On Sunday, July 1st, the second annual Genocide Memorial Service will be held at 9916-154th Street, Edmonton, Alberta. Representatives from many ethnic groups attended, placing labelled rocks in a dry riverbed landscape on the property. Each person spoke for a few minutes about their dedication, songs of peace were sung by the audience and the Raging Grannies of Edmonton. Harpist Gordon Ritchie and soprano Erin Van Der Molen-Pater played and sang Celtic music appropriate to the event. This year, Lewis Cardinal will call the four directions and be the keynote speaker, not only for the Aboriginal peoples, but for all people who lost their lives violently. Forty People attended the first service, representing: Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Scotland, Ireland, Jewish and Muslim peoples, Russians, Germans, Dutch, Turkey, Murdered and Missing Aboriginal women, Ukrainians, Welch, The Interfaith Centre for Education and Advocacy, The Interfaith Chaplains Association of the University of Alberta: it was from this group that the request came to make this an annual event. While the facilitators were Unitarian Minister, Rev. Brian Kiely, and U of A Chaplain Rev. Audrey Brooks, the service was inclusive of all belief systsems, including humanist, athiest and agnostic, as is the Unitarian concept of inclusivity.

The commemorataive stone reads:
” Humanity stands in a river of its own blood”

This garden honors the memory of victims who died violent deaths because of wars, racism, religious persecution, sexual orientation, greed, slavery, ethinic cleansing, and approporiation of aboriginal lands.

Please pass this invitation to interested groups. Thank you, Audrey Brooks