The Season for Nonviolence 2024 

2024 Events Calendar:

Jan 30, 2024 – Season for Nonviolence Kick Off event at Virginia Wesleyan University

• Opening Season for Nonviolence Event on January 30 at 4:30pm at the Virginia Wesleyan Peace Garden, 5817 Wesleyan Drive, Virginia Beach. Look for event signs after you enter the campus and let the guard shack know where you are going.
• During Virginia Wesleyan’s January Term, some students engaged in a service-learning course on poverty, homelessness, and food insecurity taught by Professors Kathy Stolley and Robin Takacs, with others in a public art course taught by Professor John Rudel, participated in projects to enhance the Peace Garden as a space where the promise of peace is nurtured even in the chaos and uncertainty around the world.
• In the service-learning course, students collaborated with the Season for Nonviolence Collective in Virginia Beach to create a “You Are Not Alone… Garden of Stones.” This visionary project transformed stones from symbols of weapons into tools for transformation and healing. A mental-wellness rock garden offers messages of encouragement, inspiration, hope, nonviolence, and peace and guides visitors to additional resources on Season for Nonviolence and NAMI websites.
• Simultaneously, students in the public art course were tasked with designing a unique bench for installation in the Peace Garden. The winning design was created with funding from the William Granville Sale, Jr. Peacemaking Award, which is sponsored by the Presbytery of Eastern Virginia Peacemaking Committee in honor of the late Bill Sale, Jr.
• The culmination of these projects will occur at the Opening of the Season for Nonviolence Event at 4:30pm on January 30. That’s when the campus and broader community gathered in the Peace Garden to launch the local celebration of a Season for Nonviolence, a national 64-day educational campaign that showcases nonviolence as a powerful means to heal, transform, and empower lives and communities. The event will feature original poetry by Areen Syed, the 2023 Hampton Roads Youth Poet Laureate, and other young ambassadors of peace from the Season for Nonviolence Collective.
• CLICK HERE WATCH THE FACEBOOK LIVE VIDEO OF THIS EVENT

Jan 30-April 4, 2024 – Art of Humanity Student Poetry & Poster Public Art Display in the ViBe District

• 40 Award-winning Posters & Poetry from the VB Schools 2022 Art of Humanity contest will be displayed as a large-scale banner on Parks Avenue near 21st St in the ViBe Creative District for the 64-day awareness campaign. Click here to view the 2023 student and faculty winners of The Art of Humanity Poetry and Poster challenge.

Jan 30-April 4, 2024 – Awareness Campaign Posters & Fliers

• Posters and fliers will be distributed at VB Publlic Libraries, Oceanfront Kiosks, ViBe Businesses, and VB Schools.

March 28, 2024 – VB Schools 2nd annual Season for Nonviolence Poster & Poster Awards Ceremony

• Virginia Beach City Public Schools Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion will hold its 2nd Annual Poster & Poetry contest open to all of the 65,000+ student or faculty district-wide Jan 30 – March 16th, 2024. Contest winners and local officials will be invited to the awards ceremony at Tallwood High School on March 28th.
• 16 Awards (8 for Posters and 8 for Poems) will be offered for each of the four categories: Elementary, Middle, High and Faculty.
• Winning posters and poetry will be retained for future display to promote The Season for Nonviolence in Virginia Beach.

VBSCHOOLS ART OF HUMANITY – SEASON FOR NOVIOLNCE SCHOOL POETRY & POSTER CHALLENGE:

Virginia Beach City Public School students and faculty were invited to create a poster or write a poem which captures the spirit of the Season for Nonviolence in order to spread the message and purpose of the campaign. Specifically, posters or poems can support one of the following themes:

• Overcoming challenges
• Resolving conflict peacefully
• Supporting each other in the spirit of togetherness
• Infinite Hope

POETRY & POSTER CONTEST GOALS:

The goals of the Art of Humanity, Season for Non-Violence Poster Contest are:

1. to stimulate young people to learn about, reflect on, and express what the national Season for Nonviolence means in general, and what its message means to them personally
2. to encourage young people to educate their communities about the Season of Nonviolence and its message
3. to heighten awareness about the Season for Non-Violence

March 23, 2024 – Mayor’s Youth in Action Coalition to host a Season for Nonviolence Garden Clean Up

• The Mayor’s Youth in Action Coalition will participate in a Garden Clean up on Saturday, March 23 from 10am – noon at the Mediterranean Butterly Garden in ViBe. This garden is the location of the Mental Health Mural dedicated for the Season of Nonviolence in 2021.

