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ORGANIZATION GUIDELINES

Here are a few guidelines for how the Peace Song Circle and Peace Prayer Day were organized. Feel free to adapt and implement whatever suits your community – we discovered by trial and error what worked well for us in Ottawa. Here it is:

The organizing committee has to share a common vision for peace and be very pragmatic about getting things done and in place. Our meetings always began with meditation from different traditions and finished with a few minutes in silence. This provided the emphasis for being peace and communicating to one another with respect and courtesy.

1. Coordinator: Requires a friend with great attention to detail to ensure that tasks are carried out, support is available and efforts are fully coordinated. This friend keeps the web together and interconnected.

2. Security Team Leader: Connects with police for permits. Co-ordinates marshals for crowd control and program distribution on the day of the event. All volunteers wear a yellow armband with a golden Peace Dove stamped on it.

3. Media Team: Provides the pitch and press releases to newspapers, radio, tv, freelance reporters. Arranges interviews etc.

4. Networking/ Advertising Team: Co-ordinates the process of getting the news to organizations to support these events – environment, peace and spiritual communities. Creates Flyers/Posters/Articles and promotional material.

5. Website: Places all the information, posters, contacts on the Friends for Peace website – www.friendsforpeace.ca

6. Sound Team: Sets up microphones, speakers and amplifiers for choirs, musicians and MC – co-ordinates performers’ technical requirements

7. Fundraising Team: Co-ordinates sponsorship, tables for organizations, donation boxes, raffles, auctions etc.

8. Awards: Recognizes local citizens who have contributed to peace and the planet. Chooses awards.

9. Venue Team: Locates suitable location, co-ordinates with Security Team

10. Program Team: Invites speakers, singers, musicians, dancers, and creates a program

11. MC: Researches each presenter and introduces them, co-ordinates the smooth running of the day

12. Choir Coordinator: Contacts choirs, mediates program of songs and mass choir. A big Job!

Each team coordinator is a member of the Organizing Committee and provides progress reports and if extra help is needed then others are co-opted into the process. Sometimes more than one hat is worn and everyone is consulted after the progress reports are in. It builds community in a practical and worthwhile manner.