Members of Dr. Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots fly giant peace dove puppets down the Santa Monica Pier during the 8th annual Day of Peace festival at the Santa Monica Pier on Sunday, September 19, 2010. More than 100 hand-made giant peace doves (each with a 25 foot wing-span) in a brilliant display of performance participated in the parade.
Each year, in support of the United Nations International Day of Peace, Roots & Shoots members and friends come together to promote peace. All over the world, young people craft Giant Peace Dove Puppets from reused materials and fly the Doves in parades in their communities. From the Pier in Santa Monica, to the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, to the low plains of Kansas, Peace Doves fly, held high by hopeful hands. Symbolizing international peace and solidarity, the Day of Peace festival on Santa Monica Pier culminated with a Giant Peace Dove Parade. Celebrities, Roots & Shoots members, and event-goers joined together to fly a collection of hand-made giant doves along the Santa Monica Pier parade route. Simultaneously, Peace Doves flew in cities all across the United States and in close to 100 countries worldwide.
“With the peace doves we remind everyone of the truth they sometimes forget – that peace is possible. With Day of Peace, we celebrate all that is free and noble in the human spirit. And we celebrate all that so many people have done throughout the year and will do next year to create a better world.” Jane Goodall, PhD, UN Messenger of Peace, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute.
Through her Roots & Shoots program Dr. Jane Goodall encourages the efforts of young people and adults all across the globe to identify concerns in their communities and take action to create a better world. With tens of thousands of young people in close to 100 countries, the Roots & Shoots network connects youth of all ages to participate in local and global campaigns to promote better relationships between individuals, a greater understanding of different cultures, and a more balanced co-existence among people, animals and the environment. The United Nations appointed Dr. Goodall a Messenger of Peace in 2002 and her Roots & Shoots program conducts special Day of Peace events all across the world in support of United Nation’s International Day of Peace.