 

April 4, 2024 – Season for Nonviolence Closing Ceremony in the ViBe Creative District on Parks Ave near 20th St. 

• Local students participating in the YOU+ meetings will paint and leave kindness rocks at the LOVE sign next to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Library.

 

 

 

HISTORY OF SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE VIRGINIA BEACH COLLECTIVE:

The Season for Nonviolence is celebrated annually from January 30 to April 4 as a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that non-violence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities.

• Season for Nonviolence Resource Booklet – Creative by the Season for Nonviolence Collective VB and the Virginia Beach Mayor’s Youth Leaders in Action (MYLA)
• 2023 PRESS RELEASE 2023.1 SeasonforNonviolence- Art of Humanity Event
• 2023 – Jan 30th event invite: INVITE-2023SeasonforNonviolenceVB-Jan 30

2023 Art of Humanity closing event on April 6:

On April 6, 2032 VB Schools hosted their 1st Annual Art of Humanity Student Teacher Awards for the poster and poetry contest honoring the Season for Nonviolence which was open to all 60,000 students as well as teachers in Virginia Beach elementary, middle and high schools. Over 200 submissions were received, and 45 award winning poems and artworks were honored.

The City of Virginia Beach Public Schools Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Season for Nonviolence Collective, NAMI Coastal Virginia, VB Human Rights Commission, StandUp for Kids Hampton Roads and ViBe Creative District partnered to award 45 Virginia Beach students and faculty in a ceremony called The Art of Humanity Closing Event on Thursday, April 6^th at 6pm at the Renaissance Academy in Virginia Beach. This invite-only event will honor the students and faculty who submitted poetry and art posters to celebrate the Season for Nonviolence.

In February, the Virginia Beach City Public Schools Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusive issued an open call for poetry and posters to all 60,000 students district wide. Over 200 submissions were received in this first annual call for poetry and posters honoring the Season for Nonviolence. Virginia Beach schools’ Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion says this will be an annual event repeated next year as well.

“Our office saw an opportunity to engage students and faculty with the Season for Nonviolence with a brand-new initiative – a poetry and poster contest reflecting on themes of peaceful conflict resolution and infinite hope,” said Ty Harris, Director of Director, Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. “Now more than ever, we need to promote positivity and togetherness in our schools. We hope this effort sparked important dialogue between students and teachers all across our city.”

SEASON FOR NOVIOLNCE SCHOOL POETRY & POSTER CHALLENGE:

Virginia Beach City Public School students and faculty were invited to create a poster or write a poem which captures the spirit of the Season for Nonviolence in order to spread the message and purpose of the campaign. Specifically, posters or poems can support one of the following themes:

• Overcoming challenges
• Resolving conflict peacefully
• Supporting each other in the spirit of togetherness
• Infinite Hope

POETRY & POSTER CONTEST GOALS:

The goals of the Art of Humanity, Season for Non-Violence Poster Contest are:

1. to stimulate young people to learn about, reflect on, and express what the national Season for Nonviolence means in general, and what its message means to them personally
2. to encourage young people to educate their communities about the Season of Nonviolence and its message
3. to heighten awareness about the Season for Non-Violence

AWARDS CEREMONY APRIL 6, 2023 at 6pm at The Renaissance Academy

Virginia Beach City Public Schools superintendent Dr. Spence and members of the school board will be present to honor the award-winning poetry and posters. City of Virginia Beach Mayor and City Council members were also invited to participate in this event. An awards ceremony will recognize 20 winners—5 elementary school students, 5 middle school students, 5 high school students and 5 faculty. The awards ceremony will include Kindness & Kudos activities where guests will be encouraged to spread messages of peace, love and hope via kudos post-its and have the opportunities to paint their own kindness rock to take home or leave for gardens in the ViBe District Season for Nonviolence Parklet. Free resources will be handed out regarding mental health awareness and Season For Nonviolence readings, music and activities.

