Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence Continues

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) is now more than two years into the "Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence" work. The decade theme originated from an appeal for peace to the United Nations by 20 Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, the late Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama.
On Nov. 10, 1998, the U.N. General Assembly voted unanimously to designate 2000-2010 the "Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for all the Children of the World." The 1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolved that the ELCA will join other church denominations and organizations in recognizing the Decade as well, only under a slightly modified name -- the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence. The assembly designated the ELCA Division for Church in Society as the lead unit.
"The Decade is basically a call to retain a focus on the high values we are called to search for," said Michael Nisbet, ELCA coordinator, Decade for a Culture for Nonviolence.
The ELCA Decade "promotes and models the practice of nonviolence and advances the understanding and incorporation of nonviolence in its members' lives and in service to our communities, the nation and the world," according to its mission statement.
The ELCA Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence task force, consisting of 20 members from different ELCA units, works to generate ideas for raising awareness of the violence that dominates society today. For example, movie previews usually contain one violent scene after another, said Nisbet.
"There is a tendency [in society] to engage in a cycle of violence," said Nisbet. "Christians are called to break that cycle."
The task force organizes educational retreats and initiates programs and training events where participants can learn about the biblical basis of peacemaking, the meaning of nonviolence and the effects of violence in communities, according to the mission statement.
Training events took place this past month at the ELCA Global Mission Events in Hickory, N.C., and Minneapolis July. The Decade task force had a display on the topic of domestic abuse at the Women of the ELCA's Triennial Gathering in Philadelphia July 8-14.
Making sure that the Decade's theme and goals are "visible" to others is a challenge for the task force, said Nisbet. Another challenge he identified is the topic of globalization.
"With globalization, we have to ask, 'How do we integrate ourselves into the world, yet retain a sense of American-ness?'" said Nisbet. "Many people [in the United States] used to live in small towns that were virtually untouched, but now they are dealing with a growing nationalism and internationalism."
Globalization relates to peace and nonviolence in that learning about other cultures "strengthen[s] the understanding of enemy-making behavior," according to the Decade's mission statement.
Many of the 65 ELCA synods have passed resolutions supporting nonviolence and the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence.
The task force recently published a list of accomplishments from the past two and a half years. They include: + a Web page that was constructed to outline the Decade's background, goals and other peace-related resources. + a $35,000 grant for multicultural moral deliberation to further address the issue of conflict. + an online database of peacemakers that will allow networking between advocates. -- -- --
Information on the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence is maintained at http://www.elca.org/dcs/socialjustice.htmlOR A on the Web.

*Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.
This summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Production.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
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