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Welcome to the April 2009 Equipping for Peacemaking Network E-Newsletter. Our hope is to help bring attention to resources that relate to the work of the ELCA Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence (2001-2010). Included in this monthly e-newsletter are events and resources that can be used at the small group, congregational and individual level. Thank you for being part of the network! Forward this to your friends and encourage them to sign up for the network as well. CLICK HERE to find additional resources and enroll in the E4P network.
In this E-Newsletter you will find information about:
Faith and Values Organizations Form Coalition to Advance United Nations Decade for Inter-religious Cooperation for Peace
From the World Council of Churches News website:
In March, some forty-five religious, interfaith, and value-based organizations from five continents agreed to form a coalition to advance a "United Nations Decade for Inter-religious and Intercultural Dialogue, Understanding, and Cooperation for Peace." Coalition members expressed the hope that the UN Sixty-Forth General Assembly, which will begin its deliberations in September 2009, will approve a resolution establishing such a decade from 2011-2020.
Coalition members hope the proposed UN decade will be launched on September 21, 2010, the International Day of Peace. This would immediately follow the current 2001-2010 International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-violence for the Children of the World and the 2010 International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures.
CLICK HERE to read the full article.
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April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month
Since 1983, April has been designated as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. According to a 2008 report from the Center for Disease Control, 1,530 children died from abuse and neglect and 905,000 children were victims of maltreatment in 2006. Positive encouragement and support for parents has been shown to lower the risk of child abuse.
Plan today to raise awareness about child abuse and neglect and encourage individuals, families, congregations and community organizations to support healthy growth and development of children and families during the month of April by:
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Earth Day - April 22, 2009
Share your peacemaking skills by celebrating Earth Day on April 22nd. Participate in scheduled activities in your congregation and community or organize your own. This year's theme for Earth Day is "Celebrating and Caring for God's Creation."
Visit Caring for Creation, an ELCA Advocacy website.
CLICK HERE for information about the National Council of Churches Eco-Justice Program's 2009 Earth Day Resource, "Celebrating and Caring for God's Creation."
Purchase a leader's guide and participant materials, "Awakening to God's Call to Earthkeeping," from Augsburg Fortress Publishers.
DOWNLOAD a copy of the ELCA Social Statement, "Caring for Creation: Vision, Hope and Justice."
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Christian Peace Witness for Iraq
Do you want to be more involved in working toward peace in Iraq? Become part of a national ecumenical effort with Christians across the country which will be held in Washington, DC, April 29-30, 2009. Events include a worship service followed by a procession to the White House on the 29th and a nonviolent public action or visits to congressional offices on the 30th. Tony Campolo, Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr, Sr. Dianna Ortiz, Elizabeth McAlister and Daniel Berrigan will be the featured speakers.
For more information, visit the Christian Peace Witness for Iraq website.
For more on Lutheran involvement, contact Glen Gersmehl by phone at 206.720.0313 or by email.
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Rachel's Day - May 3
Since July 1996, the Women of the ELCA have designated the first Sunday in May as "Rachel's Day." Based on Jeremiah 31:15-17, this commemoration is a time to mourn the loss of our children to violence and commit to ways of supporting and encouraging children, families and parents.
How can you participate in Rachel's Day?
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Organize a "blue ribbon of hope" campaign in your congregation and community;
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use the Rachel's Day litany in worship;
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offer prayers of support for children, parents, and families in crisis;
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gather a Thankoffering for women and children in crises;
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host a parenting forum;
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visit the WELCA Rachel's Day website.
And, send a note about your activities to be included in the Equipping for Peacemaking E-Newsletter.
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Training Events at Kirkridge Retreat Center
Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA, is offering the following:
"Ghandi, King, Day & Merton: Peacemaking Ancestors"
April 24-26, 2009
Author, pastor and activist John Dear will lead a weekend of prayer, small group reflection and Bible study related to what fortified and inspired these great spiritual leaders and activists for justice and peace.
