The video “Lawai International Center: A Place Remembered” provides a profound historical and spiritual context that aligns closely with the themes of peace, healing, and global unity found in your “Strength Through PEACE ’25 TOUR” document. AEIA CERTIFIED ‘26 Pressing

Sacred Soil of Lawai Valley.mp3Click2Hear

Below is an evaluation of the video’s content and how it can serve as a “Development Guide” for your project:

1. Historical & Spiritual Foundation
   • Healing Roots: The video highlights the Lawai Valley on Kauai as a place of “forgiving waters” where Hawaiians originally built a heiau (temple) for healing [02:03]. This mirrors the document’s focus on moving away from a “War Economy” toward social
   • The 88 Shrines: Built 100 years ago by Japanese immigrants, these shrines are a replica of the 1,000-mile Shikoku pilgrimage [01:46]. They represent the “Strength Through Peace” theme by showing how displaced people created a sanctuary of hope and spirit in a new land [04:46].
2. Key Narratives for Development
   • The “Soil of Protection”: A powerful story features Grandma Nonaka, who took soil from the 88 shrines to protect her sons during WWII and the Korean War [03:35]. Their safe return and the subsequent return of the soil to the shrines [03:49] provides a moving visual and narrative metaphor for the protection found in peace rather than weaponry.
   • Grassroots Restoration: The Lawai International Center (formed in 1990) is a non-denominational effort to restore these forgotten shrines [05:23]. This aligns with the document’s call to “reclaim democratic traditions” through community-led action.

3. Visual & Symbolic Synergy
   • The Turtle Platform: The planned pagoda is shaped like a turtle, a symbol of the “bearer of life” [05:41]. This matches the “Axis of Hope” imagery in the Kucinich
   • Diverse Voices: The video features Riley Lee (a non-Japanese Grandmaster of the Bamboo Flute) and Hawaiian elders [01:00, 06:08], illustrating the interconnectedness of all people—a core pillar of your 2025 Tour draft.
4. Integration Strategy

For your “Deep Dive PeaceCasts4Good,” this video serves as a perfect “Case Study in Peace.”

• Actionable Insight: Use the Lawai International Center as a real-world example of the “Department of Peace” concept in action—where historical trauma (immigrant struggles/war) is converted into a “non-denominational cultural and healing center” [05:33].
• Closing Sentiment: The video ends with the “Aloha” spirit being Hawaii’s gift to the New Millennium [06:16], which provides a strong, hopeful conclusion that matches the “Prayer for America” vision.

YouTube Link for Reference: Lawai International Center: A Place Remembered

A PeacePreneuring Incubator Project

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Listen to “Author Celia Ryker new book Augusta” on Spreaker.

Celia Ryker website https://celiaryker.com/

Historical Fiction Author Pens Stunning Novel Based On Her Grandmother’s Challenging Life Of Abject Poverty, Marriage At 13, And Having To Make A Haunting Choice

Celia, a silver and gold winner for Human Relations Indie Book Award, writes a human interest novel based on the real-life struggles of her grandmother. Celia Ryker brings to life Augusta, highlighting the struggles of a young girl forced to grow up too fast. Celia writes based on the lessons her grandmother taught her about life and the beauty of it.

Let me know if you would like to have Celia on your show.

Mayte W.

“In this novel inspired by the challenging life of the author’s grandmother, a woman is left to raise her four children alone during the 1920s… Smooth-flowing prose carries the tale forward at a steady pace.. farm and city vignettes create vivid images of time, place, and economic class, and Augusta emerges as a formidable woman in the face of daunting odds. A historically evocative period drama that’s poignant and disquieting.”
–Kirkus Reviews

“Augusta is an insight to another era and a testimony to a woman who became more resilient as she was challenged. Engaging writing propels the story through the decades of Augusta’s life, and what a life it was.”
–Jennifer Belton, Former White House Library Director

