Maine Drone Peace Walk
October 10-19, 2013
Preserve our Privacy: No Drone Spying in Maine

President Obama has announced that 30,000 drones will be soon flying around the US doing surveillance of the American people. Thirty-seven states have applied to be one of six drone test centers across the nation. More than 500 drone manufacturing corporations are now bidding to be recipients of Pentagon funds for drones. Join us as we walk across parts of Maine from October 10-19 to call attention to this deadly and unconstitutional drone program. We must push back against the expanding use of surveillance drones in the US and weaponized drones around the world that are killing many innocent people. There is much talk about bringing drones to Maine and making the Presque Isle airport a weaponized drone test center, thus our reason for starting the walk in Aroostook County. Our non-violent peace walk will be led by Buddhist monks and nuns from the Nipponzan Myohoji order.
Drone Walk Schedule:
•  October 10 (Thursday) Begin in Limestone (former Loring AFB) and walk to Caribou.
•  October 11 (Friday) Walk to Presque Isle
•  October 12 (Saturday) Drive to Indian Island (near Old Town) and walk into Bangor
•  October 13 (Sunday) Walk to Skowhegan (need to drive some part of the day)
•  October 14 (Monday) Walk to Mercer
•  October 15 (Tuesday) Walk to Farmington
•  October 16 (Wednesday) Walk to Waterville (need to shuttle some part of the day)
•  October 17 (Thursday) Walk to Belgrade
•  October 18 (Friday) Walk to Augusta and hold closing ceremony at state capital at 3 pm (Potluck & program at Mediation & Facilitation Resource Center, 11 King St at 6:00 pm)
•  October 19 (Saturday) Shuttle to Bath and join protest against BIW “Christening” of first stealth destroyer – we urge folks to join us from around state at 10:00 am

Get more information about the Maine Drone Peace Walk by calling (207) 443-9502 or visit our web sites.
Maine Campaign to Bring Our War $$ Home http://www.bringourwardollarshome.org
Maine Veterans for Peace http://vfpmaine.org

Grafton Peace Pagoda
20th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, October 5, 2013
11 AM
Everyone Welcome!

11 am: Annual Ceremony by Nipponzan Myohoji
Multi-faith Prayers for Peace
Special Guest Speaker: Dennis Banks (Ojibwa Nation), American Indian Movement Leader
Music & Dance including Japanese Nou Drumming (Tsuzumi Shoulder Drum)
Potluck Lunch

Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo

Unless the United States is reformed peacefully, peace will not come to the world. As the original inhabitants of this country, First Nation Peoples have a responsibility to help change America’s pattern of mistaking power for justice, which has created a dishonorable history. As victims of the atom bomb, Japanese people also share this Karmic responsibility to help change the way of thinking of the United States at this time when humanity faces annihilation. Thus, we must join with First Nation Peoples to open a new path of existence for the United States—a peaceful and sacred way of life for all humanity. Let us rise together.               (Venerable Nichidatsu Fuji, August 12, 1978)

Dear Friends of Grafton Peace Pagoda,
Since we first came to this land we have seen many snow-filled winters, many springs sweet with apple flower blossoms, and many autumns filled with the brilliant red of the changing maple leaves. Our lives too have seen many changes: children we knew as babies now have babies of their own; many of you are now grandparents who were young men and women when we first met.

All through those years we have organized countless peace walks, walking the earth and praying together for peace. For nine years leading up to the completion of Grafton Peace Pagoda, so many neighbors, fellow peace walkers, and friends from around the world came to help with the construction. We worked together as one, using recycled wood and mixing concrete by hand, and the Peace Pagoda was finally inaugurated in 1993.

We will celebrate the 20th anniversary of our beloved Peace Pagoda at 11am on Saturday, October 5, 2013.

In the 20 years since the inauguration, we have welcomed visitors from all over the world. People of all different faiths and ancestries have joined with us here for countless ceremonies and commemorations. Every day, friends come and go like the breeze. Twenty years also marks the cycle of one generation. As a new generation comes of age, we want to transmit our message of peace to them and share the story of how the Peace Pagoda arose on this land. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the 20 together.

Bowing Three Times,
Jun Yasuda