"Everyone Can Sing for Peace!"
May 1-3, 2009
Come and listen to the music. Join community singing, movement and reflection led by award-winning, singer-songwriter Sara Thomsen.
Creating a Culture of Peace - Training of Trainers
May 27-31, 2009
Learn how to offer "Creating a Culture of Peace" training. Strengthen facilitation skills and the ability to use interactive and mutual learning techniques. Help others find their power for peacemaking and deepen your own. Practice presentations and receive constructive feedback. Basic Nonviolence Training is a prerequisite.
Creating a Culture of Peace
September 10-13, 2009
Discover your power for peacemaking during a spiritually grounded, interactive and skills-building weekend.
Peacemakers in the Midst of Conflict
October 24 - November 6, 2009
Participants will travel to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, throughout Israel and the West Bank with local guides. An opportunity to listen, build relationships, promote dialogue, and learn about the real life situation and politics of the region.
Visit the Kirkridge website for information on registration and fees.
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Preaching Peace Events
Preaching Peace began in 2002, as a free website dedicated to bringing a holistic peace message. It currently serves 10,000 visitors a month. Inspired by the mimetic theory of Rene Girard and the Christian peace heritage, Preaching Peace offers commentary on the gospel lectionary texts from a peace perspective, a blog where pastors work out the implications of preaching peace, essays and sermons related to the mimetic theory and peacemaking, and a listing of numerous conferences and seminars bringing the best scholarship to churches around the country. The Preaching Peace team is available for weekend retreats, clergy ashrams and gatherings, and youth retreats.
Upcoming Events:
On Being a Peace Church Seminar
April 15, 2009 at Grantham Church in Grantham, PA
Nonviolent Atonement Seminar
April 25, 2009 in Kalamazoo, MI
Romancing the Resurrection: Cultural Evidences of the Risen Christ
May 2, 2009 in Akron, PA
Theology & Peace - Second Annual Conference
May 28-30, 2009 in Chicago, IL
Book of Peace, Book of Power: Rediscovering the Authority of the Bible
June 2-4, 2009 in Philadelphia, PA
For more information on the upcoming events or to book a conference or seminar in your area, contact Preaching Peace by phone at 717.392.1550 or by email.
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"And the Word Became Flesh - Peacemaking in the Neighborhood"
The Presbyterian Church USA will host a Peacemaking Conference, "And the Word Became Flesh - Peacemaking in the Neighborhood," June 11-13, 2009 in Atlanta, GA. The conference will be part of a larger celebration that will offer participants the opportunity to experience ten different Presbyterian conferences -- all under one roof -- over a three-day period.
From the website: Peacemaking Conference participants will have the opportunity to visit significant sites in metropolitan Atlanta where peacemaking is taking place, share stories from our own neighborhoods, and engage in public witness, small group discussions and conversations on current issues as we explore how to do justice and seek peace.
See the conference website highlighted above, or visit the Presbyterian Peacemaking Program website for more information.
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From Conflict to Peacebuilding: the Role of Natural Resources and the Environment
Conflicts associated with natural resources are twice as likely to relapse into conflict in the first five years, a recent report from the U.N. suggests. Indeed the natural resource curse has been a primary determinant of intra-state conflict in terrible theatres of war such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Liberia. Yet it extends far beyond the battle to acquire precious commodities. With climate change and population growth placing ever-increasing demands on the environment, it is widely recognized that conflict over basic resources, such as water and arable land, will increase - see Darfur and the Middle East.
This report, "From Conflict to Peacebuilding: the Role of Natural Resources and the Environment," released in February 2009, discusses key linkages among environment, conflict and peacebuilding and provides recommendations on how these can be addressed more effectively by the international community.
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Wednesday Prayer - Cherish Our Children
CLICK HERE to join the email list for Wednesday Prayer, a weekly reflection and prayer that provides an opportunity for renewal and strength to carry out the mission to prevent sexual exploitation.