“The Season for Nonviolence Collective thanks Ty Harris and the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for bringing this important international movement into the schools here in Virginia Beach.” said Kate Pittman, a collective member and executive director of the ViBe Creative District. “When we first partnered with the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission on this effort in 2018, it was a dream of ours to engage with every student in the City of Virginia Beach and we are grateful to the City of Virginia Beach Public School system for embracing this effort for our youth. Our founding Collective member and former teacher Herta Okonkwo, has worked on this effort for 30 years.”

The Season for Nonviolence is celebrated annually from January 30 to April 4 as a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that non-violence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities.

2023 – Kick off event was held January 30th at 5pm at the Season for Nonviolence Parklet 

The Season for Nonviolence Collective, NAMI Coastal Virginia, VB Human Rights Commission, StandUp for Kids Hampton Roads and ViBe Creative District nonprofit welcome the public to participate in a small ceremony called The Art of Humanity Event on Monday, January 30^th at 5pm to celebrate the opening of The Season for Nonviolence.

All people are welcome to attend the dedication of a new planter bench in the Season for Nonviolence Parklet at the corner of 20^th St and Cypress Avenue. Local students will read speeches and share hand painted kindness rocks to spread the message of mental well-being and nonviolence. Volunteers will conduct a ceremonial planting in the new wooden bench built by local Virginia Beach vocational technology students in honor of those who have lost their lives to violence in the past year. Free resources will be handed out regarding mental health awareness and Season For Nonviolence readings, music and activities. This event is free and open to the public.

The Season for Nonviolence is celebrated annually from January 30 to April 4 as a national 64-day educational, media, and grassroots campaign dedicated to demonstrating that non-violence is a powerful way to heal, transform, and empower our lives and our communities.

SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE COLLECT VB:
This student-led group is guided by local educators and VB Human Rights Commissioners to led peer-to-peer activities within their schools centered on raising awareness for mental health well-being and acts of nonviolence while hosting writing workshops or rock painting sessions. Participating school leaders can earn Season for Nonviolence Flags for their schools.

VIRGINIA BEACH GIRL SCOUTS:
A local girl scout troop will lead clean up efforts in ViBe District gardens during the Season as a peaceful activity to foster community-building and civic leadership.

NAMI COASTAL VIRGINIA
During the Season for Nonviolence, NAMI will host public sessions for mental health awareness. For more details, visit: NAMI Coastal Virginia | National Alliance on Mental Illness

VB LIBRARIES TO PARTNER:
Virginia Beach Libraries will partner in this effort to host displays inside each of the City of Virginia Beach Public Libraries highlighting books, reading lists, music lists, mental health well-being in support of this global movement and the local community grass-roots initiative.

PUBLIC AWARENESS INITIATIVE:
Season for Nonviolence posters will be shared and posted in ViBe businesses and along the Virginia Beach Oceanfront to encourage the public to seek resources for mental health and bring awareness to nonviolence.

CLOSING EVENT TO BE HOSTED ON APRIL 4: A public event in the spring will be held to honor the closing of the season on April 4, 2023 in the ViBe District. Details will be released later this Spring.

2022 Season For Nonviolence Partership 

In 2022, a Season for Nonviolence Parklet was created on Cypress Avenue at 20th Street. Photo album available here.  Generous support for the Season for Nonviolence Parklet came from The Okonkwo Family, Zero’s Subs Oceanfront & StandUp for Kids Hampton Roads, Virginia African American Cultural Center, NAMI and the Season for Nonviolence Collective VB. Special thanks to Mr. Hinson’s carpentry students at the Virginia Beach Vocational Technology School for custom building planter benches for ViBe.

