May 12, 2006
(Written to be read.)

Today, we gather at the peacemakers table to claim the privilege of honoring a pacifist, artist, world citizen and friend who has for many decades used his creative talents to not only express his prayerful desire to transform violence into nonviolence, but has done so with penetrating clarity and a devotion to accentuating the voices, works and projects of others. He is the initiator of the Peace Project … I refer of course to our comrade from down under, Bill Kelly. Bill has just returned from speaking engagement at Kent State University on the anniversary of the killing of 4 students who were protesting the US war in Vietnam.

The shootings by Ohio National Guardsmen killed four students and wounded nine. Two of the four students killed, Allison Krause and Jeffrey Miller, had participated in the protest, and the other two, Sandra Scheuer and William Schroeder, were simply walking from one class to the next. Schroeder was also a member of the campus ROTC chapter. Of those wounded, none was closer than 71 feet (22 m) to the guardsmen. Of those killed, the nearest (Miller) was 265 feet (81 m) away.

In honoring the creative life of peacemaking of Bill Kelly, I would be remiss if I didn't include in this ceremony, a moment of silence for these young men and women.

Bill Kelly writes in the cover of his book, VIOLENCE TO NONVIOLENCE "It's been said that a painting can never stop a bullet, but I am convinced, he continues, that a painting, a piece of writing, a piece of theatre can stop one from being fired, and a fist from being raised in anger."

As an international artist, humanist, and human rights advocate, Bill wakes each morning driven to find new, thoughtful and creative ways of keeping that bullet from being fired.

We are deeply touched to have this opportunity to present to you, my friend, the Peace Abbey Courage of Conscience Award for your work with the Peace Project and in founding the Archive of Humanist Art, which highlights the prints and drawings of artists from around the world who address humanist peace concerns.

I would also like to acknowledge, in the presence of Bill Kelly, the creative gifts of the students here at The Life Experience School. These Strawberry Fields practitioners of nonviolence, we want you to know, have distinguished themselves through community service in heartfelt, creative ways: working in food pantries, caring for the elderly, delivering food to shut-ins, caring for animals at our Vegan peace animal sanctuary, to name but a few areas of service, and responded to the call for help from Aid groups following September 11th, and Katrina. These students live with a certain understanding that when we are of service to others, we are most connected to our primary purpose for being given the gift of life on Earth.

Bill, I would like to turn to our students and staff and ask them to bless this occasion by sharing their special Peace Corps creed. The words of the creed best express what our goal is as we come together each day to reach out and to serve and, insodoing, reach into ourselves and discover our own divinity, our own source of healing, our own birthright to be peacemakers.

The Special Peace Corps Creed: "When I am hungry, send me someone to feed, when I am thirsty, send me someone who needs a drink, when I am cold, send me someone to warm, when I am sad, send me someone to cheer, when I need understanding, send me someone who needs mine, when I need to be looked after, send me someone to care for, and when I think only of myself, draw my thoughts to another."

It is my privilege to present to you, Bill Kelly, the Courage of Conscience Award. May this symbol of the dove in outreached hands bless your journey of peacemaking and may you always know how much we appreciate all that you do for peace, justice and nonviolence throughout the world.