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MISSION STATEMENT

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The mission of the Peace Abbey Foundation is to create and install public works of art that promote peace and nonviolence; and to administer and care for Abbey Interfaith Peace Chaplaincy, The Pacifist Memorial, The Animal Rights Memorial, Abbey Cremation Cemetery for Conscientious Objectors, and the National Registry for Conscientious Objection.  Throughout the year, the Foundation presents the Int’l Courage of Conscience Award at conferences and peace ceremonies and extends the impact of the Peace Seeds interfaith prayers for peace through their dissemination worldwide.

We conduct and support programs that bring together and promote the cooperation of people of different faith traditions and non-theists as well. We do this in the spirit of the 1986 International Day of Prayer for World Peace, as celebrated that year by religious leaders from around the globe in Assisi, Italy.

The Foundation supports grassroots efforts to link the many dimensions of the peace movement with a committed emphasis on human rights and animal rights. We recognize these two dimensions of intrinsic rights as inextricably interconnected, just as social and economic justice require environmental sustainability and deep respect for the biosphere. Central to our universalist approach is the premise that nonviolence is the most effective and long-term strategy in addressing the multitude of challenges that now threaten our increasingly imperiled planet.

HART ISLAND GLOBAL PANDEMICS TOUCHSTONE
NYC Walk to Remember – Memorial Day Weekend 2023
Consecration Ceremony, The Cathedral of St. John the Divine
Officiant: The Reverend Canon Eva Suarez

GLOBAL PANDEMICS TOUCHSTONE
Video of Touchstone on Ferry to Hart Island

The inscription on the stone, “Global Pandemics: A Touchstone for Humanity” is particularly appropriate for Hart Island due to its historical significance as a mass, unmarked burial site for over 1 million New Yorkers, many of whom died from contagious disease. Here are a few reasons why this stone and message hold significance in this context:
 
1. Commemoration: The stone serves as a memorial to honor the lives lost to global pandemics, particularly in the case of Hart Island, where a significant number of New Yorkers who succumbed to contagious diseases were laid to rest. It acknowledges the magnitude of the impact that pandemics have had on humanity and pays tribute to those who lost their lives.
 
2. Historical Reflection: Hart Island’s history as a burial site for individuals who died from contagious diseases (HIV/AIDS, COVID-19), as well as societal diseases (war, poverty, homelessness, gun violence, healthcare disparities), provides a somber reminder of the impact of pandemics throughout history.  By placing the stone on Hart Island, it highlights the ongoing struggle of humanity against pandemic outbreaks and prompts reflection on past diseases that have resulted in widespread death.
 
3. Symbolic Representation: The stone acts as a symbolic touchstone, representing the shared experience of humanity during global pandemics. It serves as a reminder that despite the geographic, cultural, and social differences among people, the threat of pandemics affects everyone and unites humanity in a common struggle.  It puts New Yorkers’ grieving in a global context as humanity suffers as one, and heals as one.
 
4. Educational Purpose: The inscription can also serve an educational purpose, drawing attention to the historical context of Hart Island and the impact of contagious diseases on society. It can encourage visitors to learn more about the history of pandemics, their consequences, and the importance of public health measures in preventing and mitigating their effects.
 
Overall, the stone and its message are appropriate on Hart Island because they provide a tangible representation of the scale and impact of global pandemics, while honoring the lives lost and prompting reflection on the shared experiences of humanity in the face of such crises.

Famous statues of Gandhi across the world.


GREAT NEWS TO SHARE  Bronx News TV
BEREAVEMENT STONE PLACED ON HART ISLAND BY THE
CITY OF NEW YORK!

 BEREAVEMENT STONE CONSECRATED AT
THE CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
The Global Pandemics Touchstone is in the process of being gifted to the City of New York for permanent placement at Hart Island mass burial cemetery. We are awaiting the final decision as to whether or not those buried on Hart Island will have a pandemic memorial stone for victims of the coronavirus, AIDS, and past contagious diseases.  Short Video on HART ISLAND.

GLOBAL PANDEMICS TOUCHSTONE


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To Make Gentle the Life of the World

The Peace Abbey Foundation | 16 Lavender Street, Millis, Massachusetts 02054 | 508.655.2143 | admin@peaceabbey.org
Peace Memorial Park | 2 North Main Street, Sherborn, Massachusetts 01770 | 508.259.8508  | call or text

The Peace Abbey, a non-profit, tax-exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable organization, was founded in 1988 to create, maintain, and promote innovative models for social change that reflect the principles of nonviolence that exist within the major faith traditions of the world.
(c) 2015 The Peace Abbey