Hometown Hero: Savannah celebrating its first Day of Peace

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Savannah celebrated its first Day of Peace Sunday with an event called Peace in the Park.

It’s a partnership between the city and the Mediation Center of the Coastal Empire.

The day in Daffin Park featured conversation circles and a Peace Parade led by Savannah Mayor Van Johnson and members of city council. Organizers say the day is all about bringing the community together to tackle and important issue.

“We have to find peace within ourselves and then we have to look for ways to curb violent behavior. And I think that’s what today is about, providing those resources, pulling everybody together and giving us one central place where we can come together and learn about the different resources in the community,” Savannah Alderman Curtis Purtee said. There was preaching in the park. “And we bless God for an opportunity to spread peace in our community.”

And conversation circles and three dozen vendors with conflict-resolution materials to get the conversation started.

But it was people sharing time and thoughts that would get results.

“It’s just a fun day to connect with neighbors in the park. If you want to show up for peace, come out, get connected with others so we can create that mass force to create more peace. And therefore, violence has to go away,” Jill Cheeks said.

And the WTOC Hometown Heroes who put on the event hope Sunday was the first step in that direction. It’s about promoting peace in the community.

“We want to promote peace so that in the long term, we’ll be minimizing violence.”

Organizers say the event will become an annual one. The 11th day of every month will be honored as Savannah’s Day of Peace moving forward.

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