National Alliance on Mental Illness Coastal Virginia:

In recognition that many acts of violence may be linked to mental health crisis, NAMI Coastal Virginia offers free community resources here:

• NAMI Online Programming
• NAMI – Conversations About Mental Health
• NAMI-Mental Health Matters Poster
• NAMI Community Resource Card
• NAMI Ending the Silence
• NAMI- Childrens Challenging Behaviors
• NAMI Marcus Alert NAMI Online Programming

Participating schools – led in small student groups:

• Green Run Collegiate
• First Colonial High
• Ocean Lakes
• Old Donation School
• Princess Anne High School
• Tallwood High
• Green Run High
• Plaza Middle School
• Norfolk Academy
• Hermitage Elementary
• W.T. Cook Elementary
• Brookwood Elementary
• Bayside Elementary
• Kings Grant Elementary

FOLLOW SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE VIRGINIA BEACH ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

2021 Season for Nonviolence Partnership with NAMI reaches over 1,000 participants!

ViBe Creative District partners with NAMI Coastal Virginia and Season For Nonviolence Collective to spread message of mental health awareness

(Virginia Beach, VA – April 27)  The ViBe Creative District nonprofit announced today a new partnership with NAMI Coastal Virginia and Season for Nonviolence Collective citizen group to spread message of mental health awareness this Spring through a collaborate public art project. Through this public art project, the groups aim to remove the stigma of mental illness and create a community space of healing and hope.

Sample kindness rock with mental health message courtesy of the ViBe Creative District.

Kindness Rocks with messages of Hope and Healing

Local student leaders within the Virginia Beach and Norfolk schools are engaging groups of peers in rock painting as a way to connect and discuss mental illness amongst youth. Many of the rocks have been provided for free by the VB Strong Center in Virginia Beach.

The following schools have been involved:

• Cooke Elementary
• Hermitage Elementary
• Norfolk Academy Middle School
• Princess Ann High School- Lighthouse Psychology Club
• Landstown High School  – through Morgan

Other groups:

• Mayor’s Youth Leaders in Action (member in collective)
• Muslim Youth Group (member in collective)
• Jewish Community Center (member in collective)

Individuals can also help participate in this community art project by finding a rock at their home or work and painting it with a positive mental health awareness message and leaving it in the ViBe District or anywhere you choose Spring. The public is also welcome to paint and save your rock to bring the public art project unveiling on May 8th, details below. This act of kindness can be completed at little to no cost by finding a rock outside and painting it will nail polish or leftover paints. The rocks are intended to be left in public spaces so that others can find them and enjoy a moment of reflection.

Project partner and sponsor Zero’s Subs Oceanfront is also hosting a drop in painting rock painting table now through April 30 in the ViBe District at 632 Virginia Beach Blvd, daily from 10am to 9pm.

   
Rocks painted at the Muslim Youth Leaders Awards group.    Cooke Elementary educators posed with student rocks.

Student Engagement

Local students at the Virginia Beach Technical School are constructing two wooden benches with planters to create a safe place to sit in the garden and other student leaders are hosting kindness rock painting sessions to spread messages of hope and healing throughout the garden.

Students from the Season for Nonviolence Collective also participated in NAMI Coast Virginia virtual programming to become educated on mental health issues and ways to help promote understanding and support to individuals. Programs include: Ending the Silence & Say It Out Loud.

Seeds of Hope Mural

Drawing inspiration from the Alfred Tennyson quote, “If I had a flower for every time I thought of you…I could walk through my garden forever,” local artist Erika Hitchcock of StoneWear Ceramics has created a flower mural that is being constructed and painted with the assistance of local students and artists. The artist wanted to participate in this effort and led this project after experiencing the death of her brother related to mental illness. With the help of volunteers and students, the artist will assemble this 24 foot fence mural which will have 3-d flower cut outs and two boxes to host seed packets for people to take and plant as seeds of hope.

Artist Erika Hitchcock (far left) with wood cut flowers at student / volunteer painting. Pieces will be assembled into a 24 foot mural in ViBe’s Mediterranean Avenue Parklet in May for Mental Health Awareness Month.

PUBLIC ART UNVEILING: Saturday, May 8th at 12PM in the ViBe District

This collective community art project will be unveiled in ViBe’s Mediterranean Parklet and Butterfly Garden located on Mediterranean Ave between 19th and 18th Streets — between Java Surf and Seaside Harbor– on #secondsaturday, May 8th at noon. The public is welcome to come hear the mural artist offer brief remarks or can show up anytime after to see the mural, pick up seeds leave or take a painted kindness rock. Guests will be able to sit on the student-made benches and reflect or meditate on mental health and this community collective.

