayors for Peace)

At 7:00 p.m, following a pot luck supper, the peace walkers led a meeting/discussion open to the public at the Second Congregational Church, 487 Western Ave, across from Stanley Park, near Westfield State College campus

- Click here to see a photographic record of the events described above.

- See below for more information about the Walk for a New Spring 2006

The following additional information is based on the flyer created by the Peace Pagoda.

Walk for a New Spring 2006 - Reclaiming the Ground of Peace
from Leverett to Boston - Feb. 19 to Mar. 20

A four week walk to root and nourish the power of peace and equity
locally, nationally, and globally

This annual walk was initiated in 2002 by the Nipponzan Myohoji, Buddhist Order of the New England Peace Pagoda, 100 Cave Hill Road, Leverett, MA 01054

The walks began as a response to the post 9/11 call for a "War on Terror". Hundreds of friends across Massachusetts have joined the walkers each year to reflect, pray, and share food together community be community, renouncing fear and seeking ways to establish the beneficent power of peace and to uphold and be held by the stabilizing force of equity and justice.

This year, the walkers hope to also draw particular public attention to the following:

A. The Mayors for Peace initiative which focuses on nuclear disarmament by 2020

This year their efforts, begun last year, are being redoubled to reach out to cities and towns inviting mayors and municipal governments to join the inspiring Mayors for Peace initiative. Over one thousand mayors around the world have joined the invitation of the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to become a force directly linked to grass roots populations calling for abolition of all nuclear weapons by the year 2020.

Over one thousand mayors globally, and a growing number of Massachusetts mayors are committing their cities to be Peace Cities. The House and Senate of the Massachusetts legislature passed historic resolutions in 2005 calling for a nuclear abolition and support for the Mayors for Peace movement. In 2004, the U.S. Conference of Mayors passed a resolution in support of the Mayors for Peace.

B. HR 4232 which requests withdrawal of troops from Iraq

They will be carrying information about this bill submitted by U.S. Representative Jim McGovern [D, Worcester]. HR 4232 calls for the safe and orderly withdrawal of all U.S. troops in Iraq, consultations with foreign governments and international forces to insure Iraqi security and transition to democracy, and contributions of money and equipment to Iraqi security forces. This well thought out legislation can become a vehicle for the U.S. military disengagement with Iraq and for the support of Iraq's needs for its reconstruction.