Peace Treaty of Portsmouth - A Spiritual Perspective Screenings for International Peace Day

In 1905 the United States hosted a peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that resulted in a peaceful end to the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict so violent it's sometimes referred to as World War Zero.

On Thursday, September 20 starting at 6:30 p.m., the documentary The Peace Treaty of Portsmouth - A Spiritual Perspective will be presented with a discussion to follow. This documentary by Amherst, NH filmmaker Don Alusic presents five years of research on the roles of spirituality and religion in that historic event which won President Theodore Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize.  This screening is offered by Wadleigh Memorial Library at 49 Nashua Street in Milford, NH. It will take place in the Keyes Meeting Room. For more information contact: Susan Amann (603-673-2408 or refdesk@wadleighlibrary.org)

There will be another screening followed by a discussion on Friday, September 21 offered by Keene Public Library at 60 Winter Street, Keene, NH starting at 6:00 p.m. Light refreshments. For more information contact Gail Zachariah (603-352-0157 or gzachariah@ci.keene.nh.us)

International Peace Day is on Friday, September 21 and special activities and celebrations will take place all across the world over the 2012 Peace Day Weekend.  For more information about International Peace Day, visit http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/.

Peace Treaty of Portsmouth Documentary at Wilton Town Hall Theatre

In 1905 the United States hosted a peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that resulted in a peaceful end to the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict so violent it’s sometimes referred to as World War Zero.

Amherst, NH filmmaker Don Alusic has spent five years researching and creating a documentary on the role spirituality and religion played in that historic event which won President Theodore Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize.
 
"The Peace Treaty of Portsmouth: A Spiritual Perspective" will be shown at Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton on Sunday August 19th at 4:30 pm as part of the Monthly Sunday Series – The Reel Story sponsored this month by Women Making a Difference. Alusic, who turned to photography, writing and filmmaking after a long career in computer marketing and program management, began thinking about the influence of faith in settling conflict when he visited the countries known today as the Czech Republic and Slovakia just before the 1989 non-violent overthrow of that nation's Communist government. He witnessed what he describes as "a growing interest in religion that led to the rebuilding of many churches and the enthusiastic attendance of mid-week church services."  

Many years later, studying the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Alusic came across the concept of multi-track diplomacy, which maintains that many official and unofficial groups and individuals, including religious and spiritual leaders, individuals and groups, are necessary to produce positive results. After completing the 58-minute documentary, Alusic concluded that "spirituality also is an essential element in resolving conflict and attaining peace in our world today."

The film documents the peace-related efforts of a number of faith communities and spiritual leaders such as the Episcopalians, Congregationalists as well as those of the Jewish community, Quakers, Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy and Sarah Farmer, founder of the Green Acre Baha’i School in Eliot, Maine. The film includes what happened in 2005 remembering the peace treaty which took on a life of its own and what this means to us today.

Admission is free and this event is open to the public. Donations are welcome. For more information about the sponsoring group email info@wmdnh.org or visit www.wmdnh.org. For information about the film email info@peaceofportsmouthspiritual.com or visit: www.peaceofportsmouthspiritual.com. For information on the theatre email dennism@wiltontownhalltheatre.com or visit www.wiltontownhalltheatre.com.

Peace Treaty of Portsmouth Documentary at Cathedral of the Pines

In 1905 the United States hosted a peace conference in Portsmouth, New Hampshire that resulted in a peaceful end to the Russo-Japanese War, a conflict so violent it’s sometimes referred to as World War Zero.

Amherst, NH filmmaker Don Alusic has spent five years researching and creating a documentary on the role spirituality and religion played in that historic event which won President Theodore Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize.
 
"The Peace Treaty of Portsmouth: A Spiritual Perspective" will be presented at Cathedral of the Pines on Thursday May 31 at 7:00 pm as part of the Cathedral’s Sunset Series. Alusic, who turned to photography, writing and filmmaking after a long career in computer marketing and program management, began thinking about the influence of faith in settling conflict when he visited the countries known today as the Czech Republic and Slovakia just before the 1989 non-violent overthrow of that nation's Communist government. He witnessed what he describes as "a growing interest in religion that led to the rebuilding of many churches and the enthusiastic attendance of mid-week church services."  

