Seeds of
Peace Sprout During Spring Activities
The biggest recent news of PEACE
• Creating a Culture of Peace, an inspiring weekend workshop attended by about 20 participants. This Fellowship of Reconciliation program explored the roots of violence and nonviolence, ways in which we all participate in violence and nonviolence, and concrete steps for personal and social change. Participants learned effective non-violent strategies for social change by studying examples from the various social movements.
•
Two excellent speakers: Joseph Gerson,
author of Empire and the Bomb; and
Noah Merrill, who had just returned from working with Iraqi refugees in
• Youth gathering attended by students from several area high schools. Participants included peace activists, sympathizers, and a few who were still forming their beliefs. The event focused on military spending, and countering military recruitment. We were not just “preaching to the converted,” so had some lively discussions. One participant was considering joining the military.
• Peace Talks, a conversation among peace activists from many backgrounds.
• Multicultural Mixer, co-sponsored with Diversity Focus.
•
Space for meetings and press conferences—including
one with Kathy Kelly—held by the Iowa Occupation Project. A courageous group of activists are engaged
in non-violent direct action at congressional offices in order to end funding
of the Iraq War. For more information,
see:
http://www.schoolformoralcourage.com/iowaoccupationproject.html
•
Weekly meetings of the UI Anti-War Committee are
now held at PEACE