We're in the middle of Arkansas Peace Week, which is packed full of activities and events to promote the goals of peace and justice in the state.

Peace Week organizers are taking on some tough topics, from hunger and racism, to mental health and war crimes. But they say knowledge is necessary in order to build stronger communities which are more inclusive and less violent. Participants include a coalition of local, national and international organizations and faith groups.

Bob Estes, lead organizer for Arkansas Peace Week, said everyone is welcome at the events.

"We're working with the Seventh Street Mural Project, social justice murals that were put up in the wake of George Floyd's murder and beyond, and it's a focal point for social justice in the city," Estes noted. "And Sunday the 25th, we're having a festival down there, so people can go and meet the artists."

Estes added they have partnered with the National Park Service. At Little Rock Central High School, which is a National Historic Site, events today through Saturday will commemorate the 65th anniversary of the school's desegregation by Black students who became known as the Little Rock Nine.

Estes pointed out Little Rock has had issues with violent crime in the past, and in the last few years, crime has been on the increase once again. He said they've made crime prevention a priority in schools throughout the city.

"And one of the things that we're trying to do is really, around that, starting with our children, and teaching in the school's lessons about alternatives to violence and nonviolence conflict resolution," Estes explained. "And we're trying to start early and teach those skills, so violence doesn't continue on as this generation grows."

The most recent data from the Little Rock Police Department this month shows the number of homicides so far this year is 59, nine more than at the same point in 2021.

In cities across the globe, including the Michigan city of Midland, various organizations are commemorating International Day of Peace today.

Midland holds an official designation as of last year.

Judy Timmons, treasurer for the Midland chapter of Nonviolent Peaceforce, underscored the significance of contemplating peaceful conflict resolution during polarized times. This year, it plans to distribute a book on conflict resolution and introduce a simulator, aimed at providing attendees with valuable learning experiences.

"People from various backgrounds share their experiences, whether it's in Ukraine or our meta peace team folks that will be speaking about their work that they do," Timmons outlined. "At some point asking them, these people that are listening, 'What would you do in that case?'"

Midland will host events from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Creative 360, 5501 Jefferson Avenue downtown. Timmons noted individuals participating in the simulator among other activities will receive a Peace Rose book to take home, offering assistance in managing day-to-day conflicts.

Timmons pointed out there are nearly 400 Cities of Peace worldwide. She expressed her deep sense of honor Midland is one of them.

"Things are so divisive in our country right now, so any way we can bring people together makes me very happy," Timmons emphasized. "Because I know we're not sitting on the sidelines and just wringing our hands and wishing things were different. We're actively doing something."

Attendees of this Saturday's Midland event will be asked to sign a "Kindness Promise." It is a pledge to be caring, helpful, and sharing. The promise also quotes the Dalai Lama: "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."

The power and destructiveness of nuclear energy has been in the spotlight since the film "Oppenheimer" was released in July. It is in focus again this week with the anniversaries of the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during World War II.

Mary Miller, a member of Idaho nuclear energy watchdog Snake River Alliance, explained the movie about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the first experiment with the atomic bomb stops short of the bombs dropped on Japan. But Miller noted Oppenheimer's ideas changed after that.

"His message was that humanity must learn humility in the face of nature and use its experience with atomic energy to prosper international peace," she said. "The nuclear power that was unleashed on Japan was just unimaginably too big and too lethal for humankind."

The 78th anniversary of the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima was Sunday, and the anniversary of the Nagasaki bombing is on Wednesday. It is estimated the two bombs may have killed as many as 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians.

Advocates for nuclear energy are increasingly promoting its ability to help move the country from dirty sources of fuel in the fight against climate change, but Miller said it should not be considered a clean source of energy because its negatives outweigh the good it might be able to achieve.

"Just like that power that was unleashed in the bomb, the use of nuclear energy for electricity, which is called nuclear power, cannot be safely anticipated, predicted or controlled," she explained.

Miller pointed to a number of issues with nuclear energy, such as safe transportation and storage of its waste, which sometimes has a radioactive half life that extends thousands of years. Experiments on new types of nuclear reactors are eing conducted at the Idaho National Laboratory.

U.S. officials are being asked to invest more in programs that could help end or prevent conflicts, whether in Ukraine or any region dealing with significant unrest.

The Prevention and Stabilization Fund is a key account in the U.S. foreign aid budget, to support efforts to prevent and respond to conflict and instability worldwide.

But money for that fund appears to be missing in the latest House appropriations bill on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

Megan Rodgers - U.S. policy and advocacy manager with the group Nonviolent Peaceforce - said if that's the case, it undercuts the more proactive approach to addressing instability in vulnerable regions.

"It's actually would save the American taxpayers in the long term," said Rodgers, "by stopping conflicts before they start and really helping promote peace and security throughout the world."

In a statement, U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart - R-Miami - who chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee, said he is "proud to be part of the Republican Majority in bringing back fiscal sanity to the appropriations process."

He added that he will "ensure that the American taxpayer does not foot the bill for overseas abortions [and] controversial climate change programs...and bloated international organizations."

Rodgers argued that those cuts will affect key international aid accounts, including the Global Fragility Act, Complex Crises Fund and contributions to international organizations.

She said she's also worried about removal of language supporting Unarmed Civilian Protection.

"These are all really key funds," said Rodgers, "that protect civilians worldwide, that help to prevent and mitigate violence and conflict, and to promote a more peaceful and stable global community."

Republicans say they are pleased that the bill includes real cuts - with a 24% funding reduction from the administration's request, and a 12% reduction from last year's funding level.

Rodgers said those cuts threaten peace and leave lives at risk. Her organization is asking the House to reverse course and urging the Senate to do more to support the programs.