NextNow Collab is exploring collaboration with Summer of Peace, a 501(c)3 project of the Tides Foundation. (I’m leading the collaboration with sponsor organization Global Coherence Initiative and part of the science team). This is a comprehensive initiative that will start in San Francisco as the first city/first summer of peace in 2010, and Cities of Peace is the first event of several leading up to that summer. It’s a free event with opportunity to make a voluntary contribution. From the website:
Imagine… gathering the most inspirational peacemakers and the most effective peace-building programs from around the world to light up the San Francisco Bay Area for a celebratory summer that creates measurable reductions in crime and violence.
Imagine… whole cities making a commitment to peace that addresses the root causes of violence, harnesses the creativity of citizens, and strengthens cross-sector alliances.
Imagine… the passion of activism married with the pragmatism of science and the wisdom of spiritual practice, working in concert with proven educational and grassroots programs to create lasting change.
In the city that birthed the United Nations, helped launch the International Day of Peace, and was named for the peaceful St. Francis, we invite you to an important new event that addresses how the Bay Area can lead the way in reducing rates of violence in our nation. We’ll explore creating a movement in which citizens, non-profits, government and business can work together to create a powerful shift to a more creative and collaborative culture of peace.
Get involved in making the Bay Area a pioneer in peace-building and a shining
example of collaborative community!
Co-sponsors: The Peace Alliance, Urban Peace Movement, Change SF, Pathways to Peace, Institute of Noetic Sciences, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Global Coherence Initiative.
Host Committee: Josh Becker, Krishanti Dharmaraj, Urusa Fahim, James Hanusa, Dorka Keehn, Regina Kulik Scully, Avon Mattison, Bonny Meyer, Devaa Haley Mitchell, Lora O’Connor, Rachel Pfeffer, Adrienne Pon, Sudeep Motupalli Rao, Lateefah Simon, Maya Dillard Smith, Claudia Welss.
RSVP: The main public event is free, but you will need to RSVP in order to guarantee your seat. We expect a full house. RSVP at www.sopjune.eventbrite.com Everyone who attends will be invited (and hopefully inspired!) to make a financial contribution but it is not required.
N e x t N o w Collaboratory 
My friend on Facebook shared this link and I’m not dissapointed at all that I came to your blog.
p.s. Year One is already on the Internet and you can watch it for free.
[…] time I look at wise youth voices like 18-year old Student of Life, Max Marmer who is part of our NextNow Collaboratory and a “Force for the Future” worth watching (his friend feed on Facebook alone points me to […]
Please visit cultureofpeace.org, for a year-round calendar of peacebuilding events, and peacebuilding tools & resources! It’s created by Pathways to Peace, which developed the internationaldayofpeace.org website.