Emily A. Howald

Love without power is ineffective. Power without love is brutality. Conflict and injustice are commonly approached as mental, emotional, spiritual, political, cultural and historical in nature. However, the body’s responses are crucial and often ignored. When people are threatened or hurt, they naturally go into fight/flight physiology, but this will hijack the rational mind and the compassionate heart and move people toward opposition and violence. Earthdance Ohio is pleased to present Aikido instructor Paul Linden, Ph.D., presenting “Body-Based Conflict Resolution & Peacemaking” from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, in Peale Chapel on the third floor of Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton Williams Campus Center, 40 Rowland Ave., Delaware. Aikido is a non-violent martial art, in which people practice receiving attacks in a spirit of respect. Based on his 47 years of experience in Aikido, Linden has developed simple, rapid methods of overcoming our aggressive reflexes. His presentation will start with a 15-minute Aikido demonstration, showing how a martial  art can function as a study of peace. That will be followed by 45 minutes of audience participation, in which participants will learn simplified body-based peacemaking methods. At 8 p.m., participants will join all other Earthdance events around the world for the synchronized Prayer for Peace. Wednesday, Sept. 21, is the International Day of Peace. People of all ages are invited to come and learn, and pray for peace. There is no cost for admission. Earthdance Ohio is a project of the Leslie Center for Peace and Justice in Ohio Wesleyan’s Office of the University Chaplain. It is sponsored by the Delaware Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, and is made possible by the gifts of many volunteers.eace.