RICHMOND — A 10-year-old boy from the Berkshires visited the United Nations on Jan. 30 to learn about “A Season of Nonviolence.â€
The season, from Jan. 30 to April 4, is a national 64-day educational, media and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating nonviolence as a way to heal, transform and empower lives and communities. Inspired by the 50th anniversary and 30th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the international event honors their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.
Topaz Ross Kelso attends elementary School in Richmond where his favorite subjects are reading, math and science. He is also a singer, who performs solo and with his father (Mark Kelso) and has recently appeared on the Arts and Entertainment channel. He said his interest in nonviolence was sparked through his family. His mother has been attending a spiritual caucus at the U.N. and invited him along to this event.
After taking the train to New York City, Topaz and his mother, Arti, walked to the U.N. building. About 500 youths were in attendance. The Agape International Choir, from Los Angeles, opened the event with music. The Susan Wagner High School presented a conflict resolution and action project for schools. During the presentation, two children presented conflicting views, and others stood up and suggested solutions, quoting words from Gandhi and King. The examples were designed to show how people can courageously intervene to develop social sensitivity.
“Having a conflict resolution connects student to student,†said Arti Roots Kelso. “In conflicts, both the perpetrator and the victim often feel alone and uncared for. Through resolution, these students can become part of the solution rather than the problem.â€
The Rev. Dr. Michael Beckwith delivered the keynote address on “A Season of Nonviolence.†Both Roots Kelso and Topaz described the speech as “inspiring.â€
“He spoke of how every little step towards nonviolent solutions is backed by multitudes, all of those who have come before and worked for peace. Consider the lineage of Gandhi and King, and we never need to feel alone,†Roots Kelso said.
The address was followed by a Gandhi-King multimedia tribute, “Bombay to Birmingham,†and a World Peace Flag Ceremony, with youths displaying flags to represent the national community.
Students were invited to sign a ‘Stand Up and Lead, Pledge of Service’ before leaving the event. The pledge asked them to seek to increase their knowledge and practice of nonviolence in their communities. The Youth Peace Network also invited students to join a Web site, youth@worldpeace.org that connects people from around the world to create new ideas for positive change in the world.
Topaz signed the pledge and said he was invited to be an intern with Pathways to Peace.
“When the youth of the world feel they have a voice in the system, they know they matter, because they can participate,†said Michael Johnson, a Pathways to Peace leader. “The more youth who get the message about nonviolence, the more people who will be inspired to create positive change and live more peacefully into adulthood.â€
Topaz, asked what he might like to do when he grows up, said, “Maybe be a scientist and work in a little lab. I don’t want any high-risk jobs like photographing sharks and diving into caves or underground rivers.â€
Right now, he said, his goals are to start his own album, practice clarinet and join the beginners’ band at Richmond School.
Information about the Season for Nonviolence: www.season-for-nonviolence.net . To learn more about Topaz Roots Kelso and his music: www.muddyangel.com .
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WMMGA to Host Gardening Half Day in Lenox
LENOX, Mass. — The WMMGA will host a gardening half day on April 5 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at Lenox Memorial Middle and High School.
The event will feature eight workshops covering the following topics:
Ticks
Hydrangeas
Summer bulbs
Pollinator gardens
Good garden tools
Plant propagation
Heirloom tomatoes
Container gardening
The event will also include vendors, free refreshments, a sale table with puzzles, houseplants, and gently used garden books, and a garden-themed raffle.
Registration can be completed at wmmga.org. Class size is limited.
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