A Hartford Community Project Promotes Culture of Peace
an article by Roxanne Tonn

This week I took a college course called Cultural and Global Perspectives. The theme of the class was the culture of peace, human rights, and preserving the earth’s ecological system for future generations. To learn more about what people are doing to promote peace our teacher introduced us to a number of different speakers who are doing their part. All of the speakers were very engaging but one person really stood out. His name is Luis Edgardo Cotto, and he and his sisters own the La Paloma Sabanera café in Hartford, CT.

The La Paloma Sabanera café is a coffee shop and bookstore in the heart of Hartford. Nothing too amazing, right? What is amazing about this place is the people who run it, and the work they are trying to do in their community. Through their little coffee shop they are working to bring a community together.

During our visit to the café Luis talked about growing up in Hartford. He told us about the many different cultures within the town of Hartford, and how through the years the people have interacted with one another. Luis talked about how the town is split into sections according to race or ethnicity. Due to prejudices this town has been anything but peaceful with culture fighting against culture.

Luis’s idea to bring peace and brotherhood to his community is by bringing his community together. He is accomplishing this through his café. He is doing this by inviting the community to evening gatherings at his café. People of the community join Luis and his family for potluck dinners where everyone brings a dish from their culture. The evening is one of exchanging information, and fellowship with one another. Luis has even been able to encourage the owners of the shops around him to join in the festivities.

Besides engaging the adults of the community in fellowship, Luis is also engaging the children. He has started an after school gathering for school age children. It is a place for children to gather together to do homework, read, or just interact with one another. What better place to make change than with the children? If you would like to learn more about La Paloma Sabanera and the work they are doing you can check out their website at: www.lapalomasabanera.com.

DISCUSSION

Question(s) related to this article:

How important is community development for a culture of peace?


As a reader, you are invited to join in the discussion of this article based on any of the above question(s): just click on the question, read the previous comments and add a new reply. You may also enter a new discussion topic on this article - see bottom of this page.

Thematic forum(s) in which this article is being discussed:

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND CULTURE OF PEACE

Latest reader comment:

On Tuesday evening, May 17, I attended a talk by a Franciscan theologian from Boston College speaking at Saint Patrick and Saint Anthony's church in Hartford. He spoke for the need of just development. I think La Paloma is an excellent example of just development in the City of Hartford.
If  CPNN ever gives awards for building the culture of peace, I think La Paloma deserves one.

This report was posted on January 15, 2005. The moderator is Maryann.

If you wish to start a new discussion topic on this article, please copy the title of this article which is A Hartford Community Project Promotes Culture of Peace and its number which is 221 and enter this information along with your discussion question and a brief text on the new topic form.

A few stories are retained on the main listings if they are considered by readers to be a priority. If you have not already done so, please take the time to check a box below: should this article be considered as a priority?