But isn’t that what nonviolence is really all about? The festival is a unity of people, places, and things. It is an outreach to the community as a whole and says *‘let’s do this in a way that brings a togetherness of people.’* And where better to host it than on Roos Island, Victoria Park in the heart of downtown Kitchener.

I sat with team leaders, Nikki Proctor and Matt Albrecht at Queen Street Commons last month to discuss the festival this year. I learned two things quickly – that a: The Nonviolence Festival is an organization that holds events through-out the entire year. And b: that many people associate the term Nonviolence with protesting. It’s the mission, however, of the Nonviolence festival team to dispel these concepts and remind people that Nonviolence is a lifestyle – not just a term.

Despite some recent changes to the bi-laws of the city which govern the noise on the island, all seems to be going as planned for the 2011 Day in the Park event. It was obvious that these two passionate people were ready to give back to Kitchener-Waterloo yet another year of activities, demonstrations and music for people yearning to really get that word *‘peace’*.

*“We were very limited this year,”* Albrecht says cautiously. *“The stage this year is unplugged because you can’t have a p.a. on the island.”* But he adds that will not stop the music or the demonstrations. *“We will have steel drums and bigger acts,”* he says adding, *“There will be some music. We’ll still use the main stage for things like yoga demonstration and tai chi.”*

The festival runs simply from noon until 6:00pm and is chock-full of incredible events for people of all ages to enjoy. *“There will be a children’s area that will include games, crafts, face painting and storytelling (which is new this year),”* says Proctor.* “There are also over 20 community groups represented who all are affiliated with peace and nonviolence. There will be art displays by local artists as well as vendors.”*

*“This is the event that started it all,”* adds Albrecht explaining that the first Nonviolence Day in the Park was held in Waterloo Park back in 2005. *“There were only about 100 people that day, but they said that we should be doing it again the following year.”* The Nonviolence movement in Kitchener/Waterloo was not only hatched as a festival, but began incorporating events through-out the year including a Peace Walk and the Human Peace Sign. *“We are affiliated with World Without Wars and Violence,”* Albrecht explains.

*“Without a doubt, all of our events are about raising awareness of non-violence,”* he says. *“I don’t think people have a concept of it. When you say ‘peace’ you can think of a lot of different meanings for ‘peace’. But nonviolence has been seen as a form of protest. Through our work in the last 7 years we have found that nonviolence is a way of being in the world. You can act one of two ways – you can act violently or not,”* he finishes adding they teach *“Treating people the way you want to be treated.”*

What’s further impressive about the Nonviolence Festival is that it’s comprised of volunteers working on a zero budget and reliant of community support. *“The first day in the park was run by two volunteers,”* Albrecht confesses. *“But then there were three people, and then four and then it built up. Some people come and some people go, but that’s how it works.”*

*“We have about a four to eight core group,”* Proctor puts in. *“And some people come in and say that they want to this event or that event which we support. We’re very small and very self-sufficient. Small but mighty.”* The team meets Tuesdays at 7:00pm at the Queen Street Commons and consistently invite people to join their cause.

*“The region has been really great,”* Albrecht continues. *“Advertising is a real way to make money and businesses like to support Nonviolence. They like to put their name to that.”*

The festival has consistently grown over the years, partially due to the location of Victoria Park. *“The island is a perfect spot,”* Proctor says explaining much of the traffic is from people walking through. *“We’ve peaked at a thousand,”* Albrecht finishes.

Albrecht’s passion for the movement and the festival is difficult to translate to paper. He beams as he talks about the growth of the organization over the past seven years, reminiscing a time when he recognized a real need for change. *“I saw things need to be done differently, I needed to act differently and find a way to bring people together,”* he says. *“Those (original) two volunteers – me and my brother – were asking ourselves deep inside what do we do?”*

And of course the answer was this weekend’s 7th year celebration of Nonviolence. *“The best part of the day is that it’s just fun,”* Proctor says. *“It’s coming out and having a picnic, hearing some music, enjoying the music. The reason I’m involved is that I came to the festival and had such a great day”*

*”Our festival is unique because ours has the aspect of awareness as well as celebrations. Other festivals just don’t have that combination. This is what makes it so special.”*