In Conversation with Ruth Patterson

The excitement is building for tomorrow’s “Pathways to Peace” talk by Ruth Patterson.

A few weeks ago we sent Ruth a few questions about her memories of Vancouver, her work and her hopes for this event.  Here’s her reply:

1.  When were you last in Vancouver?

I was last in Vancouver c. 2000 when I was speaking at a peace conference in Victoria and spent a few days looking up old haunts and old acquaintances.

2. What are your memories of working in Vancouver’s downtown eastside?

I have many wonderful memories of the summer of 1967 and I still keep in relatively close touch with some of the people who were on that pilot project with me.  It was a time of great openness, freedom and social consciousness.  I think that one of the things that had been growing within me prior to the Vancouver experience became solidly rooted in me over that summer, namely that if the Church was to mean anything to people then it could not be isolated from the real world in a cozy holy huddle but had to be totally present to where people lived and worked (or not as the case may be) and suffered.  This was all good training as I went back to Ireland a year later to the ‘surprise’ of civic unrest and open violence.

3. What are your hopes in coming back to Vancouver?

I have come back to Vancouver at the invitation of L’Arche Canada and am so happy to do so.  Jean Vanier is one of Canada’s most famous sons.

He has inspired generations of people, young people especially, through the movements of L’Arche and Faith and Light, to be present to the poor, the little and the broken of this earth and to the poor and broken bits within ourselves and to point to the way of hope and peace that starts in little ways of building community and recognising the beauty in each person.  My hope would be that, in some small way, the remarkable work and witness of such movements would be highlighted and encouraged by this visit.

4.  Who do you think are shaping effective messages of peace in today’s world?

There are so many, largely unheralded, who are shaping effective messages of peace in today’s world.  In every situation of conflict you will find them, willing to put their lives where words have been for far too long, quietly and effectively bearing witness to the outrageous hope within them that peace is possible.  They look for no recognition and they have learned the amazing truth that it is often in the day of small things that the most effective peace is forged.

5. Any other comments?

I am simply coming to share some of the things that have been helpful and sometimes painfully learned in a conflict and post-conflict situation.

I cannot and would not tell anyone what they ‘should’ be doing but only point to what has worked for us.  And for anything that has worked and for those remarkable people who have made it possible – thanks be to God.

Tickets to this free event are still available by calling 604-435-9544 or by clicking here.

Answer this riddle:

What does an artist from New York, a Presbyterian Minister from Ireland and a non-profit organization in Vancouver (which originated in France) have in common?

The answer to this riddle is… me!

I’d like to officially introduce myself, my name is Yuki Ihara and I am the Fund Development Assistant for L’Arche Greater Vancouver. My role includes supporting our Director of Fund Development such as helping with communications, campaigns and special events, and eating all the cookies baked by the members of our Emmaus Day Program. One of our main tasks that we were working on recently (out of many!) was promoting our upcoming event Pathways to Peace: A Public Talk with Ruth Patterson. We were looking for someone to design the poster for us and I knew exactly who to ask – Kaori Ihara, my older sister in New York and artist who graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design.

Kaori (left) and I in New York

Art has always been an important part of my sister’s life. I remember I once found a drawing from when Kaori was in elementary school and I thought it had summed up her personality beautifully. The assignment for the drawing was “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and the students were to draw their response along with a short explanation. While I imagine other students drew firefighters, pro athletes, teachers etc, she drew a tree with long branches and lots of leaves and wrote “I want to be a tree so everyone can rest and relax in the shade”. When she was younger, she was pretty shy but art was her way of expressing herself. This drawing captured her compassion, generosity and how she is always looking for ways to help others. When I asked her to design our event poster she responded with excitement and was happy to take on this task for us. Moreover, she agreed to design the poster pro bono.

She has also helped design our posters in the past. Here is the poster she designed for our Christmas Benefit Concert last year (she was able to do this within an hour!).

Thank you Kaori for being such a wonderful sister to me and a great friend to L’Arche.

