On Tuesday, October 16, Pray For Peace will unite celebrated musicians and prominent religious leaders at the Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC to express a collective desire for peace in song and spiritual wisdom across diverse traditions. The unprecedented evening begins with a 6PM interfaith Prelude Prayer Ceremony followed by a 7:30PM benefit concert featuring Graham Nash, David Crosby, Jackson Browne, Keb' Mo', Emily Saliers, John Hall and Krishna Das. Pray For Peace is a highlight of the historic Cathedral's Centennial Celebration, and also honors His Holiness the Dalai Lama on the eve of his receipt of the Congressional Gold Medal. Proceeds will benefit the Cathedral Center for Global Justice and Reconciliation and the International Campaign for Tibet.
Pray For Peace grew out of a collaborative effort between musician, visual artist and activist Graham Nash and The Right Rev. John Bryson Chane, Episcopal Bishop of Washington. Since seeing the Dalai Lama speak in Washington in 2003 on the concept of universal responsibility, Nash and Bishop Chane have been developing a prayer service and concert centered on global peace at the National Cathedral. They were hopeful that if and when the Dalai Lama returned to Washington, such an occasion could pay tribute to his tireless efforts advocating peace and social justice worldwide. The occasion of His Holiness receiving Congress' highest civilian honor on Oct. 17 provided an ideal opportunity for Nash and Chane to realize their dreams for such an event at the awe-inspiring Cathedral, "a spiritual home for the nation."
They also both passionately believe that the times demand such a gathering of people from different backgrounds and traditions to work towards peace in their communities and in the world at large. "To me," says Nash, "it has always been the most 'un-religious' of actions to kill human beings in the name of God. It is time for the religious community to help put a stop to this madness by coming together and denouncing these killings." Chane added, "People of faith need to make their voices heard both within their temples, cathedrals, mosques and holy places, and beyond. They must take the lead in advocating for an end to violence."
All of the world-renowned musicians taking part in the concert portion of Pray For Peace, which will feature intimate acoustic sets and spoken word reflections, have long and outspoken histories of activism on behalf of social justice, anti-war, environmental and humanitarian causes. One, John Hall, is also a U.S. Congressman, representing New York's 19th Congressional District since 2006.
Major interfaith leaders participating in Pray For Peace include Cathedral Dean Sam Lloyd, Chief Stephen Adkins, Sheikh Ahmad Bahraini, Rev. Dr. Bernice Powell Jackson, Gyumed Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Jampa, the Very Rev. Leonid Kishkovsky, Imam Mohamed Magid, Rabbi David Saperstein and the Rev. Mpho Tutu. Tickets for the event are available at all Ticketmaster locations, charge-by-phone, and online at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
