About

PEACE DAY AUSTIN PRESENTS

POEMS FOR PEACE

Click on the Image Below to Access a Replay

In partnership with the UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum and Subud International Cultural Association

Peace Day Austin will hosted the 7th annual Poems for Peace event virtually on Monday, September 21. You can access a replay of the event on YouTube.

Poems for Peace is an evening of impassioned poets, actors, and advocates sharing inspiring works of original poetry and published works. Hear what inspired their selections on Peace in celebration of the International Day of Peace. The program also included a special virtual performance by the Austin Gay Men's Chorus.

The event was hosted by KMFA Classical 89.5 on-air personality Dianne Donovan from the rarely seen office of Angie Umlauf, where she created beautiful poetry. 

Guest readers will include:

  • Robert Faires, Austin Chronicle
  • Simone Talma Flowers, Interfaith Action of Central Texas  
  • Marc Pouhé - Film & Stage Actor
  • Brenda Lopez, Poet & Writer
  • Kurt Heinzelman, The University of Texas
  • Evan Blaché, Spoken Word Artist
  • Deborah Hamilton-Lynne, Co-founder & Editorial Director of Envision Custom Publications and Founder & Managing Partner of Grass Roots Movements Marketing

Poems for Peace is hosted by Peace Day Austin and is part of a larger citywide celebration of International Peace Day each year on September 21. Peace Day Austin is a local initiative made up of various organizations that encourage participation in, and observance of, International Peace Day, which was established by a United Nations resolutions in 1981 and adopted as an annual day of nonviolence in 2001. 

Poems for Peace was spearheaded in Austin by Latifah Taormina, prior member of the Austin Arts Commission and former executive director of the Austin Creative Alliance (once known as ACOT). Taormina also founded Peace Day Austin, and has been joined by a growing number of organizations including Global Austin - a diplomacy non-profit that serves the international exchange community.

Poems for Peace takes place throughout the United States and Europe. Austinites will be joining millions of people around the world participating in Peace Day activities, events, concerts, and festivals.

“Poems for Peace is really about expressing one’s love of peace through poetry. Poems live in our music, our holy books and in our hearts. We are celebrating peace and triumph of the human spirit. There is no better time to talk about dignity and acceptance; be it race, class, culture or within one’s self, than in today’s current climate.” expressed Taormina.

Peace Day Austin encourages everyone to celebrate Peace Day in their individual ways as well, which could include anything from writing a poem, taking a selfie, singing a song or reciting poetry through flash mobs, parties, slams, performances, workshops, exhibits, classes, concerts and games in honor of Peace Day. There are many different ideas on ways to celebrate listed on the Peace Day Austin website, as well as a full list of activities and participating organizations, www.peacedayaustin.org.

KMFA Classical 89.5 is a proud media partner of Peoms for Peace and Peace Day Austin.

Event Details

Ticket Information

  • Cost: FREE

Presenter Details

  • Name: Peace Day Austin
  • ABOUT PEACE DAY AUSTIN – Peace Day Austin grew out of the work the Subud International Cultural Association (SICA) was doing with Poems for Peace— which was inspired by the passion and dedication of Jeremy Gilley and Peace One Day. Gilley, who founded Peace One Day, was the driving force behind getting the UN to give Peace Day a set calendar date, September 21. Peace Day Austin is now a collaborative grass roots initiative to explore, express, share, welcome, and celebrate what peace means to each of us as we travel from 9/11, a Day of Remembrance and Service, to 9/21, International Peace Day. Every year, millions of people and thousands of organizations across the world organize all kinds of events and activities to promote awareness of Peace Day, to encourage peace-building, forgiveness, reconciliation, nonviolence, and dignity for all in their own local communities. 

    ABOUT THE UMLAUF - The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization founded around a vast collection of work by American sculptor Charles Umlauf. The UMLAUF Sculpture Garden & Museum exhibits the work of Charles Umlauf and other contemporary sculptors in a natural setting and provides educational experiences that encourage the understanding and appreciation of sculpture.