Winter Solstice Concert
Saturday, December 15th, 2018
2018 Solstice Program link to Google DOcs PDF file 88 MB
memorial Mile 2018
Canceled DUe to weather
Although we will not be setting up the display alongside 8th Avenue, we ask that while everyone enjoys their weekend they remember the 6,923 U.S. service-members who lost their lives in both Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as the countless civilians caught in the middle of our conflicts.
The weather this weekend will make it very difficult for both our visitors and volunteers
The last time we had the kind of rains predicted we had to replace 3500 tombstones due to water damage.
Have a good weekend
we will see you next year
Peace Poetry contest & peace scholarship
Award ceremony Saturday, May 5th, 2018
2018 Video of Peace Poetry.
Thanks to Alachua County Schools and their videographer Phil Whelpton for this video
Open to K-12 students in Alachua County. See link above for instructions.
College Peace Scholarship
Award ceremony May 5th 2 to 4 pm PUBLIC IS INVITED
Gainesville, Florida Veterans for Peace Chapter 14 announces its fourth annual College Peace Scholarship Program for the spring of 2018. We are awarding three college scholarships of $750 each for high school seniors, college students or adults in Alachua County with a commitment to activities involving: social justice and peace, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change.
Veterans for Peace created these scholarships to give financial support to students who are planning careers in pursuit of a world of social justice and equity. University of Florida student Mariana Castro, a community organizer and president of UF CHISPAS, was a recipient of one of the 2016 Peace Scholarship recipients. Mariana notes, “To me receiving the Veterans for Peace Scholarship meant that there are people in our community who truly believe in helping change and shape our society for the betterment of all. There are not many scholarships such as VFP Peace Scholarship because work for social justice is often overlooked in our world.”
The great majority of Veterans for Peace scholarships awarded thus far have went to first-generation college students as well as to community college students. 2016 scholarship recipient Doug Bernal is an Iraq War veteran who explains the economic challenges facing student veterans: “Like many newly separated veterans, I struggled financially for quite some time after leaving the service. Unsure of where I wanted to go in life and lacking the confidence to pursue higher education, I found myself taking on more debt as time went on. When I finally decided to pursue school, it was difficult to purchase books and pay bills while waiting for my GI Bill benefits to come through. I didn’t initially have the grades for financial aid, so the VFP scholarship was instrumental in getting me the books I so desperately needed and putting me on a path to a successful college experience.”
By creating this scholarship, Veterans for Peace is attempting to follow the example of Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafzai who has urged the US to end wars and to refocus on education as a tool of economic justice.
To be eligible to apply for the Peace Scholarship, the applicant must either be
1) a high school senior planning to enroll in full-time undergraduate study at an accredited two- or four-year college, university or vocational-technical school in the United States for the 2018-2019 academic year.
2) Or a college student currently enrolled and in good standing
3) Or an adult student enrolling in higher education who needs financial assistance.
Peace Scholarship applicants will also be asked to provide a brief autobiographical statement and evidence of leadership and/or personal initiative in activities in an organization (including volunteer or paid work) relating to peace and social justice, conflict resolution and/or nonviolent social change. Applicants will also need to provide two letters of recommendation.
Martin Luther King Day Parade