The early 20th century was unforgiving on many women. Writer Celia Ryker’s grandmother was one such woman who had more than her fair share of a hard life. Ryker has written a powerful, insightful novel (Augusta) based on the exploits and overwhelming challenges her grandmother faced during the Depression.
Raised on a hard-knock farm in Arkansas and married off to the father of one of her classmates at the age of 13, lead-character Augusta was not set up for a life of bliss. Then, abandoned by her second husband in 1920s Detroit, with four children to provide for and only an eighth-grade education, she is forced into a decision that will haunt her forever.
From the author of Walking Home: Trail Stories, Ryker’s Augusta is gripping historical fiction based on the true, against-the-odds story of her grandmother, a woman who fled the hardships of the Ozarks at the turn of the 20th century for a new city, and a chance at a better life. She had to confront the kind of poverty that you can almost smell, the kind that is in the background of the Neapolitan novels by Elena Ferrante and The Grapes of Wrath. All three novels tell us that poverty has to do with a lot more than money. Self-worth is measured differently by the poor, so are luxury, duty, comfort, and success. The poor are snared by forces outside their control.

Some readers might find this a heroic story, but there were millions of farm folk like Augusta at the beginning of the 20th century. They did what they needed to do to survive. Men were sheared of their dignity when they lost the farm or lost a job, and couldn’t support their families. Like Augusta’s two husbands, they often turned to alcohol in their shame. The women made do, taking responsibility for the children.

Her particular struggle was common in the early 1900s: Marriage at 13, children born as they came, a move from the farm to the grinding, dirty, dangerous city, and meeting new immigrants who had fled similar hardships.

Details carry the story and are constantly surprising. The reader learns how the first washing machines worked, how unwelcome a hospital birth was after knowing the intimacy and convenience of having your baby at home, and what tenements were like.

Ryker shares with us in an interview the following:

Why Ryker’s grandmother inspired the writing of Augusta.

Who her grandmother was and why she is Ryker’s heroine.

The struggles women faced during the early part of 20th century America.

How Augusta survives two bad marriages: one at age 13, and one who abandons her.

The challenges of raising four children on her own during the Great Depression

Why Augusta is haunted by a decision she has to make due to poverty.

Historical novels require strong characters with heart — and Augusta’s heart shines through a life filled with adversity. Augusta puts her head down and does what must be done to provide for her children. Her unshrinking strength is an inspiration.

Ryker’s previous book, Walking Home: Trail Stories, is about more than mud, sweat, and blisters while distance hiking the Long Trail. Reminiscent of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, Ryker’s mind wanders as her legs carry her forward, beyond a woodland path, to places and people she thought she had forgotten. Her grandmother’s spirit appears on Mount Baker. A lost cousin waits for her at the bottom of every ladder. Her late father’s words reverberate among the calls of barred owls. There were days when she didn’t see another hiker, but she was never alone. Ryker began writing about a difficult hike and ended up writing about the people who inspired her throughout her life. These are her “trail stories.”

“Augusta shows women everywhere that no matter how hard one’s journey is, the key is to keep moving, and to not let one’s past or rough start dictate their life’s outcome,” concludes Ryker.

#historicalfiction #author #novel #augusta #grandmotherschallenginglife #abject #poverty #marriage #hauntingchoice #celiaryker #dictatingoutcome

The post Historical Fiction Author Pens Stunning Novel {Augusta} Based On Her Grandmother’s Challenging Life Of Abject Poverty, Marriage At 13, And Having To Make A Haunting Choice appeared first on Good News!.

            Harold Hudson Channer died of Cardio-Pulmonary Arrest on December 31, 2020, at the NY State Veterans Home in Montrose, NY. He was 85. He leaves behind: beloved partner, Margaret Borges, of New York; son, Wesley Chapman, of Minneapolis; daughter Lisa Channer, of Minneapolis; son, David Channer, of Alameda, CA; Seven grandchildren – Emma, Drew, Uma, George, Alexander, Tobey and Daniel; and a great many nieces, nephews and friends. He is preceded in death by his sister Shirley Johnson and his ex-wife Eileen (MacLanaghan) Channer. His remaining sibling, Carol Tomcheson, passed shortly after his death.

Harold was born on March 14, 1935, in Detroit MI to Grace (Sprunk) Channer and Harold Henry Hudson Channer. He served in the US Army from 1954-1956 as a member of Puerto Rico’s 65th Infantry Regiment and was awarded the “Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal” in 2014 by President Barack Obama.

