Calgary Floating Lanterns

We are happy to invite Ms Dorothy Walker, a well known indigenous singer song writer who convey the beauty of the spirit of the first nation and create harmony with people in Calgary community.
Born of a large, musical, Metis family from Manitoba, Dorothy Mae began her public musical journey at the age of 12 yes old. Her original songs speak from the heart, of struggles, awareness, triumphs...forgiveness and moving forward to a place of peace and healing.

"This is the official event page for the upcoming Hiroshima & Nagasaki commemoration events across Canada! 🍁
We are honored that Calgary’s Lantern Peace Ceremony is included in this national lineup.
A huge thank you to Dr. Vinay Jindal for compiling these peace events. Dr. Jindal serves as the President of International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War Canada (IPPNWC) and Co-Chair of Toronto's Hiroshima Nagasaki Day Coalition (HNDC). Thank you for your leadership and dedication to peace! 🕊️
"

2026 Hiroshima Nagasaki Commemoration Events (Canada-wide) | Simpli Events This year marks the 81st Anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the devastating consequences of these weapons of mass destruction resulted in over 200, 000 deaths and launched the world into the nuclear age. As the nuclear weapons threat continues, communities Canada-wide are....

The Ploughshares Calgary Society is pulling up a chair at the Crossroad of Conversation! 💬 Stop by their table to connect with their team. For over four decades, they have worked to advance peace education, promote social justice, and advocate for a world free from nuclear weapons. As the parent organization of Calgary Floating Lanterns for Peace, they would love to hear your thoughts on building a safer, more unified world. See you there! 🕊️

We are proud to have the United Nations Association in Canada - Calgary Branch, the special sponsor of the Lantern Peace Festival, joining us at this year’s Lantern Peace Festival! Their representative will be sharing a brief, inspiring speech on global harmony and successful sustainability efforts, and you can visit their interactive "Crossroad of Conversation" table to share your thoughts on building a more peaceful world. Come connect, engage in meaningful dialogue, and discover how local action drives global change.

Come, Join, and Play Sungka, a traditional Filipino strategy game at the Children's Global Crossroad in the Event Room of the Devonian Gardens!
One of the attractions in the Children's Global Crossroad is introducing various nations' children's game traditions.
The representative from Philippine, introduce Sungka, a traditional Filipino strategy game that has been played by generations of families. Sungka uses a wooden board with small pits and shells or stones. Players take turns moving the pieces around the board using counting and strategy to collect the most pieces. More than just a game, Sungka represents Filipino values of patience, connection, and spending time together.

We are proud to invite Dr. Arthur Clark as a speaker of the Lantern Peace Festival.
Dr. Clark is a Professor Emeritus in the Cu***ng School of Medicine at the University of Calgary and the founders of the Calgary Centre for Global Community, an organization that works to build a healthy global community. As a prominent community builder, Dr. Clark has been helping many community organizations thrive in Calgary, including the Calgary Social Capital Society.
He will talk on his newly published book, Our City As A Moveable Feast For Our Time.

Please come listen to the interview with Mr. James Mathiang who was a child soldier when he was a young boy. The interview session starts at 2:20 pm in the Devonian Gardens. Afterward, James will host a conversation table to share thoughts and connect with you. Below is a part of his self introduction.

My name is James Mathiang, and I am a former child soldier and war survivor from Sudan. My journey has been marked by immense challenges and resilience. I am a proud father to three boys; two of them live in Canada, while my youngest son is currently in Cairo, Egypt, staying with his mother as refugees.

At just eight years old, I faced a life-altering experience when I sustained a gunshot wound to my left hand during a time of violence and instability in my home country. This injury resulted in a permanent deformity of my left wrist, a constant reminder of my traumatic past. I often reflect on how fortunate I am to have survived when so many young boys and girls, some as young as seven, tragically lost their lives.

Between 2000 and 2009, the governments of the United States, Australia, and Canada welcomed tens of thousands of Sudanese lost boys and girls as refugees in a compassionate effort to offer us a second chance at life. I am grateful to be one of the lost boys who was given the opportunity to immigrate to Canada. However, despite the unwavering support from local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and community churches, the lost boys and girls of Sudan faced numerous obstacles. These included financial instability, trauma from our past experiences, and a lack of accessible educational funding.

In the face of these difficulties, I, along with other survivors, made the decision to pursue an education. Our journey began with learning English as a second language as we aimed to integrate into our new communities and succeed academically. In 2011, I was honored to be admitted to the University of Calgary, where I set my sights on a degree in International Development. After years of hard work and dedication, I proudly graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2014.

We are proud to invite Right to Learn Afghanistan, a prominent and highly-inspiring Calgary-based organization that operates in official partnership with UNESCO to support girls and women in Afghanistan.
About Right to Learn Afghanistan (RLA)
Millions of Afghan women and girls are banned from attending school. RLA exists to restore their right to education. Grounded in the belief that education is a fundamental human right and a powerful tool for lasting social change, RLA’s programs reopen pathways to education and reconnect Afghan women and girls with the futures they deserve.
Since 1998, Right to Learn has trained more than 10,000 teachers, provided over 4,000 scholarships and connectivity grants, and created an online high school serving over 700 students. RLA's advocacy and award-winning programs advance gender equity and the universal right to learn.

Lantern Peace Festival hosts Crossroad of Conversation -
Come join us to share your voice to make Calgary better and healthier August 8, 1:45pm to 4pm.
Table 1: Mr. James Mathiang for further Book Talk on Education on the Road: My Journey from Child Soldier to Global Citizen (Calgary Social Capital Society)
Table 2: The Conversation on the Book “Out City As A Moving Feast For Our Time ” with Dr. Arthur Clark (Calgary Social Capital Society)
Table 3: Rights to Learn Afghanistan, Organization to help Afghan girls and women learn)
Table 4: UNAC-Calgary leading organization to make Calgary sustainable city for our fduture generations
Table 5: Ploughshares Calgary Society - Distinguished NPO to aim to build a world fee from nuclear weapons