Agenda Item September 24, 2018 Agenda Item No. 6 Peace Park Summary: Lynn Altadonna requested conceptual approval of a Peace Park at your 4/23/18 meeting. At that meeting you agreed with the understanding that a final design and location will be brought to the Recreation Commission for them to make a recommendation for the Selectboard s consideration. Enclosed is the final plan that is being recommended by the Recreation Commission for Thompson Park. It includes, planting 200 tulips within the existing garden at Thompson Park and adding a Stowe Peace Park sign to the existing boulder and sign post. Also, enclosed is an email from the Stowe Recreation Commission recommending the establishment of Stowe Peace Park within Thompson Park. Town Plan Impact: Arts and Culture Policy #2: Municipal facilities will be made available for special events, exhibits, and use by area arts organizations as appropriate, based on availability, capacity, and associated costs. Fiscal Impact: According to the email from the Recreation Commission, The establishment of and ongoing maintenance will require little to no additional expense to the Town Recommendation: Move to approve the final design and location for the Stowe Peace Park as indicated.
Peace Park for Stowe September Update Request to Stowe Select Board September 24, 2018 Will the Select Board support using Town park space for a Stowe Peace Park? In April, The SB gave initial approval to locate the Peace Park within Thompson Park along Rt 108 and the Rec Path. The SB asked that I return with details after first getting approval from the Rec Board. The proposed details were approved by the Rec Board September 5 th. - Negligible impact on recreation, maintenance or budget. - Plant 200 tulips within the existing garden at Thompson Park before Nov 11 th. - Stowe HS teachers and students will participate. - Submitted a Request for F-16 Flyover for FAA approval. - Not to interfere with annual VFW Veteran s Day activities. - Add Stowe Peace Park signage to existing boulder and sign posts. - Sustain Park awareness with annual garden planting. What s Stowe s most important industry? Vermont s? The World? It s Tourism! Impact of Terrorism and violence on Tourism Canadian Study circa 1985. - Lou D Amore created International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) - In 1992, Canada created 350 Peace Parks to celebrate Canada s 125 years. - Many International parks with UN support Jordan, South Africa, China,... - IIPT Goal is 2000 parks to celebrate 100 th anniversary of WWI Armistice Nov 11, 2018. What s a Peace Park? - Objectives of the IIPT Global Peace Parks are: to nurture the growth of peace and understanding at home and throughout the world; enhance awareness of a community s commitment to peace and a healthy environment; create common ground for the community to come together in celebration of their nation s people, land, and heritage, and the common future of all humankind; reflect on our connectedness to one another as a Global Family and our common home, planet Earth. - A local Community decision. Thompson Park has Ralph Heath poem mounted on a boulder The Gifts of Nature. Sets a tranquil mood... Where happy hearts will find that less is more. - Make motion for the Select Board to approve Thompson Park as the Stowe Peace Park site. More on IIPT at http://www.iipt.org/newsletter/2018/march.html
Peace Park for Stowe Overview This overview is based on Canadian publication, Business Quarterly, International Terrorism: Implications and Challenge for Global Tourism, Fall 1986. Lou D Amore, a Stowe resident until August 2017, is the president of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism (IIPTT). Tourism is an economic driver everywhere in the world. When the number of international terrorist incidents reached over 20,000 a year in 1984, L.J. D Amore and Associates, Montreal, wrote the research paper published in the Business Quarterly. The Canadian government incorporated Peace Parks into their 125 th Anniversary activities. Many communities embraced the idea and dedicated a Peace Park in their public spaces, making 350 community parks from the Atlantic to the Pacific. The United Nations and Lou continued the concept and have dedicated Peace Parks worldwide including South Africa and Jordan. Last fall, September 13, 2017, Lou was in China dedicating a UN Peace Park. What does a Peace Park look like? Communities have different visions for their Peace Park and each vision is perfect. Some have a single tree, some a brass plaque with inspiring words mounted on a granite boulder. Some dedicated a forest of trees. The important aspect is that each community thought about Peace for a time and have a visual reminder to work for peace. What is Peace? The initial inspiration for the Peace Parks was the international terrorism rampant throughout the world in the 80 s. Now many countries are at war on Terrorism. Violence is rampant in our daily news. What can we do to be champions of peace? In April at the Spruce Performing Arts, eight Ted Talks featured Community as the theme for discussion. A community can dedicate a peace park appropriate to their vision. Can we motivate the Town of Stowe to be a Peace Park Community?
From the IIPT Website: IIPT Global Peace Parks Project As part of its 30th Anniversary Year events, IIPT has launched a Global Peace Parks Project with a goal of 2,000 Peace Parks circling the earth by November 11, 2018, the Centenary of the end of World War I and its theme No More War. The project builds on the foundations of IIPT s Peace Parks across Canada Project in 1992 commemorating Canada s 125th birthday as a nation. That project resulted in 350 cities and towns dedicating a park to peace and was said to be the most significant of more than 25,000 Canada 125 Projects. Partnering with IIPT on the project is United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG), the united voice and world advocate of democratic local self-government with a global network of cities, local and regional governments representing 70% of the world population. UCLG goals include contributing to the achievement of the SDG s, Paris Agreement, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, and New Urban Agenda for Sustainable Urban Development. Objectives of the IIPT Global Peace Parks are: to nurture the growth of peace and understanding at home and throughout the world; enhance awareness of a community s commitment to peace and a healthy environment; create common ground for the community to come together in celebration of their nation s people, land, and heritage, and the common future of all humankind; reflect on our connectedness to one another as a Global Family and our common home, planet Earth. About IIPT The International Institute for Peace through Tourism (IIPT) is a not for profit organization dedicated to fostering travel and tourism initiatives that contribute to international understanding, cooperation among nations, an improved quality of environment, cultural enhancement and the preservation of heritage, poverty reduction, reconciliation and healing wounds of conflicts; and through these initiatives, helping to bring about a peaceful and sustainable world. It is founded on a vision of the world s largest industry, travel and tourism becoming the world s first global peace industry; and the belief that every traveler is potentially an Ambassador for Peace. For more information: IIPT Website: www.iipt.org Tel: (315) 507-4059
The Recreation Commission recommends the establishment of Stowe Peace Park to be a feature within Thompson Park. Lynn Altadonna presented the concept and intent at the September 5, 2018 Recreation Commission and it was voted unanimously in support with the following details. The Stowe Peace Park will be designated at the existing flower garden bed which is in the center of Thompson Park (picture 1). The establishment of and ongoing maintenance will require little to no additional expense to the Town. 200 Tulips will be planted in the flower bed which have been donated. Volunteers will be doing the plantings and additional work which included extending the flower bed by roughly 2-3 feet on the south end (picture 2). Volunteers will seek donation of top soil and mulch for the project. Stowe High School students and teachers will be involved as volunteers. The group will also seek donations for an engraving of Stowe Peace Park on an existing bolder in the flower bed (picture 3) and for a sign also reading Stowe Peace Park to be added to the existing park entrance sign (picture 4). The group intends to have an opening ceremony featuring guest speakers to promote the meaning of the Peace Park and promote the concept of Peace. Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4