Kaori currently works for Heartsong, a non-profit organization that runs a creative arts therapy program in New York. You can learn more about the organization and view some of the posters she designed for them here https://www.facebook.com/pages/Heartsong/171081712939234?fref=ts

Contributed by Yuki Ihara, L’Arche Greater Vancouver

Ruth Patterson Talk – This Week!

In just a few days we’ll be able to hear Ruth’s “Pathways to Peace” talk.  Some people at L’Arche have heard her when she presented with Jean Vanier in Trosly, France and they are excited about seeing her again.  For those who haven’t heard Ruth speak before, here’s a glimpse of her speaking at Spiritfest 2013 in Northern Ireland.

Pathways to Peace

A Public Talk by Ruth Patterson

Friday May 24, 2013

7:30 pm

Old Auditorium at UBC.

This is a free event but because of limited seating tickets need to be reserved in advance.  Get info about tickets here.

How Can We Be Peacemakers?

Pathways to Peace

L’Arche Greater Vancouver and the Vancouver School of Theology invite you to “Pathways to Peace”, a free public talk given by Ruth Patterson on Friday May 24, 2013.

Ruth is an international speaker and author who has close ties with L’Arche and often presents with Jean Vanier in France. She is the first woman to be ordained in Ireland and is the Director of Restoration Ministries, an interdenominational organization that seeks to promote peace, reconciliation and healing.

In 1966 she was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to the University of Toronto, Canada, where she studied at the Graduate School of Social Work and received a Masters’ in Social Work in 1968.  She returned to Northern Ireland at the beginning of the civil unrest and worked in Queen’s University Chaplaincy for three years, after which she went to Edinburgh University where she did her theological training, at the same time applying to be a candidate for the ministry of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland.

In 1974 she obtained a First Class Honours in Ecclesiastical History.  In 1976 she was the first woman to be ordained in Ireland.  Throughout the height of the conflict in Northern Ireland she worked for fourteen years in ministry in a large loyalist housing estate.  From 1991 she has been full time Director of Restoration Ministries.  Ruth was awarded, ‘The University of Edinburgh/Royal Bank of Scotland Alumna of the Year Award 2000’.  In May 2001 Ruth received an Honorary Doctorate from the Presbyterian Theological Faculty of Ireland.  In January 2003 Ruth was awarded the Order of the British Empire for her work in reconciliation.

Her writings include A Farther Shore (recounting her own journey in prose and verse), Journeying Towards Reconciliation – A Song for Ireland, Proclaiming the Promise – Reflections on the God of Love and Looking Back to Tomorrow – A Spirituality for Between the Times

This is a FREE event but due to limited seating tickets must be reserved in advance. Order your free tickets here or by calling 604-435-9544.

The Fourth Annual Art of Being Together

On Saturday, March 9^th L’Arche Greater Vancouver presented its fourth annual Art of Being Together art exhibit and fundraiser. Held at the beautiful Nikkei Museum and Cultural Centre, the exhibit featured three galleries: The Art Together Gallery, Finalists Gallery and the Honourable Mentions Gallery. The Art Together Gallery showed paintings created by L’Arche members with and without developmental disabilities. The Finalists and Honourable Mentions were chosen by our art judges, Janice Robertson, Alan Wylie and Linda Muttit. While guests examined the artwork in the lobby to music performed by pianist Lily Xu, guitarist Ivan Dimitov and the Sheldon Leung Jazz Trio, they were also asked to vote for their favorite painting. As the Jazz Trio wrapped things up for us in the lobby, Tetsu Taiko’s reverberating drums invited the guests to the hall where the awards winners were  announced.

The artists selected for the Finalists Gallery were eligible to win the Judge’s Choice Award and the People’s Choice Award. This year, for the first time in Art of Being Together shows, both the Judge’s Choice and People’s Choice were awarded to the same artist.

