Or: As Ojai Goes, So Goes The World
The Ojai Valley News reports that a potentially gang-related vandalism and assault incident took place on Tuesday on Santa Ana Road in Oak View, resulting in one arrest.
This comes on the heels of the Ojai Valley community's first major International Peace Day celebration, convened by the Retreats of Ojai, the Ojai Peace Coalition, and the Ojai Interfaith Alliance and titled "Living Peace in Ojai". The weekend-long event included the awarding of the first-ever Noble Peace Prize to local activists Clive and Marion Leeman, performance of the nation-traveling play "The Gift of Peace" which explores and urges support for the creation of a U.S. Department of Peace, and a well-attended and inspirational interspiritual gathering.
The Peace Alliance's campaign to establish a Cabinet-level Department of Peace - which holds "Effectively treat and dismantle gang psychology" as one of its foundational efforts - is led by Ohio Congressman and Presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich, who was in Ojai over the weekend for two appearances. At the Ojai Retreat on Sunday afternoon, Dennis outlined his philosophy of "Strength Through Peace" to over 100 local supporters. Later that evening at the Glen Muse estate on Libbey Ave, a more informal gathering left many feeling uplifted and hopeful for the Kucinich's new post-election home.
The White House will soon see a $23 billion package that contains a nation's-worth of water- and flood-control projects, one of which is the $144.5 million removal of the Matilija Dam. President Bush has threatened to veto the bill because it's expensive. Meanwhile, war costs us $259 million every day.
War is the subject, or at least a main character, in no less than four (and as many as six) of the over 50 feature films, shorts, and videos in this year's Ojai Film Festival, which runs from October 4th through 7th with screenings at Libbey Bowl, the Ojai Arts Center, Matilija Junior High School, and the Ojai Playhouse. Brief descriptions of the films are HERE, and the schedule is HERE.
Something to say?
The Editor's Journal is cross-posted at the Ojai Post, where you can make comments and generate dialogue!
Subscribe to this blog's feed