This project is sponsored by NAMI Coastal Virginia, the ViBe Creative District, Zeros Subs Oceanfront, StoneWear Ceramics and private citizens.

Local Business Engagement

Local businesses owners are welcomed and encouraged to support NAMI with Mental Health initiatives for the Month of May at their business including:

• Place Rack cards and containers with information about NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness).
• Green ribbons for your staff, employees and/or customers. Green is the color of Mental Health.
• Plant a green pinwheel flower at the entrance to the business.
• Competition among staff for green ribbon contributions
• Percentage from a special dish or drink
• Turn lights green or install one green light
• Replace jean days with Green Days.
• Support us more directly with public donations via a Nickel for NAMI jars

Already several businesses in the ViBe Creative District have signed up to support this effort including: Zero’s Subs Oceanfront, Vibrant Shore Brewing, Wareing’s Gym, Gypsy Soul Boutique, Barrel 17, Pixelated Boutique and Superior Pawn. NAMI is also partnering with businesses in Virginia Beach’s Town Center.

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2020 Season for Nonviolence Kick-Off Event

January 30, 2020: ViBe Peace Pole Dedication – In honor of Season for Nonviolence

Kick off the international Season for Nonviolence with the City of Virginia Beach public dedication of the ViBe Peace Pole at the Oceanfront Library in the ViBe Creative District. Now more than ever before, it is important that citizens stand together for PEACE.

5pm: Mayor’s Remarks & Moment of Meditation:  the Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission will welcome Mayor Bobby Dyer  and Superintendent Spence for remarks. Immediately following, a moment of mediation will be led by local resident Jen Fedorowicz..

HOSTED BY THE SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE COLLECTIVE AND MAYOR’S YOUTH LEADERS IN ACTION

WHY A PEACE POLE?
A Peace Pole is an internationally-recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the message May Peace Prevail on Earth in different languages on each of its four or six sides. There are estimated over 250,000 Peace Poles in every country in the world dedicated as monuments to peace.

ABOUT THE SEASON:
The Season of Nonviolence commences on January 30, in cities across the globe. The annual 64 day campaign, co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi and The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), is an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning the January 30th and April 4th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The purpose of the campaign is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar E. Chavez, and President Nelson Mandela, as well as living legends such as His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Spiritually guided citizen leaders in 900 cities in 67 countries have participated since the campaign began in 1998.

MOMENT OF MEDITATION LEADER:
Jen Fedorowicz, owner of Shine Yoga leads a Community Meditation for Peace the first Monday of every month from 6:45-7:30pm. All are welcome to this free event. We ask if you are able to bring a cash donation for the homeless of Virginia Beach. All donations go directly to the J.C.O.C. There is power when we gather together with the collective intention for peace. A peaceful world begins with finding peace within yourself.  Come join the local community as we are guided to connect to the peace within. Next meditation is Monday, February 3rd. Shine Yoga is located at 2397 liberty Way, suite 102  (adjacent to the Virginia Beach Municipal Center).

April 4, 2020 Art of Humanity Public Event – cancelled due to COVID-19 and restrictions on public gatherings.

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Annual Art of Humanity Event in 2019:

The Art of Humanity in honor of Season for Nonviolence 2019

Inaugural event in April 2018

On April 7, 2018, the Virginia Beach community came together in ViBe Park to celebrate the Season of Nonviolence with a family friendly celebration of peace and understanding.

• Live Music
• Kids Activities: Face painting & Bounce House
• Origami peace crane craft station
• Local art mural painting
• City ordinance reading and Spoken Word
• Tables with local partners

2018 Community Partners:

• ViBe Creative District
• Virginia MOCA
• Chrysler Museum of Art
• Teens With a Purpose
• Virginia Beach Human Rights Commission
• The Little Theater
• Interspiritual Empowerment Project
• Children for Change
• Virginia Beach Oceanfront Library
• Virginia Beach Parks & Rec

The City of Virginia Beach honored the collaboration with the proclamation which was read aloud by members of Virginia Beach City Council, School Board and student activists.

Local artist Walt Hardy assisted the community in painting a mural titled #Up4Peace.

2018 Media Attention:

•  The Virginian-Pilot
•  Wavy 10
•  Southside Daily
•  Alt Daily