Lifting Peace off the Ground
Saturday, October 18 | 6:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Nocturne 2025 | Halifax, Mi’kma’ki
Exploring the Shadows of History, Together
“Lifting Peace off the Ground” invites visitors to step into a living reflection on the shadow of nuclear weapons—and to lift peace, hope, and shared humanity into the light.
Hosted by Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace (NSVOW) in collaboration with the Raging Grannies, this interactive Nocturne project commemorates the 80th anniversary of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by exploring the ongoing human and environmental cost of war, while calling for nuclear disarmament and diplomatic solutions to state conflict.
A Story That Still Echoes
The ground we walk on here in Mi’kma’ki holds the layers of our collective human story: colonization and racism, warfare and discord—but also healing, resilience, and protection.
The threat of nuclear weapons casts an ultimate shadow beyond borders—on this Earth, over all intentions, and across all future generations.
This project builds upon a story that deeply impacted Muriel Duckworth, Nova Scotian peace activist and founding member of the Canadian Voice of Women for Peace. During her 1983 visit to the Hiroshima Peace Park, she heard survivors describe how “birds and butterflies dropped out of the sky with their wings on fire.”
From this haunting image, our project asks:
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Can we spark understanding of the environmental devastation of warfare?
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Can we, together, lean into nonviolent solutions to conflict?
The Crocheted Shadow
At the heart of the installation lies a life-size hand-crocheted human shadow, surrounded by hundreds of paper butterflies created by visitors. The shadow is both a memorial and a mirror.
We include it for two reasons:
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To honour the human lives lost to warfare, colonialism, and corporate greed—each of which casts a shadow that harms water, land, and air.
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To remember the atomic shadows left behind on August 6, 1945, when the intense flash of Hiroshima’s explosion—brighter than a thousand suns—imprinted the silhouettes of people and objects that shielded against the blast.
Each butterfly made during Nocturne carries a message of peace, gently covering the shadow with color and intention—transforming remembrance into action.
Beyond Nocturne
After Nocturne, we hope to present the completed artwork to Setsuko Thurlow, a Japanese–Canadian nuclear disarmament campaigner and Hibakusha who survived the bombing of Hiroshima.
A leading voice in the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), Thurlow accepted the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the campaign.
Through this offering, we reaffirm our fervent hope that Canada will sign the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, joining the global call to abolish these weapons once and for all.
Join Us
Bring your hope, your voice, and your creativity.
Together, let’s lift peace off the ground—and into the light.
🕊️ Nova Scotia Voice of Women for Peace
🌐 nsvow.org
📍 Part of Nocturne 2025, Halifax, Mi’kma’ki
Walkers will visit local schools, including Pugwash District High School—Canada’s only school declared “nuclear weapons free.” We’ll gather stories, foster intergenerational connections, and close with a celebration and community panel in Truro.