Many years later, studying the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Alusic came across the concept of multi-track diplomacy, which maintains that many official and unofficial groups and individuals, including religious and spiritual leaders, individuals and groups, are necessary to produce positive results. After completing the 58-minute documentary, Alusic concluded that "spirituality also is an essential element in resolving conflict and attaining peace in our world today."

The film documents the peace-related efforts of Christian denominations such as the Episcopalians and the Congregationalists, as well as those of the Jewish community, Quakers, Christian Science founder Mary Baker Eddy and Sarah Farmer, founder of the Green Acre Baha’i School in Eliot, Maine.

This event is free and open to the public. For more information about this presentation, and upcoming Sunset Series presentations, contact Cathedral of the Pines at 603.899.3300 or info@cathedralofthepines.org. Visit the Cathedral website at www.cathedralofthepines.org.

Cathedral of the Pines’ educational programs and public events honor service to the Nation by promoting peace, interfaith understanding, and respect for the natural environment.

Published Article

Here is a pointer to an on-line article that appeared in the Encore section of The Telegraph (Nashua, NH) recently about why and how the documentary was made: (http://bit.ly/xSH2E7)

Peace RoundTable Spiritual Blog

This blog provides examples of seeing peace come to the world step by step using spiritual/religious approaches. (www.peaceroundtablespiritual.org). Check out blog posts titled “Elisha, Master Peacemaker and Angels for Today” and “Prayer Warriors Make a Difference.” You are welcome to contribute experiences to it. If you're interested in receiving an email with new posts, you can subscribe using the E-mail Subscription feature on the right side of the blog

Role of Faith in Portsmouth Peace Treaty Explored in a Documentary Film at On-Line Festival “Spirit Enlightened” Beginning on December 16th

Portsmouth NH (December 15, 2011) -- Don Alusic believes that faith and prayers contributed to the success of the 1905 Portsmouth Peace Treaty between Russia and Japan.
 
The Amherst, NH filmmaker has spent five years researching and creating a documentary on the role spirituality and religion played in that historic event which won President Theodore Roosevelt a Nobel Peace Prize.
 
"The Peace Treaty of Portsmouth: A Spiritual Perspective" will be one of films presented in “Spirit Enlightened,” an on-line film festival offered by Culture Unplugged (www.cultureunplugged.com) beginning on December 16th and continuing until June 2012. The festival efforts are driven by a socio-spiritual mission serving citizens around the globe. The audience consists of not only global citizens, but also professors, students, activists, journalists, anthropologists etc. along with the film-makers/producers, who identify talent across borders for present or future collaborations. To date, since the launch of the first online film festival in 2008, Culture Unplugged festivals have been visited by more than 18 million people from 38000+ cities across 231+ countries/territories. 

Alusic, who turned to photography, writing and filmmaking after a long career in computer marketing and program management, began thinking about the influence of faith in settling conflict when he visited the countries known today as the Czech Republic and Slovakia just before the 1989 non-violent overthrow of that nation's Communist government. He witnessed what he describes as "a growing interest in religion that led to the rebuilding of many churches and the enthusiastic attendance of mid-week church services."  

Many years later, studying the Portsmouth Peace Treaty, Alusic came across the concept of multi-track diplomacy, which maintains that many official and unofficial groups and individuals, including religious and spiritual leaders, individuals and groups, are necessary to produce positive results. After completing the 58-minute documentary, Alusic concluded that "spirituality also is an essential element in resolving conflict and attaining peace in our world today."

During his research Alusic discovered the lead Russian negotiator kept a journal that included his spiritual reflections. The delegates and proceedings were supported by Sarah Farmer of the Green Acre Baha'i School in Eliot, ME, and were the focus of the prayers of Christian Science Discoverer Mary Baker Eddy and the church she founded. Portsmouth churches collectively rang their bells when the treaty was signed and organized a special thanksgiving service immediately after the signing.
For background on the development of the documentary or to order a copy, see http://www.peaceofportsmouthspiritual.com

Here is a link to the film. (http://www.cultureunplugged.com/documentary/watch-online/play/8656/The-Peace-Treaty-of-Portsmouth---A-Spiritual-Perspective-)

For more information contact:
Stephanie Seacord
603.772.1835
sseacord@lemd.com