Be Peace - Be Hope

🕊️ Walking for Peace, Together 🕊️

This Sunday, September 27, over a hundred people and counting will come together at Hermann Park for the 21st Annual Walk for Peace, not simply to walk, but to make a visible choice for peace, connection, and our shared humanity.

At Be Peace - Be Hope, we believe that peace begins within each of us, but it grows through what we choose to do together. Every conversation, every relationship, every act of compassion and solidarity can become a small step toward the kind of world we want our children and young people to inherit.

We are deeply grateful to join the Eternal Gandhi Museum Houston, its partners, volunteers, families, young people, and community members for this beautiful Houston tradition.

And this year, there is a little extra fun: come dressed as your favorite hero or changemaker, because changemakers come in every age, every story, and every form. ❤️

📅 Sunday, September 27, 2026
📍 McGovern Centennial Gardens at Hermann Park – Gandhi Statue
🕘 Gathering begins at 9:00 AM
🚶 Walk begins at 9:40 AM
🌿 A relaxed 40–45 minute walk-and-talk loop
You can register using the QR code in the poster below.

Come walk beside an old friend. Meet someone new. Bring your children. Share a conversation. Carry a hope.

Because peace is not only something we wish for.

It is something we practice, nurture, and build, one step, one person, and one community at a time.

It's going to be a wonderful morning helping to spread the message of peace, love, truth and service 🕊️☮️🥳 Thanks for sharing and helping to get the word out!

We hope to walk with you. 💛🌍🕊️

On this International Day of Peace, September 21, I am thinking of every child who longs to feel safe, every family carrying worry, and every person quietly trying to keep hope alive. 🕊️

Peace begins in the moments when we listen, offer kindness, and help someone feel they belong. It grows when young people know their voices matter and that they do not have to face life’s challenges alone.

This is the heart of Be Peace – Be Hope, and my deepest wish: that the children we reach today will carry a little more peace within them and share it with the world.

What a meaningful moment for Be Peace - Be Hope 💛

I am deeply grateful to John Bernhard, visionary Founder and Chief Editor of ArtHouston Magazine, for opening the pages of this beautiful publication to our story and for giving us the opportunity to share a piece of the journey behind Be Peace – Be Hope.
For more than a decade, our work has been rooted in a simple belief: that every person carries within them the potential for hope, resilience, connection, and positive change, and that art, creativity, education, mindfulness, and human connection can help bring that potential to life.

Thank you, John, for your friendship, your support, and for believing that stories of purpose and social impact also belong within the world of art and culture.
The article itself explores one of the newest chapters of this journey: EsperHope by Be Peace - Be Hope™, our educational video game and learning ecosystem for young people developed in partnership with Gaming Campus, Secours populaire, Secours populaire 13, Copain du Monde 13, Zeneduc, Know Your Neuro, Jegayo, Rotary Club of Cypress Fairbanks, and Rotary District 5890 Youth Interact. I’ll be sharing much more about EsperHope in a separate post very soon. 🎮🌱

For today, I simply want to celebrate and say thank you for giving Be Peace – Be Hope and its partners this wonderful platform and helping our mission reach new people and new communities.
I invite you to discover the article (page 52-55), and the many inspiring artists and stories featured throughout this issue of ArtHouston Magazine.
https://issuu.com/johnbernhard/docs/arthouston_magazine_23

Campus, populaire, , , ,

ArtHouston magazine#23 Dive into our extensive resources on the topic that interests you. It's like a masterclass to be explored at your own pace.

💚 A heartfelt thank you to the Asian American Youth Giving Circle for their incredible support of Be Peace – Be Hope and for joining us at HOPE:ON.

Their generous grant is helping support Be Peace – Be Hope and ECDC-HMC programs and projects that empower young people to strengthen their well-being, build confidence and life skills, and create deeper opportunities for connection, belonging, and positive action.

But their support went beyond the grant.

We were also so grateful to welcome members of the AAYGC community at HOPE:ON, where they connected with participants and helped bring even more people into the energy and spirit of the day.

