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Welcome to the December 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:
WCC Ecumenical Prayer Cycle
CLICK HERE weekly to visit the World Council of Churches' Ecumenical Prayer Cycle. This site lifts up a different area of the world each week and provides prayers for personal and congregational use. Prayers are available two weeks in advance. Prayers for December include:
Nov. 29 - Dec. 5: Liberia, Sierra Leone
Dec. 6 – 12: Cape Verde, the Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Senegal
Dec. 13-19: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo Dec. 20 – 26: Ghana, Nigeria
Dec. 28 – Jan. 2: Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel and the
Occupied Palestinian Territories
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December 1 - World AIDS Day and ELCA ADVOCACY ACTION ALERT
Globally, there are more than 33 million people infected with the virus. Observe World AIDS Day by praying for all who are affected by the disease, participating in a remembrance/healing service for those affected by the disease, providing support for an organization working to find a cure, wearing a "red ribbon" on December 1 or participating in the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance online advocacy postcard campaign! This campaign calls on pharmaceutical companies to improve access to medicines for children.
CLICK HERE to send a postcard to the pharmaceutical industry and tell them that you are concerned about the lack of appropriate diagnostics and treatments for children living with HIV. Please feel welcome to add your own personal comments to the postcard before you hit "Send postcard."
For more information about the advocacy action alert, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for more information about World AIDS Day.
CLICK HERE for information about the ELCA's response to HIV/AIDS.
For a free advocacy action guide from Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE to download a World AIDS Day 2009 Discussion Guide from the Global Peace Tiles Project.
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National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day
December 7 is National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day. A 2007 Presidential Proclamation states that this day should be set aside to ".....pay special tribute to those who lost their lives at Pearl Harbor, [and] honor our veterans of World War II...."
CLICK HERE for additional information.
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Training Events at Kirkridge Retreat Center
Kirkridge Retreat Center, Bangor, PA, is offering the following:
Creating a Culture of Peace - Facilitator's Training
December 2-6, 2009
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 learn to offer Creating a Culture of Peace training events.
Creating a Culture of Peace
February 12-15, 2010
Discover your own power and increase your skills for respectful engagement with opponents. This participatory training guides you through an exploration of nonviolence principles, an analysis of social change and community-building, provides resources and builds skills for peacemaking. Creating a Culture of Peace is a prerequisite for Creating a Culture of Peace Facilitator's Training.
Visit the Kirkridge website for information on registration and fees.
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Human Rights Day - December 10
Observed on December 10 annually, Human Rights Day commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations in 1948.
What can you do to celebrate this important event?
+ Participate in Amnesty International's Global Write-A-Thon: Write for
Rights;
+ Attend the 26th Annual Human Rights Day Conference organized by the Minnesota Department of Human Rights which will be held December 4 in St. Paul, Minnesota;
+ CLICK HERE for more ideas and information.
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Celebrate Christmas!
Celebrate the birthday of the Prince of Peace by sharing a gift in the name of family and friends through an ELCA "Good Gifts" donation to support ELCA ministries - CLICK HERE to send a card with your donation - or through a donation to the ELCA World Hunger Appeal.
Looking for a computer game or a book for a young person? Visit the Lutheran Peace Fellowship website for new resource guides that offer brief descriptions of the most useful sources, web links and more.
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Global Family Day - Jan. 1, 2010
Ring in the New Year by celebrating Global Family Day on January 1. This day has been established by the U.N. General Assembly and the U.S. Senate as a day for peace and sharing between people of all faiths, cultures, races, nationalities and economic classes.
CLICK HERE for more information and to visit the Global Family Day website.
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National Human Trafficking Awareness Day - Jan. 11
National Human Trafficking Awareness Day provides an opportunity to raise awareness and take action against commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor or slavery.
CLICK HERE for resources from ELCA Justice for Women.
CLICK HERE for more information about the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking.
CLICK HERE to access the National Council of Churches' 2009 bulletin insert which contains information and facts about human trafficking.
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Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
Plan now to participate in the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service on January 18, 2010. This day is set aside annually as an opportunity to honor the legacy of Dr. King through community service grounded in his teachings of justice and nonviolence.
Visit the website for more information and resources for individuals and organizations.
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Developing Hearts that Yearn for Justice
Transformational Third World Opportunities invites you to attend "Developing Hearts that Yearn for Justice: Ecumenical Theological Reflection in a Third World Setting for Clergy and Lay Church Workers." The conference will be held January 18-21, 2010. Participants will gather in San Diego then travel to Tijuana, Mexico where they will stay at Casa del Migrante. CLICK HERE to access a brochure with registration information.
