On Thursday, September 21st of 2017, Stetson University held 6 events on campus for the UN International Day of Peace. However, three of the events spoke more to me. By attending, one could capture the diverse perspectives of fellow colleagues and facilitators, as well as having a great experience of their own.

Ball Pit / Labyrinth Walk

At Palm Court, I went into the ball pit. Most of the balls had a question. Some colored balls inquired about your favorite song, favorite place to travel to and your attitude towards peace. “It is supposed to represent peace; Two people get into the ball pit and contemplate about peace. Each ball has a question on it. You’re able to meet new people,” said Gaby Groso, sophomore. “It was a fun, nice idea. The balls are really colorful,”said Abbie Bailey, another sophomore.

Catered Lunch & Conversations

Conrad Hall provided Moe’s Southwest Grill for students and gave a cultural credit. There were three conversations being held, but the most interesting conversation was about conflict resolution. Each person at the table said their name, major, and a conflict that crossed their minds. Near the end, the group connected each conflict. For example, a conflict discussed during the conversation was that in Downtown Jacksonville, Fl, the homeless people need help, but no one has acted on the problem. “It was enlightening,” said Holly Brown, Stetson Sophomore. “I liked it; I learned about different conflicts and how to reduce conflicts and harm,” said Aja Williams, Stetson Sophomore.

Call To Action: Waging Peace

Taken place in the Rinker Welcome Center, there were 5 panelists to represent one perspective of peace: personal, local, national, and global. Towards the end, one panelist went to a group and asked people about peace on a global scale. One main thought I took from this experience was that we must “work towards peace.” Peace doesn’t just happen on its own, we must work together and help each other either locally or globally.