Peace Project Develops At Bethel Woods, New York

On February 19, 2025, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts announced a partnership between the non-profit performance venue and museum, and the non-profit Braver Angels, the nation’s largest cross-partisan movement to bridge political divides.

This partnership was formed to launch a new peace initiative, collaborating to help chart the best path forward on a peace project tied to the history of the Woodstock festival.

Mark Metzger from Braver Angels is leading the project, coordinating a strategy to develop a successful new peace initiative in today’s turbulent times. The project was launched in 2024 with a planning charrette on the historic grounds.

At Braver Angels, we are committed to helping define best practices that build bridges and unite people who are now divided—whether that is peace in a global context or just getting along better with our neighbors. Given the history of Bethel Woods and its role in preserving the historic site of Woodstock, it feels so right for us to help create something that can be meaningful and lasting. - Mark Metzger, Braver Angels

Braver Angels along with representatives from the United Nations, the international nonprofit Seeds of Peace, the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, and the Harvard Negotiation Project were among 60 peace and conflict resolution professionals working to reignite Woodstock’s legacy as a beacon of peace, according to Bethel Woods.

Mark Metzger will be working with Bethel Woods and other stakeholders to design a peace project for the modern era, along with plans to pilot another peace project this year (2025.) Several activations will be announced during the spring and summer months.

This project and its collaboration have the potential to honor our history while at the same time making some inroads toward unity that are very much needed at this time. We are honored to be working with such an esteemed organization as Braver Angels as we map out a path forward. - Dr. Neal Hitch, Director of The Museum at Bethel Woods

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