That kind of presence matters. HOPE:ON was created not only to raise support, but also to bring people and communities together around a shared purpose: helping young people grow, connect, discover their potential, and recognize the positive impact they can have on others.

Thank you, Asian American Youth Giving Circle, for believing in this work, investing in young people, and showing up alongside us. We are deeply grateful to have you as part of this journey. 💚

Together, we can turn hope into action.

🎮💚 A huge thank you to Game Guys for being such incredible hosts for HOPE:ON, and to Eric Atticus for capturing these moments so beautifully through his photography.

What stood out to us throughout the entire experience was how genuinely welcoming and community-minded the Game Guys team is. They have created a space where people of different ages and backgrounds can come together, feel safe, play, connect, and simply be themselves — and that spirit was felt throughout HOPE:ON.

A very special thank you to Jordan, who made coordination so easy from start to finish and helped bring together so many moving pieces behind the scenes. We are also incredibly grateful to the entire Game Guys team for their flexibility, energy, support, and willingness to jump in wherever needed throughout the day.

And a special shoutout to Clutch City Bladers, who brought an amazing Beyblade community and so much excitement to the event!

One of the things we loved most about HOPE:ON was seeing how naturally gaming, creativity, and human connection can come together.

Competition turned into conversations.
Games sparked new friendships.
Creativity flowed from gaming into art, expression, and meaningful exchanges throughout the day.

This is at the heart of what we are building at Be Peace – Be Hope: creating spaces where young people can connect, discover their strengths, express themselves, and experience what it means to belong and contribute.

Thank you, Game Guys, for helping us create a space where all of that could happen — and for everything you continue to bring to Houston’s gaming community.

And thank you to all of our partners, volunteers, young people, families, and supporters who helped us turn HOPE:ON. 💚

With ENGIE – I just got recognized as one of their top fans! 🎉

⚔️ A huge thank you to Texas Armored Combat for being part of HOPE:ON and bringing such incredible energy to the event!

The crowd absolutely loved the demonstration, the cheers were loud, the reactions were amazing, and the experience added such a unique and memorable moment to the day.

Beyond the excitement, it was also a powerful reminder of the deeper values often associated with knights: courage, discipline, respect, teamwork, protection, and service to something greater than oneself.

At HOPE:ON, these values connect deeply with our message of peace and hope. Peace is not passive, it takes courage, self-control, respect, and the choice to use our strength in service of others. Hope grows when young people see that strength can be guided by purpose, kindness, and community.

Thank you for showing up, sharing your passion, and helping create a fun, meaningful, and unforgettable experience for everyone who attended. 💚

A huge thank you to Cloud9 for being part of HOPE:ON and for helping us bring even more excitement, energy, and smiles to our community. ☁️💚

Cloud9 generously sent us a collection of merch and goodies that we were able to give directly to the young people and community members who joined us throughout the event.

Several items became part of our community raffle, giving attendees the chance to take home something special while being part of a day centered around gaming, connection, well-being, life skills, and hope.

And the support didn’t stop there. 🔥

The Game Guys Beyblade tournament organized the same day with Clutch City Bladers brought together 75 participants and became one of the most energetic moments of HOPE:ON. And thanks to Cloud9, the Top 4 competitors also received special Cloud9 prizes to celebrate their performance.

Seeing the excitement around the tournament, the raffle, and the prizes captured so much of what HOPE:ON and Be Peace – Be Hope is about: creating memorable experiences, bringing people together, and giving young people spaces where they can play, connect, learn life skills, challenge themselves, and simply enjoy being part of a community.

We are also very grateful to Cloud9 for supporting HOPE:ON through its social platforms and helping amplify the event beyond those who could physically be there. Having an organization with such a strong presence in gaming and esports believe in what we are building means a great deal to us.

We are incredibly grateful for Cloud9’s generosity, trust, and belief in what we are building. As we continue exploring how gaming can support connection, youth well-being, life skills, and positive community impact, we look forward to discovering what might be possible together.

Thank you, Cloud9. ☁️💚

PLAY. GIVE. EMPOWER. TURN HOPE ON.

