About this Extraordinary Event: Miamians are invited to participate in an interactive Art Exhibition and Reflection Forum on the challenge of peacemaking in our local, national and international community. This very special event will showcase a 300-foot length Peace Mural created by Artist Huong. A Vietnamese-born war refugee, peace activist, and internationally renowned artist, Huong will display her Peace Mural outdoors on the beautiful grounds of the Miami Art Palace, woven among tropical flowers, Bonsai, a water lily pond, and garden sculptures. This dramatic and highly acclaimed artwork will be open for viewing free of charge, from 10am through 4pm. Visitors may participate at anytime during the day. The exhibition includes a hands-on interactive project where participants can work directly with Huong. Concurrent dialogue forums will run throughout the day. Complimentary food and refreshments will be available through much of the day. The event concludes with a public action, Vote for Peace, from 4-5pm. Artist Huong's extraordinary talent can be viewed on the website of the Art, War and Peace Museum located in Jenson Beach, Florida.

Location:
Miami Art Palace is a landmark building located along the southside of Palmetto Expressway (Route 826), between Sunset and Kendall; Address: 7900 S.W. 77 Ave., Miami, FL 33143.

Concurrent Reflection Forums: Participants will have the opportunity to share with others in a 45-minute facilitated reflection process, where they can dialogue about the significance of their experience of "painting peace" and to articulate a new vision for a world of peace, social justice and environmental sustainability. These dialogue sessions, sponsored by the Florida Coalition for Peace & Justice (FCPJ), will be repeatedly throughout the day, beginning every hour on the hour, at 11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm, and 3pm. In those sessions, participants will also have the opportunity to offer input for a forthcoming day-long Community Dialogue on "Mapping a Culture of Peace in Miami," to take place in the spring of 2007.

Closing Public Action 4-5pm: FCPJ will also coordinate a Vote for Peace "action" to conclude this memorable day. The action will be open to all who wish to participate, and will involve a short program of speakers and music, followed by a legal and nonviolent demonstration in an area visible to the public and in close proximity (walking distance) from the Miami Art Palace. The message of the demonstration will be a non-partisan appeal to the citizenry to "vote for peace" on Election Day, which is the following Tuesday. Members of the press will be invited to cover this event.

Registration Requested: Though there is no cost to participate in these activities at the Miami Art Palace, participants are asked to pre-register using a short on-line form: Click here to Register

Endorsing Organizations: If your group would like to be listed as an endorsing organization in the promotional materials and press releases, please register that intent on-line at: Endorsement Registry

About the Florida Coalition for Peace and Justice: The FCPJ is a statewide community of individual persons who hold a common belief that social and cultural transformation is possible and that together, we can be a channel for that change. The FCPJ is a living laboratory that seeks to articulate, model, and advance an emerging culture of peace within the larger dominant culture. It seeks to do that by empowering, educating, and enabling its members, affiliated groups, and the larger society to take action to accomplish those ends. For more information, see: www.fcpj.org

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