Paint for Peace

In May of this year, the Georgia branch of the International Peace Youth Group (IPYG) held the second “Paint for Peace” at the Atlanta Beltline in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. More than 300 people participated in the event, including heads of civil organizations, local merchants, and ordinary citizens.

The Atlanta Beltline is an urban renewal project that utilizes an old railroad track on the outskirts of the city of Atlanta. The city is working on urban construction projects around this track to connect transportation and create residential districts and parks, aiming to reduce crime zones and improve the quality of life for its citizens.

On this day, IPYG selected a place in the Beltline and painted a mural to symbolize peace. The citizens put their handprints on it and signed or wrote messages of peace to signify their participation in the creation of peace. At the location where the mural was painted, various programs were held in conjunction with yoga and Tai Chi (chuan) dance for community harmony.

The heads of civil organizations who participated in the event expressed interest in joining HWPL’s peace education, and a local merchant sponsored snacks, saying that he wanted to participate in the work of peace. During the event, several citizens showed interest in HWPL and IPYG’s peace activities and inquired about how to participate. One citizen said, “The peace work that HWPL does is very important. There should be more people involved in peace activities.”

Since 2019, in Atlanta, which is also one of the areas with the highest number of gun accidents in the United States, the IPYG Georgia branch has been working to create a culture of peace in the community by interacting with local youth through peace education, workshops, and volunteer activities. The IPYG Georgia branch plans to promote HWPL peace activities and conduct peace education and volunteer activities regularly to encourage more citizens to participate in HWPL peace activities.