January
22, 2007
Children call for peace on World Religion Day
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by Michael Hammond
for
Metro Ottawa
“Once again, Ottawa has become a little bit better,” the mayor said
before his declaration.
An interfaith group of youths
began the event by recreating a traditional African stomp dance that
originated with coal miners. A group of young Sikh boys wearing bright
clothes danced a traditional harvest dance that has its origins in the
Punjabi region of India. A Catholic choir from Blessed Sacrament in the
Glebe sang folk hymns, while members of the Jewish community sang songs
of praise before ending their presentation with What a Wonderful World
by Louis Armstrong. Members of the local Hindu, Islamic and Bahá’í
communities also made colourful presentations.
Many different languages were spoken, but organizers said all the
faiths have a similar message of peace and tolerance. |
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| CELEBRATING
FAITHS Charanya Ragavan , 10, with the Hindu community of Ottawa,
performs a traditional dance yesterday at the city's World Religion Day
celebration at City Hall. This year's gathering chose the theme Give
Peace a Chance. |
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Vargha
Ram of the Ottawa Bahá’í Community said watching the children express
their faith and their appreciation for other faiths should be a call to
action for adults. It is important, he said,
to teach budding minds tolerance rather than passing on prejudices. “We
realized a great amount of power we have in the hands of children,” he
said. “This really does bring joy and inspiration.”
The event is an annual celebration organized by Interfaith Ottawa and
the Capital Region Interfaith Council.
Each year, the group chooses a theme for the event as way of educating
children and their parents about tolerance.
Nathalie Thurlwall, co-chair of Interfaith Ottawa, said the event is
also a good way to allow communities to look outside themselves.
“It’s about how we behave towards others outside our faith community,”
she said.
Printed in the Metro
Ottawa January 22, 2007
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