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YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka invites you to act for peace

YMCA Peace Week offers activities that help children, youth and adults explore peace from personal, community and global perspectives
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NEWS RELEASE
YMCA SIMCOE-MUSKOKA
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From Nov. 18 – 25, the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, together with YMCAs across Canada, celebrate the presence of peace in our communities, and reflect on the peace-building work that happens all year both inside and outside the YMCA. In January, the UN Secretary-General called to make “2017 a year for peace”. All around the world people and organizations have been celebrating what peace means to them.

YMCA Peace Week offers activities that help children, youth and adults explore peace from personal, community and global perspectives. Collectively, YMCAs in Canada ask people to: Build community. Act for peace. More than the absence of violence and conflict, peace is the ongoing work of building and maintaining conditions of fairness, inclusion, empathy, security, and respect for diversity. Peace-building is core to the YMCA’s commitment to strengthening the foundation of healthy communities and part of the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka’s year round programs.

According to the 1981 World Alliance of YMCAs Statement on Peace, “...Peace has many dimensions. It is not only a state of relationships among nations. We cannot expect to live in a world of peace if we are unable to live in peace with those close to us – even those who differ from us.... The responsibility for peace begins with each person, in relationship with family and friends, and extends to community life and national activities.....” This statement is relevant today more than ever.

“In today’s globalized world, we are all connected to each other more than we realize,” says Rob Armstrong, CEO, YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. “By sharing our message of peace we are able to inspire others to become engaged in peaceful actions. Our goal is to demonstrate that together we can make a difference in creating peaceful communities.”

When people act for peace, they build community by promoting a sense of belonging, fostering empathy, embracing diversity and addressing the social determinants of health. The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka celebrates Peace Week with activities to encourage everyone in the community to explore peace from a personal, local and global perspective.

Activities include: Yoga for Peace The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka celebrates Peace Week with Yoga for Peace, open to public participation.

We invite community members to join us for FREE in these YMCA locations:

Barrie YMCA – Friday, Nov. 24, 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Collingwood YMCA – Wednesday, Nov. 22, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Gravenhurst YMCA – Thursday, Nov. 23, 7:30 p.m.  to 8:30 p.m.

Innisfil YMCA – Wednesday, Nov. 22, 8 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

Midland – Monday, Nov. 20, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 22 – Chair Yoga – 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 23, 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Orillia YMCA – Monday, Nov. 20, 9 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.

Wasaga Beach YMCA – Tuesday, Nov. 21, 10:45 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.

Parry Sound YMCA – Friday, Nov. 24, 9 a.m.

Join us in spreading kindness throughout the community. The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka Child Care centres and Health, Fitness and Aquatics centres will be creating “Be Kind Bells.” These bells will be hidden in locations throughout our community.

If you find one, perform one kind act, then hide it for someone else to find. Share on social media with the location you found it, your kind act, and encourage someone else to do the same! #YMCAPeaceWeek #YMCAsimcoemuskoka For more information on Acts of Peace and Peace Week activities, please visit the website

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