mlk festival – Peace Learning Center

16 01, 2015

MLK Sponsor Thanks

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:28-04:00January 16th, 2015|Tags: mlk festival, sponsors|

We have many sponsors to thank for making the 17th Annual MLK Community Festival possible. First, we’d like to thank Christian Theological Seminary for opening their beautiful building to the community. Next, we’d like to thank the Presenter of our 17th Annual MLK Community Festival – Whole Foods Market. Their support allowed us to offer the festival free to the public. National Bank of Indianapolis has been a long-time sponsor of this event. We are so grateful for their ongoing support and for stepping up as this year’s Panel on Peace sponsor. This year’s Panel on Peace will include four local leaders who will discuss the topic "Creating a Culture of Peace: Celebrating All Things Indy". The panel will be moderated by Peace Learning Center’s own John McShane, director of community programs. This year's in-kind media sponsors, NUVO and Indy's Child, have been instrumental in spreading the word about this wonderful event! Duke Realty also showed their support for the festival this year as a Beloved Community sponsor which allows us to offer tabling space at a nominal fee to local nonprofits so they can share their resources with you and invite you to join them in their missions to create a better community. Duke Realty has also been a wonderful partner to Peace Learning Center by providing volunteers who’ve helped us in many ways. In fact, one of the festival's workshop presenters – Myra Dworski has

16 01, 2015

Reflections on MLK’s life and legacy

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:28-04:00January 16th, 2015|Tags: diversity, mlk, mlk festival, race, tim nation|

Tim Nation, Executive Director and Cofounder of Peace Learning Center While we reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King's life and legacy, 2014 will stand as a watershed year for a civil rights awakening that is both sad and hopeful. Sad because racial disparities continue to rise despite Dr. King's call for all people to come together understanding we are all one human family - children of God. Schools, child services, police and courts continue to suspend, expel, remove from their homes and punish people of color disproportionately by ranges from 200% to even 1200% more than white people. Police action shootings and recent grand jury decisions bring attention to these disparities sparking a younger generation to wake up to these injustices realizing they could no longer say we are in a post racial society and that the civil rights movement was their parents’ and grandparents' fight. Hopeful because many people recognize we must address these problems. Our institutions are reflections of our history and cultural so we must know how we got to this place to be able to change things. Fear is a powerful force. Our country's dark history of slavery used fear as an economic tool. Imagine the mindset of slave-holding plantation owners - every night wondering if their prisoners would rise up at night and overpower them. Worried that their slaves would flee, the myth of the runaway dangerous slave who would rape white women

15 01, 2015

2015 Perspectives on Peace Panel

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:28-04:00January 15th, 2015|Tags: mlk fest, mlk festival, panel on peace, peace leaders|

This year's panel of diverse Indianapolis leaders will discuss “Creating a Culture of Peace: Celebrating All Things Indy” from 1-2:30 pm in the Auditorium during the 2015 MLK Community Festival on Saturday, January 17 at Christian Theological Seminary. Panelists: Keishana White, JoAnne Lingle, Charlie Wiles, and George Okantey Panel Moderator: Peace Learning Center's Director of Community Programs John McShane Keishana White Keishana White lives and works for truth in Indianapolis. She is a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, and lover of peace. Keishana can be found stirring the pot and asking the hard questions where ever she goes. JoAnne Lingle JoAnne Lingle is a mother, grandmother, Mennonite, full time activist. Since 1997 she has worked with Christian Peacemaker Teams, primarily in the West Bank city of Hebron, also has been with CPT in Kurdistan; Vieques P.R.; First Nation people in Grassy Narrows ON; La Framboise Island SD with Lakota people; and Douglas AZ Borderlands Project. Other national organizations JoAnne has worked with include: CodePink-Women for Peace; Witness Against Torture; Nat'l Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance; Pax Christi. The local organizations include: Christians for Peace and Justice in the MiddleEast; Pax Christi; Indiana anti-Drone Project. Charlie Wiles Charlie Wiles holds a degree in Political Science from Indiana University and spent several years working for the Indiana State Legislature. He operated a general contracting business renovating older homes from 1981-86, served as a combat medic in the US Army Reserves from 1991-1999, and was

22 12, 2014

2015 MLK Community Festival Workshops

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:30-04:00December 22nd, 2014|Tags: mlk, mlk festival, social justice, workshops|

