The word was shared--a phone call to Alejandrino--and the word travelled from one village to another.  Because someone called and told them about the International Day of Peace in Spanish, the AMARU CC in Ayacucho and the nearby Andes communities of San Martín del Paraiso and Ticlla held their very first celebrations of the IDP this year.  They were alone, not in touch with anyone else, yet the message was palpable beyond words—up on the mountains, seeing the stars, they felt connected in a powerful way with the others around the world on September 21st. Parades and recreation activities were held for both children and adults; it was a very good way of “making party.”  The URI IDP celebrations were also covered on TV and radio. Ever since the URI Regional Assembly was held in Ayacucho last year, the local media have been keenly interested in AMARU CC activities. On the International Day of Peace, AMARU members went to the radio and TV stations and sang songs together from Catholic, Evangelical, and Indigenous traditions (“Guaino”). Some of their songs were in “Quechua”. They made music together as a way of showing their interreligious practice, and they joined other CCs in the celebration of the International Day of Peace. The people of the TV channel were very happy with the interview they made of them because it was such a practical demonstration of how to live in peace.

We look forward to receiving more details of the IDP celebrations in Peru and the DVD with recorded TV and radio programs.