Celebrating the life of Robin Williams Honoring Patch Adams on UN International Day of Peace

Celebrating the life of Robin Williams Honoring Patch Adams on United Nations International Day of Peace
The Bronx Museum of the Arts
Sunday, 21 September 2014
6-8:30 pm

In an effort to commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace both within and among all nations, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed the opening day of its regular session in 1981 as the International day of Peace. In its resolution, the General Assembly invited all Member States, organs and organizations of the UN system, non-governmental organizations, peoples and individuals to observe the Day in peace. The Secretary-General also mentioned the power of music: “On 21 September, at concerts around the world – in major cities and small towns, in conflict zones and peaceful communities – people will broadcast this essential message. They will celebrate the value of human diversity and the strength of our unity.” Please note this year’s theme, chosen by the United Nations, is “The Right of Peoples to Peace.” There is information on this vital theme, as well as the beautiful poster, at http://www.un.org/peaceday. As this page affirms, “The United Nations invites all nations and people to honour a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace.”

Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention, (ATOP) Meaningfulworld, affiliated with the UN Department of Public Information, has been celebrating this 21 Sept, Int. Day of Peace for several years.

Speakers and Performers:
Honorary Speaker and recipient of Peace Award
Dr. Patch Adams, world renowned physician, holistic medicine healer and social activist
Patch Adams, best known for his work as a medical doctor and a clown, is also a social activist who has devoted the past 43 years to changing America’s health care system. His Gesundheit Institute in West Virginia is the future home of The Patch Adams Teaching Center. The Center is designed to teach in “care systems” – health care, education care, justice care and environmental care. It will serve the global community, working with participants to find a language for they own desires in care and their own designs for implementation. Patch believes that compassion, joy and creativity are an integral part of the healing process.

Amanda is passionate about making positive change and being a part of a movement that calls for urgent change and advocates for solutions on things that she cares about including sustainable development, climate change, equality, and women’s empowerment. She is currently the Environmental Coordinator at Town of Secaucus. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing projects and grant relevant to the environment. She was previously the Commissioner for the Secaucus Municipal Utility Authority. She was a United Nations Representative for the Foundation for Post Conflict Development.

Inamori Art Project are world renowned Japanese drummers. Overcoming racial, ethnic and religious differences, the inamori Theatrical group was established in March of 2010 seeking to realize a peaceful world with no conflicts based upon the recognition that we all live together as one family on earth. They use five units to promite its activites including: Play Unit, Dance Unit, Art Unit and Taiko Unit. In the Theatrical company perfornaces these five units come togther and perform as one general and synchronized art work.

Farah Chandu
Willow Interfaith Women’s Choir
Willow is an Interfaith Women’s Choir under the direction of Farah Chandu. They are mothers, grandmothers, and great grandmothers, working and retired who represent several different faith traditions. The majority of their performance is done “a cappella.” Their repertoire includes classical choral music, sacred music, and traditional folk music-both American and International. In this role, they have discovered tremendous common ground in sharing each other’s sacred music. Willow was founded in October of 1998, when the women’s group of a local UU congregation reached out to the community and sponsored a muscial workshop.

Special Guest Vocalist, Nirvana Lucie Nixon
Soft, gentle, melodic, mysterious, talented, beautiful, sultry… Need we go on and on? Nirvana Nixon epitomizes the quintessential artist. Nirvana, born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in the Dominican Republic, is a classically trained pianist, vocalist since the age of six (6). She has taken her learned knowledge of music and paired it with her love for entertaining. The best conservatories, the best instructors, and a supportive home environment, nurtured her talent that is undeniably inherent. Destined to make music her life, she was compelled to do anything it took to develop her craft. Some of her credits include: being the main vocalist/vocal director at her church at the age of 13, singing beer jingles, performing at a Dominican presidential convention at the age of 14, being the youngest vocalist/vocal co-director of a Dominican national choir, and performing with several New York music groups. For the last 10 years of her music career, she embraced opportunities as the Music Director of a Praise and Worship Team and attained the position as a Vocalist in a few music ensembles with emphasis in the Motown Era. Though she entertains in all genres of music, Motown Music has a special place in Nirvana’s heart. Nirvana obtained her Business/Music Degree with honors at Five Towns College in New York.

