image from 2019 video courtesy PeaceDayParade.org

• On Peace Day (September 21) hundreds of bells from Hawai‘i and around the world will ring in celebration at 9 a.m.
• A special appearance by ‘ukulele master and peace ambassador Jake Shimabukuro will also be a part of the event, organizers say.

From the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaiʻi:

Across cultures and centuries, bells have called people to church, children to school, store clerks to counters, and spirits to quiet attention. On Wednesday, September 21 at 9 a.m., hundreds of bells from Hawai‘i and around the world will ring in celebration of Peace Day. A special appearance by ‘ukulele master and peace ambassador Jake Shimabukuro highlights the event.

Ring Your Bell for Peace Day was created in 2020 as a type of joyful gathering online, via Zoom and Facebook Live, to compensate for public health restrictions. Last year’s event engaged some 1,700 bell- ringers from the Continent, Canada and Japan. This year, Ukraine will be included — as Honoka‘a Hongwanji Buddhist Temple has been assisting five Ukrainian families, one of whom recently moved to Hilo.

Anyone, anywhere is eagerly invited to join in, as a group or individual. Register here: bit.ly/PeaceDay2022. All that’s needed is a phone or computer, and a bell. Past events have included a chorus of bells of all sizes, from tiny jingle bells to Tibetan meditation bowls, giant temple bells, and even water glasses. As they ring together, the sounds almost becomes harmonic, happy, and soothing.

Opening Ceremony includes the Pū, conch shell, and Oli, chant, presented by Saint Louis School, a Muslim Invocation, begin at 8:30 a.m. Then Bishop Eric Matsumoto will lead a minute of silence, honoring all those who have sacrificed for the achievement of peace. At 9:01, bells will ring out from temples, churches, schools, individual homes, and community organizations for five minutes. Interfaith participation is very special as the event closes with Benediction by Temple Emanuel.

September 21 has been the International Day of Peace since it was established by the United Nations in 1981. It is also Peace Day in the state, thanks to members of the Hawai‘i Federation of Junior Young Buddhist Associations, who presented a resolution to the Hawai‘i Legislature in 2007, which enacted House Bill 342, a law making September 21 Peace Day in Hawai‘i.

The Peace Committee of Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawai‘i is grateful to co-sponsors, the United Nations Associations of Hawai‘i-Honolulu and University of Hawai‘i Manoa, and to KTUH Radio. Anyone interested in participating is encouraged to please sign up by email renemansho@hawaii.rr.com , or 808-291-6151.