Using music and the arts to build and bridge informed,
engaged and caring communities
Dear Friends,
We are excited to announce
that an Echoes of Peace singing delegation will be traveling to Rania, Iraqi Kurdistan, in the northern part of
Iraq, March 15-24, 2013.
Co-sponsored by Echoes of Peace and the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange
Project, the 23 member delegation will continue the Project's efforts begun in 2009 to build
friendship and reconciliation between these two cities and countries.
In the spirit of citizen
based diplomacy, the Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange Project endeavors to
establish a tangible friendship based on respect and understanding through
cultural and educational exchange between our two cities. Through the
recognition of the special gifts that each city offers the world, we strive to
create a more peaceful global community.
The mission of Echoes of
Peace is to inspire awareness, action and reflection on critical social issues
using music and the arts to build and bridge informed, engaged and caring
communities. The singing delegation is a unique opportunity to join the peace
building efforts of these two Duluth based organizations. Brooks Anderson,
previous delegate to Rania and Echoes of Peace Choir member, and Sara Thomsen,
Echoes of Peace Director, are co-leading the delegation. We seek your support
as we move forward!
Four years ago the
Duluth-Rania Friendship Exchange was launched with a Kurdish dinner as a
fundraiser and send-off for the first delegation to Rania. The Echoes of Peace
Choir spring concert was a benefit for that first group of six (and the concert
recording traveled with them). Since that time, there have been two delegations
from Rania to Duluth, and another from Duluth to Rania (pronounce “RAH-nia”).
For this third delegation to
Rania, we have set a goal of raising $20,000 to help defray travel expenses and
provide scholarships. The travel cost is about $2,000 a person. To support
this project and learn more about it we invite you to attend our fundraising
Kurdish dinner on February 8. You’ll find full details about the dinner below!
If you can’t make the February 8 dinner…
You can still lend your
support by a sending a donation to “Echoes of Peace” (put “singing delegation”
in the memo). You can give a donation to support the delegation in general or
you may wish to support a specific delegate that is a friend, or family member.
Just include a note with your request. Note that donations for the delegation
in general (that are not person specific) are tax deductible.
Donate online at GiveMN.org or mail donations to:
Echoes of Peace, 6476 S Range Line
Rd, South Range, WI 54874.
Thanks for your consideration and support!
2013 Echoes of Peace/Duluth-Rania Friendship
Exchange Singing Delegation
Brooks Anderson, Sara Thomsen, Janine Bjerklie, Alana Butler, Angie
Frank, Beth Holst, Bonnie Keeling, Carol Kondrath, Coral McDonnell, Eileen Gannon, Eric
Anderson, Faris Keeling, Gudrun Witrak, Judy Isaacson, Kathryn Mongan-Rallis, Lauri Isaacson,
Nathan Holst, Paula Pedersen, Peg Apka, Peter Wodrich, Trish O’Keefe, Wendy Ruhnke, Wendy
Wright
YOU ARE INVITED to
DINNER Friday FEBUARY 8
Back by popular
demand, there will be a Kurdish dinner fundraiser
Prepared by Koresh
and Jill Lakhan (and team)
Friday, February 8 at the Unitarian Universalist
Church, 835 W College Steet.
Dinner will be at 6:00pm with a 5:30 social time
and silent auction preview.
There will be a short program during the dinner,
including Echoes of Peace harmonies.
To make a dinner
reservation (required),
RSVP to Wendy Ruhnke at 218-491-4022 or ruhnkews@aol.com
Thank you in
advance for your help in making the March 2013
Echoes of
Peace Singing Delegation possible!
Duluth-Rania Friendship
Exchange Background
In 2002, Michele Naar-Obed
began working with the Christian Peacemaker Teams, a human rights-violence
reduction organization, with an on-the-ground team in the country of Iraq. In
2006, the team moved from Baghdad to Suleimaniya in the Kurdish north of Iraq.
Michele established a strong friendship with the Director of the Rania Youth Center.
The director shared the deep feelings of isolation that the people of Iraq have
felt from the world community. With the fall of the Baa’th Party led by Saddam
Hussein, the people of Iraq now have the opportunity to enter into the world
community.
In 2007, Michele returned to the Kurdish north of Iraq with a request from many Duluth citizens; “Is there a city in Iraq that would like to form a grass-roots, people to people relationship with the city of Duluth.” When the question was posed to the Director of the Rania Youth Center, it was received with overwhelming joy and hope that Duluth and Rania would form this partnership.
First steps: In May 2009, the first Duluth delegation visited the city of Rania. The delegation of 6 was heartily welcomed by the city of Rania, from elected officials to the ordinary citizen. In the 7 days the delegation spent in Rania, they toured educational, governmental and human rights facilities. Since then, two delegations from Rania visited Duluth (2010 & 2012) and another delegation of 3 visited Rania (2011). It is our hope that we will continue these delegations focusing on cultural and educational exchange. We are committed to broadening our circle of friends in our human family where ideas, talents and wisdom can be shared in hopes of making the world a better place.
Visit “Duluth-Rania Friendship-Exchange” on Facebook
Echoes of Peace Background
In 2002, Sara Thomsen began
the Echoes of Peace Choir to sing as part of the Art of Peace event in Duluth,
a local response to the events of 9/11/01 and the subsequent war in Afghanistan
and Iraq. The Art of Peace event, held annually for six years, brought varied
artistic expressions together to inspire and instigate creativity and
peacemaking. The Echoes of Peace Choir continues to grow and evolve, presenting
biannual concerts and singing at various community events throughout the year.
The non-audition choir currently has a membership of about seventy-five voices.
The nonprofit organization
Echoes of Peace was formed in 2012, marking the 10th anniversary of
the choir and continuing to grow its mission to inspire awareness, action and
reflection on critical social issues using music and the arts to build and
bridge informed, engaged and caring communities.
More about Echoes of Peace on Facebook
& on Sara
Thomsen’s website (www.sarathomsen.com)