Video on Peace and ATOP Meaningfulworld Humanitarian Missions
There will be two short films demonstrating our humanitarian work and about the meaning of peace for different people.
Youth Empowerment Program Essay Contest
Our theme was “Creating inner Peace: Transforming Bullying” winners will be announced, essay summaries read, and awards will be presented.
CEO and President of ATOP, Meaningfulworld Chairperson: Dr. Ani Kalayjian, Founder and President, Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention, Meaningfulworld.
Dr Ani Kalayjian, A psychology Professor, a Psychotherapist, Genocide Scholar, International Humanitarian Outreach Administrator, Integrative Healer, author, and United Nations Representative. She was awarded Honorary Doctor of Science degree from Long Island University (2001) recognizing 20 years as a pioneer in her work and mission. In 2007 she was awarded Columbia University, Teacher College’s Distinguished Alumni of the Year. Her calling grows out of her family’s history and her own: As an Armenian child in Syria, where her family had sought sanctuary against the Ottoman Turkish Genocide, she experienced first hand the constant sadness and fear of a refugee. She has over 100 published articles in international journals, books, and is an author of Disaster & Mass Trauma, as well as Chief Editor of Forgiveness & Reconciliation: Psychological Pathways to Conflict Transformation and Peace Building (Springer 2009, paperback 2010), and Chief Editor of II Volumes on Mass Trauma & Emotional Healing around the World: Rituals and Practices for Resilience and Meaning-Making (Praeger, ABC-CLIO 2010), and the author of a meditation CD “From War To Peace” transforming generational trauma into healing and meaning-making. She is the recipient of 2010 ANA Honorary Human Rights Award. Currently she is on the faculty of Teachers College, Columbia University.Dr. Kalayjian will present an overview of the women’s empowerment and healing around the world spearheaded by ATOP Meaningfulworld.

Co-Chairs of Planning Committee: Evelyn Lopez and Margaret G. Ruiz
Dr. Lopez holds a Double Master’s degrees from Western Michigan University focusing in Public Administration and International Development in Dec 2013. She has concentrated in Health Care Services, reinforcing with her background in Medicine from her native country, Dominican Republic, where she attended medical school, earning an MD in 2009. Her main interest is International Healthcare, and research, design, implementation and further evaluation of programs aimed at averting some of the burden preventable diseases pose in developing countries. This interest was largely developed and influenced after having the opportunity of working a year as part of the National Program against Malaria in Dominican Republic, where she worked with populations with diverse backgrounds, who lived on malaria endemic regions of the country. During this year, social injustice affected her, and she came into the realization that the journey to achieve access to healthcare for the entire population was a challenging task, and individuals devoted to this cause were very much in need. She truly believes that access to good quality healthcare is a right for every individual, and should not be a purchased good in any society. One of her desires is to be able to travel globally and attain real-life experience on the impact these programs have on individuals. Dr. Lopez is currently Grants Coordinator at ATOP Meaningfulworld as well as an Associate in a provate healthcare facility in the city of New York.

Margaret is Youth Representative to the United Nations at ATOP, Meaningfulworld. In this role, she works on fortifying existing relationships with missions and creating new ones. She is also active in the following Conference of NGO committees: Youth Committee, Human Rights Committee, The Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns and the Psychology Coalition at the United Nations. Ms. Ruiz holds a bachelor’s Degree in International Relations, Political Science and European Literature from Syracuse University. During her undergraduate studies she participated in the Model United Nations Club and was selected as Student Delegate for Syracuse University’s National Model United Nations Team and the National Model United Nations Conference at the UN. Her passion is to pursue social justice, human rights and work towards peace and security issues.

We will have wonderful food, homemade with love and peace, as well as healthy drinks and great ambiance.

We express our deepest gratitude for all of our Cosponsors: The Association for Trauma Outreach & Prevention (ATOP), Armenian American Society for Studies on Stress and Genocide (AASSSG), Meaningfulworld, Armenian Constitutional Rights Protective Centre of Armenia, Voices for Freedom, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, and Institute for Multicultural Counseling and Educational Services, Inc. (IMCES)
The festivities will take place at The Bronx Museum of the Arts, 1040 Grand Concourse, Bronx, NY 10456
Your tax deductible donations are welcome, kindly visit our website: www.meaningfulworld.com and donate via paypal. Or mail your check to ATOP 135 cedar Street, Cliffside Park, NJ 07010

Our Motto: When one helps another BOTH become stronger!

Good intentions are no longer enough. I wanted to support humanity in my own way. Meaningful World was a natural way for me to help the victims of tsunami.

So many systems have failed us and as we transition from failed models, attitudes and behaviors that are polarizing, destructive and failing all around us I could not just sit back, be overwhelmed and do nothing… I am doing something with Meaningful World.

Meaningful World cultivates well-being, relatedness, a deep awareness and understanding how to elevate some of the world's suffering. Our choices impact all living systems and I choose to be an agent of good.