Queens residents celebrated Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, by launching the Interfaith Peace Garden at Bowne Playground next to P.S. 20, in Flushing, on Oct. 25. The event was organized by Green Earth Urban Gardens and sponsored by the Flushing Interfaith Council.
In attendance were volunteers from Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States, state Sen. John Liu, executive director of Green Earth Urban Gardens Maureen Regan, president of the Flushing Interfaith Council John Choe, Kissena Park Supervisor Roxana Tejada, and community members of all different backgrounds and faiths.
Green Earth, a nonprofit based in Queens, promotes environmentalism through urban agriculture and therapeutic gardening. It delivers food to local farmers’ markets, advocates for gardening access to seniors and special needs youth, and acts as a volunteer center for local beautification projects.
According to Regan, the nonprofit was already working on the garden at P.S. 20 before partnering with the interfaith council for the Diwali celebration. The advocacy group, she said, works with youth in the community to support food justice and teach leadership skills, often visiting parks and schools for gardening projects. The Eastern Asian community doesn’t often participate in intercultural activities, she continued, so she felt it was a good opportunity to collaborate with the interfaith council.
“We thought that we’d introduce the temples because all the temples here today are part of this community,” Regan said. “They focus on celebrating cultural events. We thought we’d bring it out into the community so they can share the food and learn a little bit about Diwali.”
She said the peace garden would be a “representation of [their] unity through nature,” and help spread their message throughout the dense and culturally diverse community of Flushing.
Liu, who attended P.S. 20 when he was in kindergarten, recalled playing on the school playground. He said the partnership of Green Earth and the interfaith council played an important role in maintaining and growing the school’s garden, which he expressed nostalgia for.
“Today we are here with the Green Earth Urban Gardens and the Flushing Interfaith Council to help continue to improve and spruce up the park,” Liu said. “But, also to celebrate this most important holiday of Diwali, where we have people from every background here gathered at P.S. 20 with our temples.”
Liu also thanked Regan for her tireless efforts to make the gardening project and Diwali celebration possible.
The interfaith council, spearheaded by Choe, is a nonprofit consisting of community leaders that promote religious acceptance and foster understanding among the diverse population in Queens through worship, meetings and community events.
Choe said celebrating Diwali is an important part of spreading light in the community during such dark times. The interfaith council often steps up to address food insecurity, he said, supporting frontline workers and thousands of others faced with layoffs and evictions especially during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Trump administration, he argued, has only made it more difficult for these workers to keep their heads above water because Trump continues targeting immigrants for detention and deportation. He said he worries about masked ICE agents driving through communities like Chinatown and kidnapping immigrants off the street.
“That’s not what America stands for,” Choe said. “We didn’t immigrate here and escape from oppression to face another oppressive government. And so we are calling today for people to stand up for their neighbors, to really take on the spirit of Diwali, to say that our lights will shine brighter than your darkness.”
Many local temples, he continued, felt it was important to participate in Diwali this year for the safety and support of local immigrants. Much like the mission of Green Earth, Choe said the interfaith council encourages youth leadership because it helps build a brighter future for the next generation.
“Look out for our neighbors and really think about what it means to be part of a community,” he said. “That’s what we’re emphasizing today. That’s our message.”