He studied Physical, Historical and Economic Geography at Wayne State University (M.A.) and Indiana University (PhD) where he pursued post-graduate research on agricultural innovations of Andean indigenous peoples. He taught Geography at California State Long Beach and S.U.N.Y. at New Paltz. From 1972 until his death, he was the host of the TV show “Conversations with Harold Channer” at Manhattan Neighborhood Network. Harold has produced roughly 4,000 interviews with intellectual, political, and economic leaders of the 20th century. He will be missed for his infectious sense of humor and his belief in the beauty and potential of humanity.

A public ceremony of burial with military honors will take place at the Roseland Park Cemetery on July 17, 2021 at 3:00.

Sincerely,

Margaret Borges

Mab4nyc@gmail.com

Please go Mr. Channer’s web site www.channer.tv

For scheduling go to www.mnn.org

Click below to see a MNN tribute/memorial film of Harold:

https://www.mnn.org/blog/memoriam-harold-channer

Conversations With Harold Channer |www.Channer.tv                                                           

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N. L. has extensive knowledge of this period in ancient Egypt and her vivid imagination to dig up the past and present a relevant, page-turning set of mysteries. They capture the attention of those who are curious about what happened behind the scenes of one of the greatest dynasties. Her books explore the explosive dynamics of family and power behind the kingdom, sharing adventurous stories through provocative protagonists.

http://nlholmes.com/

“Lake of Flowers” is a powerful historical fiction book set in the fascinating period of Egyptian rule some 3,300 years ago. “These books explore a time and people that reveal some similarities to today’s time of political unrest and cultural change,” says Holmes. Indeed, she insightfully understands human nature and how that drives motives and actions to create extraordinary stories.
Lake of Flowers
Hani is set to investigate thefts from the king’s household that turn out to be related to a more sinister attempt on the king’s life. Meanwhile, witnesses to the crown prince’s dodgy birth begin to die, and Hani fears for his daughter and her friend, who were also present. More secrets emerge about the prince’s identity, and Hani finds himself caught between the government and the radical revolutionaries who want to restore Amen-Ra by civil war, among them the queen, whom Hani has sworn to serve. Can Hani reconcile his desire for peace with his devotion to the King of the Gods? “
These books bring to life a long-gone era that has relevance to today’s world,” says Holmes. Those days – and these books – possess some powerful elements, including mysterious political assassinations, shocking affairs with heads of state, dramatic family maneuverings, plots for rebellion and resistance.”

#Thefts #secrets #revolutionaries #ancient #archaeologists #Niki #Holmes #history #Lake of Flowers #historical #book #Egyptian #political #King

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Program Introduction
Howard Teich, Founding Chair, Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative
Mark Jaffe, President & CEO, Greater NY Chamber of Commerce

Honor Guard, Presentation of Colors & National Anthem Fire Department of the City of New York
Invocations & Opening Prayers Champlain Jacob Goldstein, Colonel, Retired USA William H. Williams, SFC, Retired USA

Patriotic Music & Readings Brownsville Ascend Public School Choir Brownsville Collaborative Middle School
Remembrances & Reflections NYC Councilmember Alicka Ampry-Samuel Raul Rothblatt, NYS Senator Jesse Hamilton’s Office Rudy Crew, President Medgar Evers College
Dr. Roy Hastick, Founder Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce Bill Tingling, School News Nationwide David Goldberg, Commander of Jewish War Veterans, Kings County Council Ryan Hegg, U.S. World War I Centennial Commission NYC Parks Dept.

Oath of Enlistment Terrance Holliday, Colonel, Retired USAF
Reading of Names on WWI Memorial Wall Rita Schwartz, V.P. Brooklyn Jewish Historical Initiative

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Who: Supermodel Beverly Johnson celebrates the launch of her acclaimed memoir.

What: Please join us in celebrating the release of The Face That Changed It All, a memoir by Supermodel Beverly Johnson that chronicles her historical rise to the top of the fashion world gracing some 500 magazine covers, including American Vogue, over the course of a near 40 year career.

