For the second straight year, YC faculty, staff and students are not letting International Day of Peace go  unnoticed. This year, they have organized a community celebration at the site where last year on Sept. 21 the college and community dedicated a peace pole – just outside the Prescott Campus Library.

All are invited to participate in the 2023 International Peace Day event at YC starting at 4 p.m. Sept. 21 and featuring a sound meditation led by Niki Shields and area organizations sharing information about their peace-furthering actions and goals.

Those organizations include the Yavapai College Justice Institute, the YC Respect Campaign and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The three organizations are sharing sponsorship responsibilities for the International Peace Day event.

Jerald Monahan, YC Administration of Justice program director, founder of the YC Justice Institute and a retired law enforcement officer,  said International Peace Day is a day to celebrate the individual and collective benefits of a peace mindset and take stock of initiatives bolstering peace locally and globally.  “When we can see the tangible evidence of all the ongoing effort, there is reason to celebrate and we’re using this day to do that,” Monahan said.

Among other things, the Yavapai College Justice Institute in the last year has helped heighten sexual assault and domestic violence awareness as well as fiercely advocated for mental-health resources and the Police to Peace initiative in which law enforcement agencies commit to doing everything they can to peacefully serve and protect their communities.

YC Police Chief Tyran Payne took the Police to Peace pledge during last year’s International Peace Day celebration at the Prescott campus.

For information about YC’s International Peace Day event, contact Monahan, Jerald.Monahan@yc.edu.