Alex Browne
Aug. 16 event will be marked at both the U.S.-Canada and U.S.-Mexico borders
Peace Arch Park will be one of four major cross-border locations for a Day of International Friendship on Aug. 16.
The organization Friends Across Borders is planning demonstrations across North America at both the U.S.-Canada border and the U.S. -Mexico involving artists, faith leaders, elected officials, immigrant rights advocates, environmental defenders and "everyday people committed to peace, friendship and human dignity," according to a media release.
The Peace Arch Park event, which starts at 11 a.m., has been noted as one of four locations that are "gaining critical mass," the release states.
"Canadians and Americans are meeting once again at the Peace Arch to celebrate friendship and solidarity, with speakers, music, and the 'world famous' friendship hockey handshake under the arch."
The three other notable locations for the day include the San Diego, Ca.-Tijuana, Mexico border where gatherings have been planned both for the federal lawn in central San Diego's Balboa Park and in Tijuana, where an all-day, family-friendly, free festival will feature an opening Kumeyaay blessing, music, workshops, food stands and interactive activities.
At the Laredo, Tx.-Nuevo Laredo, Mexico border a ceremony will be held on the Gateway to the Americas bridge connecting downtown Laredo to downtown Nuevo Laredo while – at the same time – a kayak paddle will start upstream on the Rio Grande international border and float under the Bridge.
And at the Vermont-Quebec border in Berkshire, Vt. and Frelighsburg, Que. adults and children will form a human chain along the U.S.-Canada border to symbolize the "urgency of defending fundamental rights" which organizers say are threatened by current U.S. administration policies.
Also featured at all the events will be a reading and sharing of a friendship pledge among participants.
"In a time of rising division, militarization, harsh tariffs, attacks on immigrants, and fear, Friends Across Borders lifts up a radical yet timeless idea: friendship," the releases states.
"We reject the narrative that seeks to turn neighbors into enemies," Friends Across Borders states.
"We affirm dignity and mutual respect across all borders and cultures," it adds.
"We reclaim the power of human connection – friendship is not weakness; it is strength."