Earth Caravan International Peace Festival comes to Nathan Phillips Square on May 31

Earth Caravan International Festival comes to Toronto on May 31

The Earth Caravan – an international festival with roots in Japan – comes to Canada for the first time – at Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square on Tuesday, May 31 from 11am to 7pm. The festival is part of a global interfaith pilgrimage whose mission is to share peace, happiness and healing in the world through words, art, music, shiatsu therapy and inter­-religious prayer. The Caravan travels the globe each year, sharing a strong message of peace, hope and ways of living to help heal the wounds of war, violence and disaster.

Toronto Mayor John Tory is expected to attend, as he accepts celebratory letters from the mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, along with the seed of a tree that survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki 71 years ago.

The Earth Caravan showcases Japanese culture including performances from a traditional Japanese Kimono show, musicians, Japanese Ulala dancers and Japanese Taiko drummers. Japanese paper making (Origami), Japanese calligraphy (Shodo), card drawing (Sumi-E) will also be featured along with a demonstration of the Japanese martial art of Aikido, as well as Meridian Yoga Stretching and Renki (a form of Tai Chi).

This non-profit event is free to attend and will be raising money to help fund a special Earth Caravan project to aid Native communities in Mingan and Natashquan, Northern Quebec in August, 2016.

The Earth Caravan, with a goal of spreading the Japanese culture of harmony (known as wa), was conceived by members of Tao Sangha, a Buddhist non­-governmental organization founded by the internationally renowned Buddhist priest and master of Tao Shiatsu, Ryokyu Endo. This year celebrations will also take place in Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagasaki, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, Quebec City and Tokyo.

For more information, Please contact: Alex Pereklita or Tsuyoshi Mogi at 416-925-7575 or e-mail toronto@taosangha-na.com

The Earth Caravan Aid Projects: Quebec, August, 2016

The Earth Caravan Quebec project will take place in the northern Native communities of Mingan and Natashquan in August, 2016. Tao Sangha members will travel to Quebec to share with the communities through workshops, prayer, Tao Shiatsu treatments and song. The goal of the project is to bring the light of a bright future to Native communities in the Quebec North. Tao Sangha Members donate their time and efforts to these activities. Donations are needed to help defray the costs of food, fuel and rental vehicles.

In 2015 the Earth Caravan Aid project supported Syrian refugees in Gaza, Rwanda and Nepal. more info.

The Earth Caravan – Nathan Phillips Square Schedule for May 31, 2016

11 am – 12:15 Marketplace featuring Japanese art, teas, shiatsu

12:30 – 12:40 Interfaith prayer and opening ceremony

12:40 – 12:50 Mayor Tory greeting and proclamation

Presentation of seedling to City of Toronto and reading of letters from Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

12:50 – 1:10 Aminadabu plays

1:20 – 1:30 Sachiko and Yusuke (Acoustic guitar and singer)

1:30 – 4:30 Japanese martial art Aikido demo, charity shiatsu, tea, art tables origami table, etegami

4:30 – 4:40 Read letters from mayor and proclamation

4:40 – 5:00 Taiko Drummers,
5:00 – 5:20 Kimono Show

5:30 – 5:45 Yoshi and Chie (Kaminari)

5:45 – 6:15 Ulala dancers, and Shamisen group

6:15 – 6:45 Aminadabu band

6:50 – 7:00 Interfaith Prayer and closing

Website:
Earth Caravan Toronto 2016
http://taosangha-na.com/earth-caravan/toronto-2016/
Facebook Event Earth Caravan Toronto 2016
https://www.facebook.com/events/176055352780695/
Earth Caravan World Tour 2016
http://earthcaravan.jp/en/

Organizer, Supporter
Organizer: Earth Caravan Toronto Project Committee, Tao Sangha
Support: JCCC (Japanese Canadian Culture Centre),