Wednesday Prayer is available through Cherish Our Children, a national community of Lutherans dedicated to preventing the sexual exploitation of children through prayer and action. The effort began in the Minneapolis Area Synod and now includes eleven additional ELCA Synods.
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Congress Permanently Bans Cluster Bomb Exports
From the United States Campaign to Ban Landmines website:
In March, President Obama signed a law making permanent a ban on nearly all cluster bomb exports from the United States. Congress included the export ban in an omnibus budget bill that passed the Senate. This provision will move the U.S. one step closer to the position of the nearly 100 nations--including our closest NATO allies--that signed a treaty banning cluster munitions in December.
Visit the website to read the entire article.
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Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking
Support the Blue Heart Campaign Against Human Trafficking by displaying the Blue Heart developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The campaign is an effort to raise awareness of the issue of human trafficking and the millions of victims that are entrapped each year and to encourage participants to fight against this modern form of slavery. This is a global problem from which no country is immune.
Visit the website for more information about the Blue Heart Campaign and to download the Blue Heart logo.
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Prayers for Youth Peace Summit in Kenya
On April 13-19, in Nairobi, Kenya the ELCA and the Kenya Evangelical Lutheran Church (KELC) will collaboratively sponsor a national youth peace summit where approximately 200 youth from Kenya, including representation from within the East Africa region (7 countries) will come together. The primary focus of the gathering is peace and reconciliation and leadership development to help empower the youth to address the issues that surfaced during the post-election violence last January when nearly 2,000 people were killed.
Please pray for all the organizers and participants who will be attending this event.
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International Day of Prayer for Peace
NOW is the time to plan to be a part of the World Council of Churches' International Day of Prayer for Peace which will be on September 21, 2009. The theme for this year's Day of Prayer for Peace is "One Love: Building a Peaceful Caribbean."
According to the website, "the International Day of Prayer for Peace offers an opportunity for church communities in all places to pray and act together to nurture lasting peace in the hearts of people, their families, communities and societies. The idea was proposed in 2004 during a meeting between WCC General Secretary Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia and UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (press release), and coincides with the UN International Day of Peace. The Day of Prayer is one of the initiatives of the WCC's Decade to Overcome Violence. Congregations are invited to pray for peace - possibly using the same prayers - in all participating churches on September 21 or the Sunday preceding it."
Visit the Decade to Overcome Violence website for more information, to submit prayers for peace, to access resources for the International Day of Prayer for Peace and to register your commitment for participation in the International Peace Vigil.
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Help Grow the Equip4Peace Network
Blooming flowers, spring rains and budding trees are wonderful signs of growth this time of year. It could also be a time to grow the Equipping for Peacemaking Network! Invite others to join by forwarding this newsletter to your family and friends and encouraging them to enroll in the network. And, share the following item in your congregational or organizational newsletter next month:
ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking Network
Sign up today at http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Decade-for-Nonviolence/Join-the-E4P-Network.aspx to become part of the ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking Network and receive a free monthly e-newsletter! This informative newsletter contains stories relating to peacemaking activities, links to news items and peace and justice organizations, schedules of events and training opportunities, information about new resources and much more. The mission of the Equip4Peace Network is to connect, inform, encourage and inspire all who are working for peace. To read a copy of the current e-newsletter, see http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Decade-for-Nonviolence/Newsletter.aspx.
For more information, visit the website at http://www.elca.org/Our-Faith-In-Action/Justice/Decade-for-Nonviolence.aspx or contact Jean Morehouse, Network Coordinator, at jean.morehouse@hotmail.com.
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Peace Notes and Quotes
If you have a favorite quote or want to share a brief thought about peacemaking, please send your contribution to Jean Morehouse, Equipping for Peacemaking Program Coordinator.
APRIL PEACE QUOTE:
While they were talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."
Luke 24:36
Holy Bible, NRSV
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Go in peace and serve the Lord!
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