Margo Ruark is looking to all groups, from youth to seniors and even those behind bars, for peace and to embrace the city in which they live.
Ruark, Director of the Peace Center, 6833 Stanley Ave., has started a new “Embrace Berwyn” campaign.
Q. What does The Peace Center do?
A. Our vision is to hold the space for people to discover ways to realize inner and outer peace. How we do that right now is through our gift shop, inquiry groups and sponsored events. The gift shop offers an array of products to help remind us of peace: T-shirts, jewelry, books, candles, incense, journals and other items. The inquiry groups are self-organized around topics of inner peace, where teachers from the community come forward and ask if they can meet here. We sponsor events as well, like our “Stop Being So Stressed” series in time for the holidays.
Q. You recently started an “Embrace Berwyn” campaign. How did that come about and what will it do?
A. Because peace is a local concern first, our primary ambition is to uplift the community that we are in. The campaign showcases works of Berwyn artisans, provides a forum for Berwyn based teachers and speakers, and raises awareness for decreasing violence in Berwyn one person at a time.
It came about because I’ve lived in Berwyn for eight years and am surprised as I listen to residents and neighbors talk about Berwyn and its leaders with some cynicism. Perhaps you already know that Berwyn is home to many teachers, thought leaders, and artists who express elsewhere, and not in town. My desire is to hold a space and offer an invitation for that talent and leadership to refocus itself on the homefront in the mission of making Berwyn an even better place to live. The city government, our teachers and artists who already have embraced Berwyn need our support to continue moving the town forward. The campaign honors their contributions.
Q. What goals do you have for The Peace Center for 2010?
A. Besides “Embrace Berwyn” we have two other larger initiatives planned:
The Pace People Dance Company: By initiating new projects for youth, this program is offered as an after-school activity for Berwyn’s young people. The mission of the dance company is to promote the message of peace through artistic expression and to take this expression out into the community, especially to those unable to attend a theater or performance space: veteran’s homes, senior citizens centers, and people in hospitals or extended care. In the meanwhile, young people are taught valuable lessons in self-esteem, poise, confidence, as well as giving back of their talent to the community.
The Prison Peace Project: This is this is a project that reaches beyond Berwyn, although it impacts about 1,750 local residents. The focus of this project is to bring peace education into prisons, to organize peace groups, spiritual support groups, and study groups with incarcerated populations. Numerous studies support the finding that when one percent of the population anywhere intentionally and deliberately prays or meditates for peace, violence decreases 20 percent. What better place to prove the principle than in our prisons? Our goal is to enroll one percent of the prison population in the US into the program by 2012.
