Power to the Peaceful 2008

When and Where

Saturday, September 6, Speedway Meadows in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park was the host of the 10th annual Power to the Peaceful Festival. This free event began at 9am with a yoga session in front of the stage and wrapped up in the early evening.

History

Power to the Peaceful is a music, yoga, and arts festival that started in 1998 by activist/filmmaker/musician Michael Franti. The festival's purpose is to educate and inform those in attendance on issues like sustainability, non violence, coexistence, and social justice, as well as support Death Row inmate Mumia Abu-Jama.

This Year

There were many non-profit tents that lined the festival grounds and there were men and women walking around with clipboards to register new voters. Many event-goers brought blankets to sit on and enjoy the music. On stage, many spoke about about issues facing the country (like the environmental sustainability), local communities (like the homicides in Oakland this year), and those facing individuals (support of Mumia Abu-Jama). Many spoke highly of the importance of voting while slipping in their support to Democratic presidential nominee, Barack Obama. Conscious Alliance also hosted a food drive near the entrance of the festival.

My Experience

As a participant, I felt the festival was very informative and opened my eyes to issues I had not been aware of. I am always eager to attend events which promote positive energy and a peaceful world. It feels good to know that there are people out there with good hearts and good ideas that want to bring like-minded people together. Great times, good music, wonderful weather! It was a perfect sunny Saturday in Golden Gate Park.

Performers included:

Michael Franti & Spearhead

Ziggy Marley

Warren Hayes

Kev Choice & Silk-E

Rebelution

Power to the Peaceful's Mission Statement from their website:

POWER TO THE PEACEFUL MISSION STATEMENT
MUSIC. CONSCIOUSNESS. ACTION.

Power to the Peaceful is a not-for-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to the promotion of cultural co-existence, non-violence and environmental sustainability through the arts and music.

By bringing people together through music and art it is our goal to highlight the similarities and celebrate the diversity of all of the world’s inhabitants.

Through our many International concerts, social forums, film festivals and fundraising efforts, we invite people of all ethnicities and faiths to strive for Personal Peace, Community Cooperation, International Co-existence and Environmental Sustainability.

We work closely with grassroots organizations, businesses and other non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) to put on events that raise consciousness about the needs of the world today and inspire action that addresses those needs.

We strive to make each of our events more energy efficient than the last by constantly finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint as well as highlighting new energy efficient technologies.