Transformational Third World Opportunities is affiliated with the Hunger Ministry Team of the ELCA Pacifica Synod. The Rev. Bill Bruggeman, an ELCA pastor, and his wife, Ann, have been the coordinators of the ELCA Border Ministries Program along the US/Mexico border.
Thanks to Mia Baumgartner, a member of the Equipping for Peacemaking Network, for sharing this information.
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No Name-Calling Week
From the website:
No Name-Calling Week, January 25-29, 2010, is an annual week of educational activities aimed at ending name-calling of all kinds and providing schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.
Visit the No Name-Calling Week website for more information, to join the network, and to access resources.
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World March for Peace and Nonviolence
The World March for Peace and Nonviolence began on October 2, the International Day of Nonviolence and the anniversary of Gandhi's birth, in New Zealand. With approximately 100 base participants, the march will traverse the globe and will conclude in the Andes Mountains on January 2, 2010. The intent of the march is to mobilize people around the world to work toward peace and disarmament.
CLICK HERE for more information and for updates on the location and route of the march.
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ELCA Communication Services Joins '2009 Media Violence Fast'
From the ELCA News Service, October 19, 2009:
Chicago (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) Communication Services unit, along with a diverse coalition of faith communication organizations, is part of the 2009 Media Violence Fast. The Fast is a movement of thousands of people across the United States who work to abstain from violence on television and radio, for at least one week.
This year's seven-day emphasis, Oct. 19-26, asks interfaith participants to consider the effect of anti-immigrant speech in the media. MORE...
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Prayers for Victims and Families of Fort Hood Shooting
As the holiday season approaches, please include the victims, families, friends and co-workers who were affected by the recent shootings at Fort Hood, Texas in your prayers. To read more about ELCA involvement, read the following articles which were released by the ELCA News Service just after the incident:
ELCA Leaders Among Those Helping at Fort Hood
Lutherans Listen, Console and Pray in Response to Fort Hood Tragedy
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At Augusta Victoria Hospital, Medicine Transcends Politics
On November 13, The Jerusalem Post carried the following article about the work of this Lutheran World Federation-operated hospital on the Mount of Olives:
"Every morning, a big Mercedes bus pulls up outside the Augusta Victoria Hospital and its passengers make their way through the old steel gates.
Some are elderly men who walk hunched over with the support of a cane; some are wheelchair bound but younger; others are hospital employees - medical professionals who help treat"....MORE
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Advent Resources Available from World Council of Churches
"Telling Peace," a collection of liturgical resources for the four Sundays of Advent, was released by the World Council of Churches on November 20. It is the second in a series of collections from different regions of the world, prepared in the framework of the International Ecumenical Peace Convocation 2011.
This year's resources, including four complete worship orders, liturgical texts and songs, come from Asia. You can listen to the songs and download the tunes and music scores for free from the WCC website.
The Bible meditations are invitations to reflect on various aspects of peace building and overcoming violence. Although these materials have been prepared for the Advent season, they may also be used on other contexts throughout the year.
CLICK HERE to download "Imagine Peace," the 2008 Advent meditations and worship outlines from Latin America.
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Celebrating United Nations Day & Thoughts on Peacemaking
Thank you to Sr. Brenda Walsh, member of the Siena Center and the ELCA Equipping for Peacemaking Network for the following article:
At our late October gathering at Siena Center, motherhouse of our Racine Dominican Community, we celebrated the 64th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and recalled the goals and hopes of the organization. There was a strong call for peace and reconciliation, respect for human rights, and use of our gifts and resources for the advancement of all people. Attending were people from various faith communities....MORE
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ELCA Global Mission Gatherings Set for 2010
Deepen your understanding of the changing context and practice of global mission, enjoy great food and music, meet others who share your passion for ministry. Attend one of the following Global Mission Gatherings in 2010:
April 16-17, Chicagoland Area, IL
April 23-24, Northwest, WI
June 18-19, Newington, NH
July 16-17, Austin, MN
August 6-7, Billings, MT
September 10-11, Lexington, SC
October 1-2, Grand Forks, ND
October 8-9, Milwaukee, WI
November 12-13, Camp Hill, PA
For more information, please email GlobalMissionInfo@elca.org or call Mia Cortez at 1-800-638-3522, ext. 2642.
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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.
DECEMBER PEACE QUOTE:
"For a child has been born for us, a son given to us; authority rests upon his shoulders; and he is named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."
Isaiah 9:6, Holy Bible, NRSV
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Go in peace and serve the Lord!
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