August 2008
Equipping for Peacemaking E-Newsletter
Welcome to the August 2008 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:
International Day of Prayer for Peaceand International Day of Peace Vigil - September 21, 2008
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 World Council of Churches 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 - on September 21 or the Sunday preceding it."
This year's theme is Witnessing to God's Peace and the focus is on the Pacific. CLICK HERE to access a downloadable bulletin for use in this year's observance.
What can you do in your congregation?
+ Encourage your congregation to participate by organizing a
prayer vigil on Sunday, September 21. CLICK HERE for resources.
+ CLICK HERE to view a list of events in your city and coordinate
with them, if possible. Peace is about talking and working together.
Visit the Decade to Overcome Violence website for more information, to submit prayers for peace, to access additional 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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Pinwheels for Peace
Looking for a creative way to participate in the International Day of Prayer for Peace? Visit the
Pinwheels for Peace website for information about the project, directions for making pinwheels, to register your congregation or organization as a project site or for more information and resources.
CLICK HERE to read about Pinwheels for Peace and other activities that took place last year at
Leif Ericson Day School, an ELCA affiliated school, Brooklyn, NY, in celebration of the International Day of Prayer for Peace.
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Walk for Peace 2008The Peace Alliance has announced that Walk for Peace 2008 is scheduled for September 20. Walkathons will be held throughout the U.S. to raise awareness and funds in support of the development of a U.S. Department of Peace. Visit the
website for more information.
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First World Conference of Women's Shelters
The Alberta Council of Women's Shelters will host the first World Conference of Women's Shelters from September 8 through 11, 2008 in Edmonton. According to the Decade to Overcome Violence website, "too often, women's shelter work is overlooked in discussions on family violence, when in reality they are at the forefront of dealing with this issue. This [event] will increase the capacity of shelters in Alberta, across Canada, and around the world to [e]ffect change in their organizations and their communities to better meet the needs of ethnocultural, multicultural and racial communities when dealing with family violence. This event will present a new opportunity for family violence workers in Alberta and around the world to learn from international experts and each other [and] will be a unique opportunity for individuals at the forefront of dealing with violence against women to network, share and support one [another]."
CLICK HERE for more information about the conference.
CLICK HERE to access the registration form.
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Peacemaker Ministries' 2008 Peacemaker Conference: The Power of a Peacemaking Church
Peacemaker Ministries' 2008 Peacemaker Conference,
The Power of Peacemaking Church, will be held September 25-27, 2008 in Orlando, Florida. This conference is designed to encourage, inspire and equip all who face threatening conflicts with gospel-centered, Christ-empowered hope, confidence and skill.
The conference will offer keynote speakers, worship, workshops, discussion, prayer and mutual learning. There are also a number of pre-conference training events, including Conflict Coaching Training, Reconciling Church Conflict, Reconciling Marital Conflict, Teaching Peacemaking Cross-Culturally, Conflict Coaching & Mediation Training and a Certification Program.
CLICK HERE for more information about the conference.
For more information about Peacemaker Ministries, CLICK HERE.
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October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
The
National Coalition Against Domestic Violence has designated the month of October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. During this time, individuals and organizations are encouraged to sponsor and participate in activities designed to remember victims of domestic violence, celebrate survivors and raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence. Visit the Domestic Violence Awareness Month website for more information and resources. Click on the "Campaigns" tab for event descriptions and program planning ideas.
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NCC Conference: Mindful Living: Healthy People, Healthy Churches, Healthy Planet
From the
National Council of Churches of Christ Eco-Justice Programs website:
"Join this ecumenical gathering of denominational staff, clergy, seminarians, lay leaders, church educators, eco-justice coordinators, and Christians to educate yourself on the unfolding world of toxins found in everyday items in our homes, our churches, and even our bodies."
The event will be held October 9-11, 2008 in Alexandria, MN.
CLICK HERE for more information about the event and to access a registration form. Scholarships are available for qualified participants.
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Kirkridge Offers "Journey to Wholeness"
Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA, is offering "Journey to Wholeness," weekend workshops for veterans. These programs offer veterans a safe haven for empowerment, camaraderie, mutual support and community building.
Healing of Memories - Oct. 24-26
Gain insight into and empathy for yourself and others; share stories and confront issues on your path to forgiveness and reconciliation. Father Michael Lapsley, South African resister and violence healer will be the leader. This workshop is exclusively for military veterans. Registration fee is $50.
War: Trauma or Transformation
Combat veterans, address the effects of war on yourself, your relationships and your spirit. The program will be led by Tracey Allison, Clinical Psychologist, who works with veterans.
Visit the Kirkridge website for information on registration and fees.
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The Hiroshima Peace Media Center
According to the website, the
Hiroshima Peace Media Center is a "new wing of the Chugoku Shimbun, one of Japan's largest newspapers. It was launched on January 1, 2008 to begin transmitting peace-related reporting via the internet in Japanese and English." Visit this informative website for articles, information about events and organizations related to peace, and resources.
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Grace Matters: Nonviolence as a Way of Life
CLICK HERE to access "Nonviolence as a Way of Life" with Terry Rynne, founder of
Marquette University Center for Peacemaking. According to the promotional description on the website: "If anything takes our breath away in this world full of events we cannot control, it is violence. Nothing cuts to the core of our peace of mind and joy for life like violence. So what can we learn from Jesus that might direct us to a better way? Terry Rynne...walks us into the difference between active and passive peacemaking."
Grace Matters is a radio ministry of the ELCA. The program was originally broadcast on Sunday, July 13, 2008.
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110 Countries Agree to Cluster Bomb Ban
According to the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines website:
In late May, "more than half the world's governments agreed...to ban the production, use, stockpiling and export of all existing cluster munitions. Meeting in Dublin, Ireland, representatives of 110 nations completed negotiations on a new international treaty that commits their governments to stop using these weapons and to destroy their existing stockpiles within eight years. The U.S. government did not attend the negotiations..."
"The treaty also requires governments to clear existing cluster munition minefields and to provide adequate assistance to individuals and communities affected by cluster munitions."
A few days after the signing of the treaty, "Senators Dianne Feinstein (CA) and Patrick Leahy (VT), and Representative James P. McGovern (MA) introduced a joint resolution calling on the United States to sign on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions when it becomes open for signature in December 2008."
Visit the U.S. Campaign to Ban Landmines website to access articles and more information about landmines.
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Borderland Reflections
Joyce Ellwanger, an Equipping for Peacemaking-II participant and a member of the Equip4Peace Network, recently returned from a Christian Peacemaker Team Borderlands delegation which visited the U.S./Mexico border in Arizona. She was part of a delegation that had the opportunity to "get a first-hand look and feel of the border and its players."
CLICK HERE to read Joyce's reflections about her Christian Peacemaker Team experience: Tales of the Arizona Desert--An Introduction; A Migrant Memorial at Southside Presbyterian Church, Tucson, Arizona; In a Tucson Federal Immigration Court; Desert Experience; and People of Faith and Immigration Reform.
If you would like more information about Christian Peacemaker Teams or about Joyce's borderland experience, please contact her at joyce.ellwanger@gmail.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.
AUGUST PEACE QUOTE:
Ephesians 6:15
"As shoes for your feet put on whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace."
The Holy Bible, NRSV, World Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI ,1989
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Go in peace and serve the Lord!