Peacenic – a Picnic for Peace. This annual event is a popular event organised by the Council of Christians and Muslims in cooperation with the Pearl of Island Foundation and supported by the Puketepapa Local Board.

This year, the invitation was explicitly widened to include people of other faiths. So, it was great to see representatives of all Abrahamic Faiths as well as members of the Buddhist, Hindu and Baha’i communities. The event was a great opportunity for people to connect with each other in a very relaxed way. There was a true diversity of people – different religions, languages and ethnicities.
As the weather was changing between rain and sunshine, there was constant movement. If you had a seat on one of the few benches and stood up, it was likely that your seat was taken when you returned. So, you had to be ready to make space for an additional person on the bench or sit with another group. This was fun and helped to get to know more people.