Peacemaking at UUCR

In support of the UUA's Peacemaking Study/Action Issue, the Peacemaking Group is leading UUCR members and friends in studying and discussing all aspects of what it means to pursue peace, including development of an annual plan for education, reflection and action. Activities include the First Friday Freedom Film series (of which at least one film per quarter will be devoted to issues related to peace); Wonderful Wednesday educational forums; a book discussion group; special worship services; and cooperation with organizations such as PeaceAction Montgomery to encourage participation in peace vigils, petition drives, demonstrations, etc. Contact: Pam Rasmussen

Here is a Peacemaking Action List (pdf)

Upcoming Peacemaking Events

What is the Reality of War? Hear for Yourself

In 1971, veterans of the Vietnam War bravely convened in Detroit to testify to the atrocities that they committed and observed on the front lines, in the hopes that by baring their souls, the general public and their representatives in Congress -- who kept the war going while others paid the price -- would be shocked into taking action. On March 13-16 of this year, this time in Silver Spring, MD, the second "Winter Soldier" hearing took place for the same reasons, featuring veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Selections of the video.

May 3, 2008: PeaceAction Mongtomery Lunch at UUCR

The annual fund raiser of PeaceAction Montgomery, which this year will focus on how we can help Iraqi refugees, will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. (including lunch) on Saturday, May 3 in our own UUCR founders' hall. Featured speakers will include Kristele Younes of Refugees International and Raed Jarrar of the American Friends Service Committee. Proceeds will go to the International Rescue Committee. Mark your calendars!

May 4, 2008: Advocate for Montgomery County to join the Cities for Peace Movement

The Peacemaking Group will offer a peace action on May 4 after Lynn’s sermon on Peace. Sign letters to the County Council Members advocating for the Council to pass a resolution for peace. Almost 300 municipal governments, four of them counties, have adopted resolutions asking that the troops be brought home, and/or protesting the idea of starting a new war with Iran. We believe our County Council should adopt such a resolution, making us a Peace County and thereby enrolling us in Cities for Peace. You can see the list of Cities for Peace, (click on Cities with Resolutions) which includes Baltimore.

The continuing occupation of Iraq is siphoning off American taxpayers' money at the rate of $720 million per day. Meanwhile, critical human needs in our country and in Montgomery County are going unmet. Our county faces a budget shortfall of $401 million- a bit over half the daily cost of the occupation. Montgomery County residents will contribute an estimated $672 million as our share of the nation's Iraq occupation costs for 2008. That is enough to cover our local budget shortfall with some $270 million left over, for improvements to our schools, our housing options, our lives.

A growing coalition of groups supports this initiative and includes: Peace Action Montgomery, Pax Christi Montgomery, Progressive Maryland and the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Rockville. We’ll be visiting with all of the Council Members to explain the process. Your signatures will show support for making us a Peace County. Contact Ray Watts for more information.

May 7, 2008 (Wonderful Wednesday program) at 7:30pm: Film - Encounter Point

The film "Encounter Point" is a balanced look at perspectives from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian divide and provides a rich foundation for discussion by our guest Tarek Abuata, a Palestinian- American, a lawyer, and the founder of Love Thy Neighbor, an organization that promotes nonviolence in Palestine and Israel . He recently returned from a three-month teaching tour in the region.

May 14, 2008 (Wonderful Wednesday) at 7:30pm: Book Discussion: Individuals Can Make a Difference

All the bad news in the media about war abroad and injustice at home can leave one feeling depressed. But don't be -- individuals can make a difference. Join us to discuss "Unbowed." This engaging story is a memoir by Wangari Muta Maathai, whose life exemplifies what one individual can do to change the world for the better in both big and small ways. The 2004 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Maathai first became known as the founder of the Green Belt Movement , an environmental justice campaign in Kenya, and as chairman of the National Council of Women in that country. She is currently an elected member of the Kenyan Parliament.

