Chaminade University’s 12th annual Hawaii International Forgiveness Day will focus on the theme of "Silence and Forgiveness."
The event, set for 2 to 5 p.m. Aug. 3 in the Kaimuki area university’s Mystical Rose Oratory, will be a "celebration of the power of forgiveness and its origins in silence," and an attempt to draw hundreds of people "into a sincere, reflective silence," said organizer Michael North in a news release.
Complimentary reserved tickets are available now, at www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org/reservations.
"During our 12 years of monthly meetings and annual celebrations, we have shared our experience of situations that are ‘impossible’ to forgive, within our community and worldwide," North said.
"Speakers join us each month, helping to experience their own personal processes. Their insights guide us on less-traveled paths, so we always discover deeper places within ourselves, with an increased sense of compassion and gratitude. We see the human need to forgive, and the fundamental ways in which we are all connected.
"International Forgiveness Day is celebrated in more than 80 countries, on the first Sunday of August, and the event in Hawaii is one of the largest. We have invited five Silence Guides to our 2014 festival, each from a different tradition or discipline. Each will present his or her unique entry points into the universal state of silence.
"Our guides draw their inspiration and their daily practice from the original Hawaiian tradition, the Christian faith, the Buddhist faith, the art of dance and the art of music," North said.
Heroes of Forgiveness Recognition Awards and Art Awards will be presented and displayed. Visit www.hawaiiforgivenessproject.org or call 521-9222.