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April 22, 2004
Gassho,
More news from the Assisi Peace Center project:
First, thank you for helping us with ideas for names.
As we mentioned, there are already three or so peace
centers in Assisi and everyone there - organizations
and city officials - is protective of not over-using
the name. The name we have selected is the Global
Community for Peace: Assisi, Italy. The name change
will soon be reflected on our website.
Since there are already three peace centers in Assisi,
several of you have inquired why we would create
another. Good question.
We have not researched every
peace center on the planet, but in the research
we have done, we've not come up with anything like
what we are creating. The other centers in Assisi,
and the others we've found around the world, are
primarily of three types: 1) groups who have a
particular teaching about peace, 2) peace and justice
organizations focused on social and political change,
usually some particular change, and 3) groups doing "good works" to
further peace. The three centers I visited in Assisi
fall into one or more of those categories. Our
center is none of those yet will have components
of each.
Our center is designed to be educational, interactive,
and inspiring. Under one roof we will have beautiful,
engaging displays, created by artists of the culture,
that represent the teachings and practices of peace,
past and present, from as many groups as we can find.
We will be a networking resource enabling people
of peace around the globe to locate and contact one
another's projects. We will invite individuals and
groups working for peace to come to the center and
offer classes and demonstrations. It is our goal
always to have a variety of practices of peace available
for visitors to learn.
We have heard from our contractor, Pino, in Assisi.
During my stay there earlier in the year, he and
I went through the house from top to bottom. He was
very impressed with the condition of the house and
noted that it has no earthquake damage. In Italy
the normal approach to renovations is gut-it-and-start-from-scratch.
We will simply put in new pipes for water and a new
electrical system, to give us a modern kitchen and
bathrooms, and the rest will be done with soap and
water, sandpaper and paint. This is not the norm
in that part of the world and caused a few raised
eyebrows. After showing off a little with my knowledge
of window and door restoration, I got some nods of
approval and agreement that, yes, it could be done
by the buyer at a great savings. The rough estimates
Pino has given us for the work are $350,000 for labor,
materials, permits, and assessments and 14 months
to get the necessary approvals and then do the job.
All we need first is the $1,000,000.00 to purchase
the house - or whatever amount is necessary for a
down payment! And, truth be told, it might not cost
that much. The asking price is $750,000.00 euro (or
$1,000,000.00 US), but no one thinks the owners expect
to get that. All of these numbers are far below my
guesses about what things would cost. I am exceedingly
heartened.
Speaking of money, we want to
thank you again for making donations! Plus, you
must be telling your friends and relations because
we are getting emails from people from all over
the world. We encourage you, and others you tell
about the project, to record your names on the "People
of Peace" section
of the website. It is thrilling to see those addresses
of Germany, England, Israel, Ireland, Canada, Australia,
along with many states in the U.S. We have volunteers
translating the website into German, French, Spanish,
and Portuguese. Yikes! Does anyone know Italian?
If anyone is fluent enough in other languages to
do a translation, please let us know. It would be
wonderful eventually to have it in every major language.
And, while we're on the subject of the website, please
start sending in those photos of your "square
foot for peace" so we can get them up for people
to see and be inspired by.
We have an exciting development
in Living Compassion, which is the umbrella organization
for the Assisi project, the Zimbabwe Vulnerable
Children's Project, the Tuesday evening radio show,
and the "There
Is Nothing Wrong with You" work. Sherry Richert
Belul has agreed to take on the challenge of getting
the word out to the world at large as our director
of marketing. She has already contributed enormously
by asking just the right questions to enable us to
clarify our vision and focus. We are in the process
of planning two huge events and will have details
to report soon. One other event we can tell you about
now is an afternoon
gathering in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday
June 13. This event will support
all of Living Compassion, including the Peace Center.
We will have live music, tasty snacks, good conversation,
and the unveiling of some amazing plans. We would
love to have you join us-this would be a good time
to bring family and friends who might be interested
in our projects-and if you've been toying with the
idea of making a donation, we will have some tempting
opportunities for doing that. (You are also welcome
to attend with no intention of making a donation!)
We will send out email notification when we have
decided on the location and exact time of day.
That's it for now. Next time we talk it will be
about retreats near and far and gigantic announcements.
Until then, please keep us in your hearts, minds,
meditations, and prayers. This is a magnificent endeavor
and success will take all of us working together.
Gassho,
Cheri
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