Cultivating Peace
DOV in Australia

Armidale Youth Reach Out for Peace

A concert, organised by and for young people helped take forward the Decade to Overcome Violence in Armidale.  Indeed, Serendipity and Jonah, two up and coming Australian bands, performed free, as a sign of their commitment to encouraging other young people to overcome violence in our world and local community.
The 'Reach Out' concert took place on Friday 30 May, at 7pm in the Armidale High School Auditorium.  Donations were taken to raise money for the Armidale Youth Refuge and the YoungLife Youth Centre, two local organisations working to help young people in and around Armidale.

The concert was organised by local Armidale young woman Emily Ninnes, who is currently working for the National Council of Churches in Australia (NCCA) on the Decade to Overcome Violence.   Beginning with a free day conference on 24 May at Armidale Uniting Church (with speakers including Richard Torbay MP), the concert was the a conclusion of a week of peacemaking activities hosted by the NCCA in Armidale.

about the bands:
Serendipity are fast becoming known for their fresh, "new-school rock" sound, which includes positive, thought-provoking lyrics and plenty of energy.  Since forming in February 2002, they have recorded an EP and full length album, played at various music festivals and venues, schools, churches and youth groups, and now receive airplay on a variety of radio stations across the country.  Jonah (now known as Rhinosaur) meanwhile are a group of four musicians from Ballarat, whose stage show is a fast furious mix of stage antics, costumes and eclectic tunes, creating a unique style of what has been described as electro-bounce-groove with a touch of punk, ska, hip hop, pop and rock!