💚 THANK YOU FOR TURNING HOPE ON WITH US.
HOPE:ON was never meant to be just one event. It was about bringing together people, organizations, creators, businesses, volunteers, and families who believe that gaming, creativity, education, and community can become powerful forces for good, supporting young people’s well-being, strengthening life skills, and helping shape a stronger future.

To everyone who helped bring our first HOPE :ON to life: thank you!

💛 A huge thank you to our Be Peace - Be Hope team, staff, Board members, advisors, sponsors, volunteers—including Neo Garnier, Diana Vasquez, Cynthia Joelle, William V. Flores, Stefania Archambeau, John Bernhard, Sacha Lazarre, Thierry Simien, Nikki Suarez, Schlagbauer and Lina Corinth—and everyone who worked behind the scenes for months to turn this vision into reality, and who showed up so beautifully on the day of the event to bring it to life
🌍 ECDC Houston Multicultural Center — thank you for being such an important part of our Be Peace – Be Hope family, just as we are proud to be part of yours, and for being being an important part of HOPE:ON. A heartfelt thank you to your entire team for volunteering, coordinating, welcoming families, and bringing so much energy, generosity, and heart to the event.
🧠 Know Your Neuro — thank you for joining this adventure and helping us connect brain health, prevention, education, and youth well-being to the HOPE:ON and Be Peace – Be Hope mission.
🎮 Game Guys Entertainment, and especially Jordan — thank you for being incredible hosts, for supporting the coordination of the event from the beginning, and for everything you continue to do to build a safe, welcoming, and truly special gaming community in Houston.
☁️ Cloud9 Esports, and especially Halee — thank you for supporting HOPE:ON, helping amplify the event through your platforms, and providing gifts that we were able to give back directly to the community.
💛 Asian American Youth Giving Circle — thank you for showing up, for your financial support, and most importantly for supporting the work of Be Peace – Be Hope with genuine heart and belief in our young people.
⚙️ Rotary District 5890 and Youth Interact, and especially PDG Dr. Tom Kelchner, Emi Chemat, and Pelo, Maria and Pranitha — thank you for your continued and steadfast support of Be Peace – Be Hope and EsperHope™, and for believing in the work, the vision, and what we are building for young people.
🍽️ Avesta Persian & Middle Eastern Restaurant — thank you for your generous in-kind food donation and for helping us welcome and care for our community throughout the day.
🦷 Home Dental Clinic — thank you for the snack donation, for showing up, and for being part of the event with us.
💻 Jegayo, and especially Flore Thevoux — thank you for your work on the EsperHope™ website and for helping us give the project a digital home as we move toward launch.
🎨 ArtHouston Magazine and especially John Bernhard — thank you for featuring our work around EsperHope™. We are excited to share much more very soon.
🎥 LuluLuvely and Ninjayla — thank you for taking time from your communities and platforms to support this cause, raise awareness, and advocate for the young people and families behind HOPE:ON and the three organizations. And a very special thank you to Johnny for being absolutely amazing throughout the coordination process and helping make the creator side of the event possible.
🎒 Texas HealthTech Institute — thank you for the backpack donations that we were able to give directly to young people and families in the communities we serve.
⚡ ENGIE — thank you for financially supporting the work and helping us continue turning ideas into opportunities for young people.
🛡️ VETS Pro Security Services — thank you for providing professional security coverage pro bono and helping us create a safe environment for everyone who attended.

And finally, thank you to every volunteer, every family, every young person, every professional, every creator, every guest who walked through the doors, and every person who watched the streams, shared the campaign, or donated.
You are what made HOPE:ON possible.

And this is only the beginning.
The work continues through Be Peace – Be Hope, ECDC Houston Multicultural Center, Know Your Neuro, EsperHope by Be Peace - Be Hope™, and the growing community of people who believe that gaming, creativity, education, and human connection can become powerful forces for positive change, supporting young people’s well-being, strengthening life skills, and helping shape a stronger future.

💚 Play. Give. Empower. Turn HOPE ON.