A Proclamation for Peace
A Proclamation for Peace joins poetry, translation, music, and film to produce a short film to be shared internationally advancing cultural exchange, education and peace. The project draws on a poem published in the book A Proclamation for Peace Translated for the World by Kim Stafford and adapted into a vocal score by Theresa Koon, sung in English, Punjabi, Ukrainian, French, Spanish, Arabic and German .
On November 8, 2026, A Proclamation for Peace will be screened for a large invited list of supporters, collaborators, cast and crew at the Portland Art Museum Whitsell Auditorium. We're excited to share this past years work and passion with the many people who helped to make it possible!
If there ever was a time to spread peace - this is it.
A short documentary of the soundtrack recording session with comments by Kim Stafford.
A Proclamation for Peace
by Kim Stafford
Whereas the world is a house on fire;
Whereas the nations are filled with shouting;
Whereas hope seems small, sometimes
a single bird on a wire
left by migration behind.
Whereas kindness is seldom in the news
and peace an abstraction
while war is real;
Whereas words are all I have;
Whereas my life is short;
Whereas I am afraid;
Whereas I am free — despite all
fire and anger and fear;
Be it therefore resolved a song
shall be my calling — a song
not yet made shall be vocation
and peaceful words the work
of my remaining days.
“This gift from Oregon to the world will inspire individual commitment to peacefulness everywhere. The poetic message of peace emanates from one Oregon bird and is carried on the wings of song and film. We are delighted to contribute to this amazing project, helping this message of peace to travel across cultural boundaries from soul to soul. Please join us in helping this vision take flight.”
- Recent donors to A Proclamation for Peace
Thanks to two generous supporters, all donations during the month of September were 100% matched until the monthly total reached $12,500!
Although the matching grant has passed, a tax deductible donation can still be made to help further this project:
Read an interview with Kim, Theresa and Ron published by Oregon Arts Watch:
Our creative team includes:
Kim Stafford, founding director of the Northwest Writing Institute at Lewis & Clark College, teaches and travels to raise the human spirit. He taught writing at Lewis & Clark College for forty years before retiring and becoming Professor Emeritus in 2020. Kim is the author of 20 books of poetry and prose and in 2018 he was named Oregon’s 9th Poet Laureate.
Theresa Koon composes music primarily for voice, emerging from an international vocal performance career including several years at the Thüringerlandestheater in Germany. Operas, song cycles and choral music provide a foundation for her musical explorations into social issues and current events.
Ron Bourke is an award winning filmmaker known for emotionally affecting insights into the immigrant experience. Previous documentaries have focused on the trauma experienced by children in the Syrian civil war and the challenges faced by young girls and families who’ve escaped the war in Somalia to forge a new life in the US. Both films have been broadcast nationally in the US on PBS and screened in numerous international film festivals..
Musicians include: Ben Tissell, Theresa Koon, Hannah Hillebrand, Sharon Fendrich, Talia Valdez, Shivani Joshi, Bhaskar Ganguly, Rita Marquez, Inna Kovtun, Lamiae Naki and Nat Hulskamp. Engineered by Tommy Hazerian at Portland’s Dead Aunt Thelma Recording Studio,
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