Youth E-News: Sowing Seeds of Peace
"And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace" - James
A Publication of Lutheran Peace Fellowship
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Welcome
Gandhi once said, “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” As Christians, we are called to be the change in our daily lives, to work for change in our communities and schools, and occasionally, to call out with prophetic voices to our leaders, so they might contribute to changing oppressive systems in the community, national, or global arenas.
June 3rd through 6th, I had the opportunity to join with Christians from across the country for fellowship, worship, and action at the Sojourners/Call to Renewal “Pentecost 2007: Taking the Vision to the Streets.” The event, complete with a presidential candidates forum on Faith, Values, and Poverty and a march to the capitol building, was an amazing opportunity to join with fellow people of faith who believe that poverty is a moral issue. Together, we lifted our voices in worship and in discussions on how to bring the issue of poverty to the forefront of our churches, then used those same voices to encourage senators and members of congress to take a stand against poverty.
During the Lobby Day portion of the event, we joined with others from our local areas to speak with legislative staff about poverty. We focused on three current legislative issues: children’s healthcare (specifically the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP), fair and compassionate immigration reform, and the Farm Bill. Inspired by a vision of shalom, we lobbied for programs that help families, uplift the poor, and benefit the global community.
The work that we began at this year’s Pentecost event is not finished – each one of us, whether we went to the event in DC or not, is called to be change and proclaim a need for change. As people of faith, we are to bring the gospel to the world, and part of that gospel is uplifting the oppressed and impoverished. Let us, then, bring a vision of shalom to the streets – to our daily lives, our politics, our prayers, and our interactions, and encourage our leaders to do the same.
–Allyson Fredericksen, LPF Youth Trainer and Program Coordinator
If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions for future issues, e-mail me at lpfyouth@gmail.com. Also, if you are on Myspace, join our Myspace group at www.groups.myspace.com/lutheranpeace or join our Facebook group at www.facebook.com.
For more information on Sojourners/Call to Renewal, the Pentecost 2007 event, and the Vote Out Poverty campaign, visit www.sojo.net.
Issue Highlights:
- News Articles on Peace and Justice – Get the latest on issues of peace and justice around the globe!
- Advocacy Alerts – Vote Out Poverty, the ONE Campaign, Immigration Reform, and
- Community News – Work a Day for Peace, Let Justice Roll, and more!
- Spiritual Reflection – Prophetic Voices!
News Articles on Peace and Justice
Last Year One of Worst Ever for Refugees-UNHCR Chief: Last year was one of the worst for refugees and the crisis is deepening in 2007 thanks to conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan's Darfur region, the United Nation's refugee chief said. As refugee numbers rose for the first time in five years, the number of people displaced within their own borders reached a record high -- more than doubling to almost 13 million, UNHCR said. For more information on this story, visit http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L20904353.htm
UN Mission Urges Political Solution in
For more news articles on peace and justice, visit www.alertnet.org
Advocacy Alerts
Vote Out Poverty: Martin Luther King Jr. famously warned that a "a nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death." Yet despite King's caution, we are spending hundreds of billions of dollars on a disastrous war in
ONE Campaign: We can be the generation to end world hunger! Too many in the world continue to suffer from poverty, hunger, and disease, and too few are doing anything to stop it. Join the ONE campaign today and urge the
Immigration Reform: With Congress on the verge of rewriting our nation's immigration laws, too many of the loudest voices being heard are politicians and pundits who seek to scapegoat immigrant workers, falsely blaming them for many of our nation's social and economic problems. Tell Congress: immigration reform must be fair and compassionate. Visit www.sojo.net for more details.
For more ideas, visit http://www.unitedforpeace.org and www.sojo.net
Resources
Budget Priorities Computer Activity: As the war continues in
The activity and resource guide are available via our website at www.LutheranPeace.org; both are also available on a CD with supplementary resources for $10 ($4-$8 for LPF members). To order your copy, email lpf@ecunet.org or call (206) 720-0313.
Global Directory of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution Programs: The 7th edition of the Global Directory of Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution programs is now available in print and as a constantly updated online resource. You can order just the book or the database, or both. This comprehensive guide to peace studies and conflict resolution programs profiles over 450 undergraduate, Masters and Doctoral programs, centers and institutes worldwide. For details, visit http://www.peacejusticestudies.org/globaldirectory/
For additional resources, visit www.LutheranPeace.org
Community News
Anywhere – Work a Day for Peace (September 11-21): The Nonviolent Peaceforce has since 9/11 commemorated this day with fellowship events and calls for peace making. This year, "Work a Day for Peace stretches from 9/11-9/21. 9/21 is the International Day for Peace. Use your creativity to design an activity for one or more the days between 9/11-9/21 and send any funds raised to Nonviolent Peaceforce,
Across the
Chelan, WA – “Don’t Hate, Advocate!” Let Justice Roll 2007 (October 6-8): Join with other high school students from the
peacebuilding and advocate nonviolence in all sectors of the region. This year there are a number of opportunities to take part in trips to areas of the
Also, a correction: In last month’s issue, the events from
Do you know of an upcoming event in your community? Email lpfyouth@gmail.com with details and I will include it in next month’s issue!
Spiritual Reflection
As Christians, we are called to uplift the poor and oppressed through our actions and, when needed, through prophetic voices. If we are to truly be the change we wish to see in this world, we must act toward making this world a more just place for all. Throughout the centuries, prophets from many cultures have cried out for action and reminded us of our duty to our impoverished sisters and brothers. May the words of these prophets of the past stir in us a fire for action and a compassion for the world.
"History will have to record that the greatest tragedy of this period of social transition was not the strident clamor of the bad people, but the appalling silence of the good people." – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Because there is global insecurity, nations are engaged in a mad arms race, spending billions of dollars wastefully on instruments of destruction, when millions are starving. And yet, just a fraction of what is extended so obscenely on defense budgets would make a real difference in enabling God's children to fill their stomachs, be educated, and be given the chance to lead fulfilled and happy lives.” – Desmond Tutu
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” – Elie Wiesel
“Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice. It is the protection of a fundamental human right, the right to dignity and a decent life…” – Nelson Mandela
“Oppression can only survive through silence.” – Carmen de Monteflores
“Who can protest and does not, is an accomplice in the act.” – The Talmud
“The problems we face today, violent conflicts, destruction of nature, poverty, hunger and so on, are human-created problems which can be resolved through human effort, understanding and the development of a sense of brotherhood and sisterhood. We need to cultivate a universal responsibility for one another and the planet we share.” – 14th Dalai Lama
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“This is not about charity, it's about justice... The war against terror is bound up in the war against poverty - I didn't say that, Colin Powell said that . . . In these disturbing and distressing times, surely it's cheaper, and smarter, to make friends out of potential enemies than it is to defend yourself against them..Justice is the surest way to get peace.” – Bono
“From the cowardice that dare not face new truth, From the laziness that is contented with half truth, From the arrogance that thinks it knows all truth, Good Lord, deliver us.” – Kenyan Prayer
“Poverty is the worst form of violence.” – Mahatma Gandhi
“True compassion is more than throwing a coin to a beggar. It demands of our humanity that if we live in a society that produces beggars, we are morally commanded to restructure that society.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
“Nothing strengthens authority so much as silence.” – Leonardo da Vinci
“It would be blasphemy against God and our neighbor to leave the hungry unfed while saying that God is closest to those in deepest need. We break bread with the hungry and share our home with them for the sake of Christ’s love, which belongs to the hungry as much as it does to us. If the hungry do not come to faith, the guilt falls on those who denied them bread. To bring bread to the hungry is preparing the way for the coming of grace.” – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
