The sewing circle assembled on six consecutive Fridays from 9 am in Tyagarah Hall which is beside the Tyagarah sports airfield, 10 km north of Byron Bay.

The group attracted 21 regular sewers, cutters and pressers who brought along their own sewing machines and equipment and sewed up 108 satin flags to a design by Graeme Dunstan as part of the Byron Peace Flag Project, a community arts project to build the culture of peace in Byron Shire, NSW, Australia.

The flags were used to make sacred space for a local celebration of UN International Day of Peace, which took place in Byron Bay on Sunday 19 Septem,ber 2004. See www.byronpeacecarnival.com See Byron Peace Flag Project outcome report at www.peacebus.com/PeaceFlags/

The sewing circle came together around networks of friends of Bodha Gwen and people who responded to the publicity on Bay-FM and in the Byron Echo. The circle comprised mostly of women, and mostly single and mature age women at that, formerly strangers and now a band of joy to each other.

At lunch time the sewers picnicked on the grass and before eating the food that had been lovingly prepared and brought to the Hall by Lani and Nardia, they would join hands and led by Kuatrina prayu for peace.

At the suggestion of the Venerable Santithito ( see www.peacebus.com/WakingUp/) a 108 peace dove flags was set as their production target: 108 being the number of beads in a Buddhist prayer mala and each flag a prayer for peace. The goal had seemed unrealistic at first (someone estimated it was a total of 2.7 km of seaming) but the goal was accomplished with ease É and great joy. Every flags was stitched with love.

The Sewing Circle went on to sew a further 21 smaller peace flags which wedre gifted to all the participants at a valedictory garden party in Bodha Gwen's Gondwana garden on Saturday 18 September.

Bodha Gwen calls attention for the flag presentation ceremony Saturday
18 September 2004.

Bodha Gwen and friend and top sewer, Anala

Bodha Gwen and Michelle

Mascot Jali presented with his rainbow peace dove bonnet

Bodha's Wrap up Report of the First Peace Flag Sewing Circle
13 August 2004

A week after the event and for me the dust is still settling. The last few days spent returning gear left behind, cleaning up Tyagarah Hall and sweeping out threads of rainbow satin attached to seats, walls and floor of the hall.

Six weeks of commitment to the flag sewing circle finally at an end. After the first 2 weeks and only 1 flag completed, 107 to go, we were all starting to wonder if we could put it all together.

There you go we made it and it was a spectacular success. The success for me was the bonding of so many dedicated women and men who gave their time to sew 108 flags. Our patron, Chris Dean worked it out to 4.5 km of seams

Also the spectacular sight of all those flags at the peace pole, flags weaving their way through the streets and the uplifting energy of hearts open and all bringing peace to this planet. My grand daughters who paraded through the streets with me singing and waving a flag for peace.

Having achieved our goal and realised we actually had a few flags over it was unanimous that we wanted to share our joy and abundance and send some of this energy into places in the world where there is poverty, sickness, war and hardship. What better way to do it than to support Medicins Sans Frontier, Doctors Without Borders, who are out their working where there is the most need.

Our raffle raised $750. That flag will be taken to China by the 2 Chinese students who won it.

One flag will hang in Tyagarah Service Station as a memento of the commun ity involvement. Marilyn donated $120.

We hope the flag that Jan Barham bid for will one day hang in Council. Imagine a peace flag in council chambers as Byron Shire's future is debated.

Fundamental Foods took another flag. Susannah from Cape Gallery was another keen bidder. Dr Didge acquired the last flag on the condition that the next time he travels to Arnhem land he will take the flag with him allowing our peace dove to fly amongst our Northern brothers and sisters.

Our auction raised $950.

A cheque for $1600 will be forwarded to Medicins San Frontier.

What did we achieve? Well we certainly had a great day of celebration and hopefully brought an awareness of peace. We have also had a chance to look at the peace within ourselves.

My granddaughters may remember in later years dancing under the dove of peace. Our flags and bamboo may be transient, fade and return to the earth but hopefully the feelings of togetherness, the awareness of peace, love and compassion will live on.

On the front page of the Echo we had a photo of young Jali, our mascot, with a caption *The Dove Of Peace Whispers In The Ear Of The New Generation". I wonder how many young ears have heard that whisper and if that whisper will one day become a roar.

Blessings and thanks to my companions on the path.

Bodha Gwen

Bodha Gwen and Kuatrina stepping out at the Byron Peace Carnival

Bodha's Report of the First Peace Flag Sewing Circle
13 August 2004

Kuatarina and I spent 2 long afternoons on my back verandah over a tressel table, armed with scissors and a straight edge, and with lots of patience, two sore backs and lots of laughter cut the rainbow coloured satin into 500 strips to get ready for peace flag sewing.

On Friday 13th, the day of our first Sewing Circle, I was underway early. I had so much gear to take to the Hall that I had to load it into a trailer. With bamboo poles, tressel tables, sewing machines, extension cords, power boards etc etc slipping and sliding all over the place (I can't tie down a load very well) I drove slowly down to Tyagarah Hall stopping every km to adjust the wayward load.

We had a good turn up, Kuatarina, myself, Michelle, Rani, Lani, Jenny, Lynne and Nadia (who has a 22 month old baby). After much ado setting up Nadia, who had only 2 hours before getting back to her bub, sewed the first stitch of many during the day.

By 10 am the machines were whirring, bright satin material flying and we were under way, peace flags in production.

During the day we paused for cups of tea and a natter and formed a peace circle to bless our project, the circle of friends, the material and the good energy going into it.

Stephanie Forester from the Northern Star arrived to do an interview and take pictures. The entrance to the Hall was dressed with the two prototype flags Graeme and myself had sewn, the Hall itself was a blaze of coloured fabric flying, happy faces and productivity. So check out the Nth Star next week.