Red Carpet Attendance: Clive Davis, Calvin Klein, Gayle King, Christy Turlington-Burns, Iman, Carol Alt, Kim Alexis, Paulina Porizkova, Andre Leon Talley, Cindi Leive, Peter Beard, Peter Thomas Roth, Nene Leakes, Valerie Simpson, Neil Sedaka, Ivana Trump, Nikki Haskell, Commissioner Bill Bratton, Rikki Klieman, Randy Jones, and more!

The event is sponsored by Salamander Hotels & Resorts, Chico’s, Macy’s, Skybridge Capital, and Retrouvé.

Where: Museum of the City of New York
1220 Fifth Avenue (at 103 Street)

When: Wednesday, September 9; 7:00-8:30 PM

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The museum blends the best features of both history museums (extensive collections) and children’s museums (high interactivity) and provides families, children, adults, students, teachers, scholars, collectors, and others a multitude of offerings:

• Engaging, hands-on exhibits, plus fascinating displays of artifacts of play
• The great hall of the prestigious National Toy Hall of Fame
• Fun-filled educational programs
• Quality guest services, museum shops, and a food court
• A working carousel from 1918 and the Strong Express passenger train
• Upstate New York’s only year-round, indoor butterfly garden
• Annual memberships
• Woodbury School for children ages 3, 4 and 5
• A circulating library
• Standards-based school lessons
• Teacher development opportunities

The Strong museum is an exciting, hands-on, welcoming place to play, learn, and dream; a place to pretend, wonder, and explore; a place to discover the past and imagine the future; and a place to rekindle memories and make new ones.

Museum collections

The Strong’s collections include hundreds of thousands of historical objects related to play, including the world’s largest and most comprehensive collection of toys, dolls, board games, video games, and other electronic games. Tens of thousands of artifacts are on view in museum exhibits and thousands more are viewable online. Also online is the museum’s Play Stuff Blog. Visit it often and journey through the museum’s vast collections with curators who mix history with fun as they share memories and stories about their favorite artifacts.

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GoodNews attends the event… The artist is wonderful and full of energy.  Her work shows the skill that she has developed over the years.  She is a dedicated artist with many mediums.  We were excited to meet her and applaud her vision of art.  Great Show.  Paul

August 21 – October 4. Opening reception: Thursday September 13. 6:30 – 8:30 pm.

Chinese Lacquer is the processed sap from lacquer trees that has been an integral component of Chinese decorative art from early times.

Zhang, who teaches at the well-respected Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts in China, has transformed traditional lacquer technique into a medium of modern abstract painting.

“To understand Wenzhi Zhang’s pictorial goals, one must see them as emerging from a long Chinese tradition,” said gallery owner Joy Wai.  “Traditional Chinese painting has from the beginning depended above all on the expressive quality of line. This has been combined with a deep intuition concerning the dynamic register peculiar to each primary color along with its modulations of shade, tint and tone and may be likened to the sound modulations of a musical instrument or the human voice.  Wenzhi Zhang’s work incorporates fully this tradition. But not only does Chinese brushed calligraphy express intelligible, verbal meaning but palpable emotion in the balletic sweep, surge and rhythm of its contours and forms.” Added Cole Harrell, the gallery’s art director, “Her paintings reflect her experiences, where the strokes and the layers voice her honesty, passion, and most importantly, her reverence for this lost art.  Her works ‘Sacred Calligraphy Serial’ and ‘Landscapes Serial’ are narratives that leave an indelible mark on contemporary art.”

Wenzhi Zhang was born in Guangzhou, China. She holds a MFA from the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at the Seoul National University of Sciences and Technology in South Korea. Her works are represented in prestigious private and public collections, including private collections of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the National Art Museum of China, Malaysia National Art Museum, Norway National Museum of Art, Korean Palace Kiln Museum and many other university museums.  She has lectured internationally in many universities and has written several textbooks.

About the Joy Wai Gallery:

The Joy Wai Gallery is located in New York City’s historical Chelsea District. It focuses on contemporary art with a strong focus on fine art photography, and showcases visionary artists to an international audience. With an educational program being developed, including guest lecturers from among artists, critiques and museum curators, the gallery will serve as a platform for exchanges within the art community and hopes to become a pivotal resource open to artists, collectors and other members of the visual arts community.

Contact Joy Wai Gallery at Tel: 646.688.3155

Or at email: event@joywaigallery.com

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