Peace Initiative Idea Session “To make Louisville the Geneva of North America”

Peace Initiative Idea Session“To make Louisville the Geneva of North America” July 6th, 2007 Hosted by Hon. Steve Mershon, Tom Williams, David Bonner - moderator

Executive Summary • Louisville could be a viable home for “a center in service of peace.” • The idea resonates intuitively, and we have excellent local assets. • Funding and local racial issues are concerns. • The desired mission extends from the personal focus to the global, on both international and interpersonal issues of conflict. • Unity and nature are strong sources of identity. • The War in Iraq creates good fertile ground for considering peace initiatives of any kind.

Objectives • To gather a few thought leaders from various communities to introduce this topic and to discuss its merits • To collect a baseline of ideas across a range of the most immediate topic areas • To sample the intuitive value of this idea • To seed the thought into the community

Attendance • 18 people with some diversity in gender, race, new and long-term residents • Representation from law, business, the arts, community service, higher education, city government • Influential thought leaders, not luxurious elite • Busy and in-demand leaders of their offices and/or communities of interest

Overview of topics covered • Local “assets and liabilities” for such an idea • Potential audiences and beneficiaries • Mission ideas / issues of interest • Naming and visual identity ideas • Tactical ideas

Intuitive value is good… • There is immediate intuitive value in the idea. • Attendance, interest in, and quick flow of ideas were all very good. (A good idea reproduces quickly.) • Some expressed skepticism prior to the meeting, although admitted being impressed with the viability of the idea afterwards. • Strong global focus currently on Iraq, Afghanistan, al Qaeda would bias most groups toward an otherwise latent desire for peace. (The ground is fertile.)

We have a long list of assets. • The greatest number of ideas from any single topic area resulted from listing our assets for this idea. • The group identified very strong existing organizations, people and facilities: Ali Center and Ali Institute, Festival of Faiths, Idea Festival, non-profits, universities, LBA, LLCtr. • Strong symbolic, historical, and intangible assets: The Ohio River, geographic location, Lincoln, Merton, etc…

There are high hurdles. • Money, by far was the number one cited concern. • We have limiting internal beliefs about outside perceptions (small city syndrome). • There are real issues of trust re: socio-economic and racial divisions in Louisville. • Concerns are voiced over provincial and vested interest thinking.

More beneficiaries of conflict resolution than expected… • Predictably international issues of conflict, and… • A whole host of other conflict areas were quickly identified. • Business-business, employer-employee, husband-wife, educational, environmental, neighborhood, municipal, state, regional, national, socio-economic, even the arts, and personal psychology.

Mission revolves around “a place in service of peace” • Scope: Personal --------------------------------- global • Facilities • Conflict Resolution Services • Resources • Education and certification • Recognition of peace • Resources / promotional foundations • Headquarters for “franchising” • Safe haven

Unity and Nature - strongest influence on identity • Unity symbols repeated often - bridges, river, transparent glass, United we stand-Divided we fall • Nature was an oft-repeated theme: water references in particularly, woodland, green spaces. • Blue - the color of peace. Water, peace, sky, democracy • Official place naming ideas - institute, center • Religious symbolism - dove, olive branch, stained glass, water, lion & lamb, finger of God • Diversity symbols - mosaics, puzzle

Tactical ideas • A time period of Peace/Conflict Resolution • Stories of Peace • Kentucky-Indiana coordination • Geneva as sister city • Title: “And let it begin with us.” • Library/Resource Center • 2009 Lincoln anniversary • Inventory / consolidation of assets • Documentary film • West end location

Issues to tackle: global and local • Desire to tackle issues we are aware of daily in our “communities” - both globally and locally. • Iraq War and Middle East • Violence in metro Louisville • Environmental issues • Recycling • Human trafficking and immigration • Race relations in Louisville

Next steps • Review presentation by Judge Mershon, Tom Williams, David Bonner. • Agree on content. • Consider sharing with group. • Consider report to committee. • Develop additional objectives to recommend.

Peace Initiative Idea Session “To make Louisville the Geneva of North America”