50th Annual Walk for Peace, Social Justice and the Environment!

Description

George Johnson, the organizer of this event, invites everyone to come and help celebrate the golden anniversary of this community gathering. It will feature music from Brendan Mehot, Jeremy Kneeshaw, and Intensive Care, among others; speakers, face painting for kids and kids at heart; sign making; and, of course, all the sights, sounds and great tastes of the Kamloops Farmers’ Market! There will be a walk around the downtown beginning at noon, so bring signs. There will also be materials available to make signs. This walk is part of the Jane’s Walk sponsored by the Propolis Society of Kamloops. Why? We won’t change the world by gathering, but it is so important to build a community of caring, sharing, compassionate and forward-looking people. In these times of major challenges to our environment: natural, political, and social, we need to take a stand, to be a presence, to imagine better ways of moving forward. Grassroots discussion can engage with and stimulate all of this. As do Indigenous people, we need to take the long view and work towards a better world for our descendants. We also need to take a larger view. George Johnson’s band, Intensive Care, has just released a new song and video, Turn Debt Into Hope, which they will be premiering at the Rally. Johnson wrote the song to support the world-wide call to cancel debt to the world’s poorest countries, that cannot even pay interest on these loans and must sacrifice education, health care, and environmental initiatives. In Canada, the movement is driven by KAIROS, and you can sign the petition here, if you haven’t already signed. The song tries to make the connection between debt cancellation and the environment, since about 3.3 billion people are living in countries so indebted that they cannot mitigate against climate change nor even think about developing more sustainable practices, even though they are not responsible for the vast majority of carbon emissions. We cannot achieve climate justice until these countries are freed from the burden of debt. Check out Turn Debt Into Hope here. Come and hear it and other inspiring songs and speeches. Meet friends and make new ones as you engage with the issues facing all of us today.  When: Saturday May 2nd, 10-12:30 pm Where: Kamloops Farmer’s Market, Stuart Wood School Grounds, 200 block of St. Paul St. Kamloops.  If you are able, please consider taking public transit, riding, or walking to this event. Kamloops should be proud of this long-standing tradition. Peace everyone!