From the Festival Desk:

Power to the Peaceful

The humble shall inherit the Earth! How can the peaceful govern and solve the many conflicts of mankind?

The Iroquois Haudenosaunee confederacy is the longest standing democracy in existence. America’s for-fathers adopted many parts of the Haudenosaunee Great Law of Peace to create the Constitution. The foundation of the great law of peace is the Thanksgiving Address or the “words that come before all else.” Giving thanks to the Earth, Moon, Sun and all living beings for being part of the world that feeds, fuels and houses humanity brings us to the “good mind” which is a state of consciousness where cooperation, harmony and peace exist.

A government by the Peaceful is one where every voice is heard and where there is a respect for every living being including the Earth.

A government by the Peaceful is not one where we take sides and intend the other into annihilation but where consensus is built to find wisdom to solve problems and issues, with the use of force and war relegated to Olympic games and other sporting competitions.

The dreams of Martin Luther King, Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and others, is to find peace, to end fighting among fellow men. In this 21st century we realize too that we must make peace with the Earth and live in harmony with its environment.

Humbleness is to realize one’s frailty but at the same time to trust in yourself. The human ability to solve problems is astounding and has brought to mankind civilizations and incredible technologies. Can we greet the future with an equal dose of love, understanding, compassion, sharing, forgiveness and a willingness to turn the other cheek to those that trespass against us? Peace requires all of these which combine to create a higher state of being and an evolved state of consciousness.

What matters in the end for us as individuals is not the sum of our material possessions but the knowledge we have gathered in our journey in this wonderful world!

Why music and dance?? Celebration of beauty and art feeds the soul and the heart and gives us a pause from our busy lives. Dance is fundamental to health and well-being and connects us to our corporeal selves. The Shakori Hills Grassroots Festival of Music & Dance is about getting connected; to yourself, each-other and to the Spirit.

The human being has been on a long uphill road- I believe that when we finally arrive at its summit, we will throw off the chains that bind us and we will truly be free and at peace, power to the peaceful!

Jordan Puryear

Festival co-coordinator and member Shakori Hills Inc. board of directors