Congratulations to Hu Jun (Caesar) for winning the People’s Choice and Judge’s Choice awards! Here is a photo of Hu Jun with the winning painting titled “Twins”:

This year, we asked artists to submit artwork inspired by the theme of “Me and My Community”. Hu Jun’s painting was inspired by the closest form of community – family. His artist statement reads:

“Daughters are so important in the family. When I watch the twins in pink [with their] golden hair flying in the breeze, riding the bicycle and pass by me, this image awakens my responsibility of being a father [and] that I should ensure her safety of crossing the road every time.“

Hu Jun is a graduate of the Central Fine Art Institution in Beijing. He immigrated to Canada in 2007 and has shown his work in exhibitions all over the world including China, London, New York and Las Vegas. This was his first year submitting artwork to the Art of Being Together.

We would also like to congratulate our honourable mentions and finalists for being chosen to show their work at our exhibit.

This year’s Honourable Mentions

This year’s finalists

The Art of Being Together is an art exhibit but it is first and foremost a celebration of community and togetherness. On the other end of the Nikkei Centre, the hall was filled with fun activities for everyone in the family to enjoy.

Jane Appleby led the Community Art Project in which guests and volunteers participated in creating a painting together. The finished piece titled “My Community Rocks!” was gifted to our neighbour, St. Michael’s Centre.

Our MC, Gary Begin with Community Art Project and Planning Committee Volunteers Joanne Dennis and Jane Appleby gifting the painting to St. Michael’s Centre.

This year’s silent auction was the largest yet and raised over $3,500 thanks to our generous contributors. Items ranged from Canucks tickets, sailing trips, yoga pass, SHAW HD PVR and a variety of gift baskets.

Inspired by the Nikkei Centre’s display of origami cranes in the lobby, L’Arche also had an Origami Station this year. Art teacher, Sheila Chowdhury taught our guests how to fold origami boats.

   

For more pictures and info about the Art of Being Together, visit our Facebook page (www.fb.com/taobt)

Thank you again to all of our contributors, volunteers and guests for making the Fourth Annual Art of Being Together a success.

Pathways to Peace – An Evening with Ruth Patterson

On Friday, May 24 L’Arche Greater Vancouver in partnership with the Vancouver School of Theology will host an evening with Ruth Patterson.

Rev Dr Ruth Patterson OBE is a Presbyterian minister and is currently Director of Restoration Ministries, an interdenominational organization seeking to promote peace, reconciliation and healing.  In 1976 she was the first woman to be ordained in Ireland. Throughout the height of the conflict in Northern Ireland she worked for fourteen years in ministry.  Her university experience includes Queen’s University Belfast where she received a BA in Spanish and Politics in 1965 and a Diploma in Social work.  In 1966 she was awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to the University of Toronto where she received a Masters in Social Work.  She did her theological training in Edinburgh University and obtained First Class Honours in Ecclesiastical History.  In 2003 she was awarded an Order of the British Empire for her work in reconciliation.

Ruth has close links with Jean Vanier and has spoken at many events for L’Arche, Faith and Light and Faith and Sharing.  Her writings include A Farther Shore, Journeying Towards Reconciliation – a Song for Ireland, Proclaiming the Promise – Reflections on the God of Love and Looking Back to Tomorrow – A Spirituality for Between the Times. Her talk, “Pathways to Peace” will invite listeners to reflect on forgiveness and reconciliation, as a journey towards peacemaking both personally and in our world.

Event Date and Time:      Friday, May 24, 2013 7:30 pm

Venue:                                UBC Old Auditorium, 6344 Memorial Road Vancouver

This is a free event however tickets will be necessary to reserve your spot. Freewill offering will be taken to cover the costs of the evening and support the work of L’Arche.  

Order your tickets here today.

The first 50 people get a free gift at this year’s Art of Being Together

Only 3 more sleeps until L’Arche’s fourth annual Art of Being Together. We’re busy organizing artwork, inventorying silent auction items, making lists, and … (a little drum roll here) packing up 50 free gifts for the first 50 people who come in the door this Saturday March 9, 2013 at the National Nikkei Museum and Heritage Centre 6688 Southoak Cresc. in Burnaby.  Doors open at 1:00.  Presentations of awards start at 4:00.

Bring the whole family.  Vote for the People’s Choice award, enjoy fabulous live music, bid in a silent auction, help create a piece of community art, get your picture taken in the L’Arche  Photo Boat and fold some paper at our new origami station.

Admission is by donation (min. $5).