ENVISION PEACE MUSEUM: Taking Shape in Philadelphia, PA, USA

Envision Peace Museum is an exciting new global institution dedicated to nonviolence and peace that is planned to open in the heart of Philadelphia’s cultural and tourist district around 2014.

More and more, throughout the world, people have had their fill of violence and war. Hoping to better their lives, they look for positive, non-destructive alternatives to protect their families, defend the environment, stand up for the marginalized, and fight for justice and democracy. Envision Peace Museum will help light up and nourish this exciting turn in human history. The Museum will be the go-to source worldwide for inspiration and practical tools for achieving justice and peace in nonviolent ways.

Why Philadelphia? The city's name means “Brotherly Love.” Philadelphia’s founding by William Penn endowed the city with an historic association with peace. Millions of visitors are attracted to the city each year to experience Philadelphia’s historic legacies. Envision Peace Museum will be there, sounding its voice. Above all, Envision Peace Museum seeks to reach “beyond the choir” to the unaware and unconvinced. It seeks to welcome all people, from uninformed tourists casually dropping by, to experienced activists working for social change. The word “envision” suggests openness to insight, dynamism, personal engagement -- possibilities.

Envision Peace Museum is conceived as much more than a traditional museum. Beyond its exciting, interactive, dynamic exhibits, it will be a study and resource center serving local, national, and international visitors. Locally, it will offer educational programs, lectures, and an open public forum on relevant topics. Nationally, it will promote studies and present exhibitions on issues of nonviolence and peace focused on the United States. Internationally, through its online “Virtual Museum,” it will serve as a resource to those actively engaged in conflicts around the world, offering inspiration and practical help on nonviolent methods for creating change.

Visit the Museum's website at www.envisionpeacemuseum.org. The Museum welcomes your ideas! Add your thoughts here, or in responses on the web page. Sign up for the Museum's e-newsletter. Help with a contribution. Join in the work!

Tony Junker