Past Events

Wednesday, January 30, 7:30 at UUCR

A Peacemaking Opportunity – Book Discussion

This book has been a focus of discussion in many UU groups, as an overview of what has led to the societal and environmental violence underlying many of our social problems, and what needs to be done to move toward a peaceful, just, sustainable global community. In "The Great Turning" Korten argues that corporate consolidation of power is merely one manifestation of what he calls "Empire": the organization of society through hierarchy and violence that has largely held sway for the past 5,000 years. "The Great Turning" traces the evolution of Empire from ancient times to the present day but also tells the parallel story of the attempt to develop a democratic alternative to Empire. Finally, Korten draws on evidence from varied sources to make the case that "Earth Community"--a life-centered, egalitarian, sustainable alternative to Empire based on democratic principles of partnership--is indeed possible. And he outlines a grassroots strategy for beginning the momentous turning toward a future of as-yet unrealized human potential.

Nov 28, 7:30 Wonderful Wednesday

Jean Athey: Torture is a Moral Issue
Film and discussion

Oct 30, 7:30 Book discussion

Nonviolence: 25 Lessons for the History of a Dangerous Idea, by Mark Kurlansky
This is a concise and readable history of non-violence, Kurlansky's book is a primer on peacemaking. He applies the microhistorical approach of his bestsellers (Cod; Salt) to the loftier subject of nonviolence -- which, he observes, is so profoundly dangerous to the powers that be, that it has never been debated seriously as a policy option. Active practitioners of nonviolence are always seen as a threat, he says, and the conflict between authority and nonviolent resistance becomes a moral argument that, all too often, the nonviolent lose by abandoning their ideals in the name of self-defense. As he analyzes the history of nonviolence from the dawn of Christianity to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, Kurlansky also points to prominent victories, like Gandhi's quest for Indian independence and the Eastern European resistance to the Soviets.

October 21, 2007: A Peacemaking Sunday with Phyllis Bennis

As part of UUCR's Peacemaking activities, Ray Watts and other members of the UUCR-SJ Peacemaking committee invited Phyllis Bennis, a Fellow of the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington and Director of its New Internationalism Project, to speak on Sunday, October 21. Her areas are U.S. foreign policy, including U.S.-United Nations relations and the Middle East, particularly Israel-Palestine and Iraq. She is an author of seven books and appears frequently as a commentator/analyst on U.S. and international television and radio programs, including "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" on PBS, the CBS "Morning Show," NPR's "Diane Rehm Show," and is active in the global peace movement.

On Oct 21, she gave a very inspirational talk on the question of whether and how we should renounce violence, and had strong suggestions for what we individually and our congregation and denomination can do about our own government's use of violence and war.

You can download her talk (or the reading that preceded it) by right-clicking a link below and saving the mp3 files to your computer (or just click the link and listen):

Talk: Violence and war: inevitable parts of the human condition? (mp3, 4Mb)

Reading: Challenging Empire (mp3, 1.4Mb)

Oct 21, 11:15 am Film and discussion after the service

Ghosts of Abu Ghraib
The Abu Graib film was a gift from the National Religious Campaign Against Torture; if you missed it, please contact Terrie Barr to check out the film. Former President Carter says the US tortures prisoners in violation of international law. Carter told CNN that President Bush makes up his own definition of torture. He also says that the interrogation methods cited in memos reported by the NY Times constitute torture using international definitions. The Times reported those techniques included simulated drowning and frigid temperatures.

Oct 17, 7:30 Peacemaking Wonderful Wednesday

The Peacemaking discussion began with the question: What is peace? Alex Winnett, UUA Advocacy Office rep and peace studies graduate offered this, "It is not an absence of conflict but an absence of violence. Violence is an action that imposes on another’s economic, emotional, physical, or spiritual wellbeing" Alex admitted we will always have conflict but suggested we have the intention of choosing to learn from conflict. We talked about the importance of peace s/heroes and cultivating inner peace for outer peace. Go to www.org/csai for the latest on the peacemaking study/action issue.

Oct 5, 7:30 pm First Friday Freedom Film

West Bank Story and Seeds of Peace
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Two Filmmakers' Perspectives on Hope for the Future If you are like most people, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict seems like a war without end. But there is hope, if only we can help both factions to "walk in each other's shoes." Learn how, through two short productions: West Bank Story (which won the Oscar for best short film) and Seeds of Peace.