Peace leaders converge on spiritual retreat to Bimini

Tired of all the violence and social injustices of today? Then joining others in seeking solutions with spiritual foundations on a serene island is for you. Organisational heads, spiritual leaders and others for the promotion of peace and non-violence are invited to join the wellness / peace retreat in Bimini, Bahamas this November 1st-3rd. The purpose of the retreat is relaxation, rejuvenation, spiritual renewal and the contemplation of ideas to counter violence and social injustices. Retreat participants will also pay tribute to one of the greatest peacemakers of all times, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when they visit his memorial bust that was set up by the Bahamian government last year. Leaders will be able to network, exchange ideas and experience culture heritage tourism in an atmosphere of peace and tranquillity. 

African Diaspora Tourism is organising the retreat in coordination with Bahamas Tourism and the AD King Foundation, Friends of the African Union and Joe Beasley Foundation as lead conveners.  Kitty J. Pope, Publisher of AfricanDiasporaTourism.com says that a retreat in Bimini is ideal because this is where Dr. King went to reflect, pray and convene with nature. "This peace retreat is about the same thing. This is not a conference, but a spiritual retreat where leaders of organisations will go for contemplation and reflection about non-violent solutions as King did," says Pope.

The bust of Dr. King was erected in Bimini because this is where King wrote two of his most noted speeches including his final ‘mountaintop’ speech. When Dr. King visited Bimini, he was accompanied by noted boat builder and prize-winning bone fisherman Ansil Saunders, who took him out to the mangroves for quiet time to write. “King used to say that he felt like he could reach out to touch the face of God when he was in Bimini,” says Saunders. “Even though King said he lived under the threat of death, he got a sense of peace and relief from pressure when he was in Bimini.” Dr. King was killed several days after his last trip to the islands.

Dr. Babs Onabanjo, CEO of AD King Foundation will serve as Chair of the convening organizations and Mr. Wesley Kabaila, Chief-of-Staff of Friends of African Union Congresses will serve  as Co-Chair. The Honorable Obediah Wilchcombe, Minister of Tourism of the Bahamas, who is a proponent of cultural heritage and faith-based tourism, is the Honorary Chair of the wellness/ peace retreat.

Dr. Onabanjo says that he wants Ms. Naomi King, co-founder of the AD King Foundation to visit Bimini to experience some of the tranquillity and to see the bust of her brother-in-law. “I also feel that if Dr. King came to Bimini, his brother AD probably went with him. Rev. A.D. King was at the forefront of the civil rights and non-violence resolutions with his brother. The AD King Foundation is helping to convene this retreat to mark a renewal of what both brothers stood for,” says Dr. Onabanjo.

Other convener organizational heads include Mwalimu Wesley Kabaila of Los Angeles, Chief-of-Staff of Friends of the African Union Congresses and Janine Bell of Richmond, Va., founder /director of the Elegba Folklore Society. Serving as hosts, Kabaila and Bell  will help to render a Afri-centric spiritual libation which will be conducted by Oba Shola Akinrimisi, a Yoruba Priest from Atlanta.  Conveners of the retreat also include Rev. Eugene Franklin, founder of the Pan African Cultural Heritage Institute Pensacola, Florida, Kenneth Woods of Coach Speaks in Atlanta, Sharon Parris, Jamaica-based media specialist and promoter of the “One Love Pledge” campaign, Vera Chase, president of the Commonwealth Writers of the Bahamas and Cathy Harris, a national whistleblower and GMO Food Expert.

This wellness / peace retreat serves to honor Ms. Naomi King, Mr. Joe Beasley and  Mr. Ansil Saunders as Global Peacemakers. “We want this to be a time where they can feel relaxed and pampered,” says Pope. “They have done so much for the betterment of mankind. The retreat will be a time for them and other leaders to sit down and rest awhile. We also want this retreat to show appreciation for all the organisational leaders who have worked so hard and have given so much to their communities.”

In addition to the Afri-centric libation, the Bimini Peace Retreat will include other spiritual-related activities and a luncheon where some key organisational heads will serve as featured panelists.  Renown Kemetic Yoga instructor Yirser Ra Hotep, founder of the YogaSkills School will conduct group yoga sessions. Ansil Saunders will read an inspirational poem that he wrote about God's greatness and the nature of the universe that he also recorded on DVD for distribution.  No spiritual retreat is complete without prayer and meditation. The retreat will include a group prayer and meditation session on the ocean front.  Other activities will include African and Bahamian Junkanoo dance. Vera Chase will give the group some background information about the history and culture of the Bahamas.

In addition to spiritual-related activities and visiting the memorial bust of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., retreat participants will get to experience some of the culture of Bimini through mingling  with the locals to support sustainable tourism and enjoy what the islands have to offer. They can visit the newly opened Resort World Casino and visit  Big John’s, a popular night spot among tourists and locals.  Participants can also check out the Bimini Straw Market where there are dozens of vendors and the Bimini Museum where they can view island artefacts and celebrity mementos. Bimini’s signature attraction, the “Healing Hole,” a pond that swimmers have reported to have healing properties will  also be on tap for those interested in checking it out.

Retreat participants will convene in the Fort Lauderdale / Miami area in order to travel together by high speed ferry to Bimini,  the closest Bahamian island to the US that is only about  50 miles away. Groups will travel by bus from Atlanta and other cities in Florida and the south to connect with the ferry. Flight information is available upon request for those who do not wish to travel to Fort Lauderdale by bus or car. Information regarding flights to Bimini instead of ferry is also available for those interested. For more information and to register, visit BiminiPeaceRetreat.com. Or you may contact Kitty Pope at KPope100@yahoo.com  or call (404) 549-7215 or contact Dr. Onabanjo at babsonabanjo@yahoo.com or (770) 873-9265.