Last year's "The Ain't Too Late Show" workshop Plan to attend the engaging, entertaining and educational workshops which will be presented by our community partners during Peace Learning Center's 17th Annual MLK Community Festival on Saturday, Jan. 17 from 11-3 pm at CTS! #2015MLKIndy #1 Identifying Assets and Creating Change Presented by Public Allies Indianapolis (Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource Center) This workshop will focus on the impact the community can have while facing adversity and critical changes that occur over time. Adults and youth would both be engaged in the dialogue. This includes seeking input on how they are contributing to creating and sustaining inclusive communities. The dialogue on empowering families through pipelines to success (highlighting the universal attribute of leadership ability) will be to inject an optimistic, encouraging tone to the conversation. It is important that there is a focus on how families can be successful, despite the inundation of negative influences. #2 Kids on the Block Puppet Troupe: Multiculturalism Presented by Joseph Maley Foundation The JMF Kids on the Block Puppet Troupe (KOB) tours central Indiana elementary schools, youth organizations, hospitals, and special events while utilizing the performance of puppetry to impart lessons of acceptance. Puppeteers are eighth-grade students who train with JMF staff and work with child-size puppets to present skits and facilitate question and answer sessions with audience members. The multiculturalism skits address topics and generate questions on identifying one’s own culture, stereotyping, and feeling

14 08, 2014

Workshops Being Accepted for 2015 MLK Festival

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:42:46-04:00August 14th, 2014|Tags: mlk, mlk festival, submissions, workshops|

The Peace Learning Center’s MLK Community Festival invites interested nonprofit organizations to submit a workshop proposal to the 2015 MLK Community Festival. We have incorporated interactive, educational workshops into the longstanding MLK Community Festival (on its 17th year!) in an attempt to help citizens be proactive and knowledgeable on issues affecting our community. Deadline: Sept 12, 2014 Criteria to apply: Organizations must be a nonprofit that develops a family-friendly, interactive workshop on an issue relevant to our community. Workshops must be 30 minutes in length and accommodate 10-30 participants. Apply here: https://goo.gl/cwdbbY The first seven organizations to apply and have an accepted proposal will receive a community festival table at no cost.

16 01, 2014

January Volunteer Group of the Month – IPS Gambold

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:43:01-04:00January 16th, 2014|Tags: Gambold, IPS, mlk, mlk festival, volunteer, volunteer of the month|

Peace Learning Center would like to recognize IPS' Gambold Prepatory Magnet High School as the volunteer of the month. Gambold has been active in our MLK Community Festival for the past two years and we are so lucky to have them on our team. Jay Horan, volunteer and intern coordinator, has had the pleasure of working closely with the group and said, "Working with Gambold is the best. The last two years they have managed the lunch at our festival, one of the busiest areas, and have done it with such ease. I never worry and know that I can always count on them to deliver! They have been an incredible partner!”

10 12, 2013

Perspectives on Peace Panelist: Harpreet Gill

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:43:02-04:00December 10th, 2013|Tags: human trafficking, mlk festival, peace panel|

We are pleased to announce that Harpreet Gill will be part of the Perspectives on Peace panel during Peace Learning Center's 16th Annual MLK Community Festival on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at Christian Theological Seminary. Harpreet Gill is a current student at Indiana University (Indianapolis) majoring in Public Safety Management and Philanthropic Studies. She hopes to become a member of her own non-for-profit aimed to fight human trafficking in the United States. Her passions include women empowerment, educational and economic development in third world countries. She hopes to continue learning every day and making the world a better place. Follow her on Twitter @happigill Click here to learn more about this year's MLK Community Festival and the other Perspectives on Peace panelists.

10 12, 2013

Perspectives on Peace Panelist: Faryal Khatri

Brandi Metzger2021-05-20T17:43:04-04:00December 10th, 2013|Tags: Faryal Khatri, mlk festival, Musliams Alliance of Indiana, peace panel|

2014 MLK Panelist We are pleased to announce that Faryal Khatri will be part of the Perspectives on Peace panel during Peace Learning Center's 16th Annual MLK Community Festival on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at Christian Theological Seminary. Faryal Khatri is the Operational Excellence Lead at Elevate Enterprises. She oversees and manages the operations on both a strategic and tactical level. She propels the company forward to achieving its goals while managing and seeking growth. Faryal is an active member of the Muslim community in Indianapolis. She taught at the local mosque's Sunday school for 5 years. During her time as a teacher, she started a civic engagement class for the senior level students to learn the importance of civic engagement from both an Islamic perspective and the perspective of being a good American citizen. Faryal also mentored and tutored several young adults in the community through the mosque. Currently, Faryal serves as a member of the Board of Directors of Muslims Alliance of Indiana. Click here to learn more about this year's MLK Community Festival and the other panelists.