Radio 2LM rang and did a live interview and promised to call in each week to check on progress.

A cutting table was set up out the front and assisted by Avikal and Paul Joseph, who being blokes weren't used to their seams slipping and sliding, the final colour for the top of the flags was cut.

Nadia of Gondwana arrived at lunch time bearing her 9 weeks old baby, Jali,, and a beautiful pumpkin soup and salad. During the afternoon she ironed and helped us, her baby tucked under her arm so bringing new life to our circle of peace.

By mid afternoon most had to leave but the old troupers, Kuatarina, Lynne and myself, stayed on until 8.30 pm munching on left over salad, huddling over a heater and whizzing up and down seams.

Some of our seams may not be very straight and there may be many oversews but every stitch has been sewn with love and peace and a commitment that our beautiful flags would fly high and proud to send a message peace to the world.

Peace be with us. May our circle grow and grow and grow

More next Friday.

Blessings

Bodha Gwen
14 Ausgust 2004

Bodha's Report of the Peace Flag Sewing Circle
20 August 2004

Ten week old Jali played happily amongst the strips of satin rainbow coloured satin cut ready for sewing into peace flags. He is our inspiration, for new life, new energy, peace on our earth.

For most part of the day he slept peacefully in his pram to the whir of sewing machines, snipping scissors and the happy chatter of young women and young mothers gathered at our sewing "A Circle Of Peace" in Tyagarah Hall.

Jeff Dawson, photographer for the Byron Echo, came and loved what he saw. He took lots of shots of jali in amongst the satins framed by sewing machines.

Our goal is to sew up a mala of 108 rainbow peace flags to fly in Byron Bay to celebrate U.N. International Day of Peace on 19th September.

Two "Golden Oldies", Kuatarina and myself, lead the group. Both agree that it isn't just about sewing flags. It's about turning the angry, disempowered energy that most felt about our government's involvement in the Iraq war into peace and creativity, love and compassion for others and our environment.

For me I have a feeling of intense responsibility to future generations. I feel that our generation has been responsible for so much destruction of the environment, moral values and just plain good humanness.

I feel appalled at the state of the planet and inside me there is a loud primal scream wanting to erupt in protest to our greed and cruelty. I feel that I am up against an unstoppable force and keep wanting to fix it all.

But sanity prevails, my body is fragile and my resources are limited. We do best we can. If we want peace, we have to be the peace.

Recently at a rally calling for an ending of mandatory detention for refugees I talked to a guy who described himself as an angry old man. He told me how he had to take medication as every time he watched the TV news. Seeing our leaders committing us to wars and conflict caused his blood pressure to rise.

I wish I could find him now and say: "Give up your medication. Come and convert that energy into peace flags."

Our group decided that two of our flags will be raffled to raise money for Medicins Sans Frontiers and be drawn at our rally, Sunday 19th September.

We really need more people who can sew, cut or iron to join us 9 am Fridays at Tyagarah Hall. Ring me 66847778.

The Peace Rally will take place in Byron Bay Sunday 19th September and we welcome anyone who would like to help in the lead up or on the day to call Anne Whittingham 02 6672 3152

Photo from the front page of the Byron Shire Echo 24 Aug 2004. The head ing read: "Sweet tones of peace" and the caption: " The dove of peace whispers in the earof the next generation, ten week old baby Jali Pietramale Sewell. Jali is mascot for the Tyagarah Circle of Peace as it sets to sewing up 108 flags to celebrate UN International Day of Peace in Byron on Sunday 19 September. "It's about more than sewing" said organiser Bodha Gwen Gould. "It's about turning the angry, disempowered energy that we feel about our nations involvement in the Iraq war into peace and creativity, love and compassion for others and our environment." More peace suers/sewers wanted: ring Bodha 6684 7778." Photo courtesy of Jeff Dawson.

Bodha's Report of the Peace Flag Sewing Circle
27 August 2004

After my spin out on Thursday and a rather tearful and shaky start on Friday we had a tremendous turn out at the sewing circle - about 4 blokes cutting, ironing, measuring and around 10 very dedicated women sewers.

We now have 9 fully made flags with more than 50 almost complete.

Kuatarina, Paul and I were set up by 9 am and there was a steady flow of helpers coming and going all day. Beautiful happy creative energy

We have attracted a lot of publicity. Great article in the Nth Star a couple of weeks ago and then the front page of the Echo this week. Radio 2LM ring us every Friday afternoon and give us plenty of air time and interest. Community Service announcements are on Radio BAY-FM every day promoting the Peace Carnival and asking for helpers.

Only had about 4 or 5 have joined us as aresult of the media. Most of the helpers are friends of Kuatarina or me and members of the Gondwana Community getting behind the project. We have two very beautiful women who bring us soup and salad for lunch and at morning tea time we have a Circle of Peace to bless the project and the energy we are putting into it.

The flags are labour (of love) intensive. About 6 person hours going into each one. Our target is 108, the number of beads on a mala.

First there is the cutting of the seven rainbow stripes 1.5 meters long. Each Stripe has two seams sewing which have to be pressed each time. The peace doves all have to be cut by hand ironed on and then stitched. Then there is the joining it all together hemminh and sleeving.

Kuatarina is wonderful energy to work with and Paul's support setting up each week has taken a lot of the back breaking load off me.

Come visit our Sewing Circle and see the beautiful energy that has been created for peace at Tyagarah Hall. This is community working together in the finest way and we want to share it with you.

Blessings and may peace be with you

Gwen

Tyagarah Peace Flag Sewing Circle 10 September 2004

Happy Wheels Peace Flag sewing camp at Wedderburn, NSW 27 August 2004

Down to the business of peace, Graeme turns out Peace Flags