News Releases/Tidbits
March 28, 2008
Jr. High Workcamp
Thinking... Working... Faith-building
June 22 - 26, 2008
New Windsor, Maryland
Junior High Youth have the opportunity to engage in a week of service and integrated learning around the concept of “global injustice” this summer. Using the 2008 National Workcamps theme from Nehemiah 6:9, this workcamp will challenge thinking that limits action, and will encourage youth to overcome obstacles in our world.
Our home for the week will be the Brethren Service Center at New Windsor, Maryland. Initiated by Brethren visionaries like M.R. Zigler, the Service Center has been and continues to be at the center of many peacemaking and international outreach efforts. As the body of Christ, we will join our hands in service projects that have local, national, and global impacts: A Greater Gift (SERRV) and Brethren Disaster Ministries’ distribution center. Come work your minds as well as your bodies in this “thinking/working/faith-building” workcamp!
The cost is $225 plus transportation to and from the Brethren Service Center. Financial assistance is available through On Earth Peace by contacting Marie Rhoades ( 802-387-5079 ) . Register for the workcamp online through April 1, 2008.
February 4, 2008
New Peace Education Program Coordinator Named
On Earth Peace is pleased to announce that Marie Rhoades will be joining the staff as the new Peace Education Coordinator. Deeply rooted in the Church of the Brethren community, Marie studied philosophy and religion at McPherson College and is a member of Lancaster Church of the Brethren. She also has a Masters of Divinity from Lancaster Theological Seminary. Marie has recently joined the A Place Apart community located in Putney, Vermont and will begin her ministry with On Earth Peace in February 2008 from there.
The Peace Education Program is dedicated to developing leadership for peace in each new generation. Marie’s previous ministry with youth in congregational, district, and camp settings has prepared her well for this mission. At On Earth Peace, she will continue peace education by providing educational materials, interactive workshops, peace retreats, and other opportunities for youth and adults to grow in peacemaking leadership. The peace education program teaches youth to embrace creative, Christian peacemaking and reminds adults to follow Jesus’ way of thoughtful, creative, and prayerful nonviolence. Congregations seeking new ways to teach peace are encouraged to contact Marie Rhodes in the upcoming months. She can be reached by email at marie.oepa@gmail.com or by phone at (717) 917 – 9392.
November 19, 2007
Introducing Writer in Residence
for On Earth Peace
We would like to introduce Travis Poling, a Writer in Residence with On Earth Peace through the ministry formation program of Bethany Theological Seminary. Travis is a middler student working from his home and the seminary campus in Richmond, Indiana. He looks forward to exploring what it means to live poetic lives of creativity and peace as we follow the leading of the Word made flesh. Travis has already been busy with his writing -- you can see articles by him in the most recent Peacebuilder, Living Peace Church News & Notes, and On Earth Peace newsletter. Travis is a member of the Manchester (IN) Church of the Brethren and an associate member of the Richmond (IN) Church of the Brethren. You can contact Travis via e-mail or by phone (765-962-9461).
August 15, 2007
New Coordinator of Communications
We’re excited to introduce Gimbiya Kettering as Co-Coordinator of Communications. In this shared position with Barb Sayler, Gimbiya will focus on writing and editing newsletters, publicity for events, and other written communications. Joining the staff from Takoma Park, Maryland, Gimbiya brings a balance of writing and editorial skills. Raised in Nairobi, Kenya, by an interracial family rooted in the Church of the Brethren, Gimbiya also brings a unique perspective on issues of diversity and multi-cultural awareness. She has a B.A. in International Studies from Maryville (TN) College, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from American University, Washington, DC. She is co-author of Inside Sudan: People-to-People Grassroots, published by the New Sudan Council of Churches. Gimbiya can be reached at gimbiyakettering@yahoo.com and 301-717-0971.
June 20, 2007
International Day of Prayer for Peace Grassroots Organizer
This is a short-term contract position
JOB GOAL
Catalyze at least 40 vigils by Church of the Brethren congregations as part of the World Council of Churches' International Day of Prayer for Peace (September 21, 2007) (IDOPP); at least 20 vigils to include ecumenical or interfaith partners
JOB DESCRIPTION
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Develop and carry out marketing, outreach and organizing plan for IDOPP in Church of the Brethren context.
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Promote key resources/organizing packet and template for vigil.
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Serve as liaison between local organizers, On Earth Peace, and the Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
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Build strong organizing relationships that will keep Brethren Witness/Washington Office and On Earth Peace in touch with interested congregations for ongoing work.
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Track efforts, keep clear records, regularly update report of progress.
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After the IDOPP, analyze the campaign as a whole and write a summary of lessons learned for future campaigns.
QUALIFICATIONS
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Grassroots organizing skills (for example, initiating new contacts, developing relationships; support local organizers with brainstorming, encouraging, follow-up)
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Strong communication skills, including comfort and ease in telephone calls, word processing/computer publishing, web publishing, and written correspondence
Available at Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, Cleveland, OH, June 30-July 4, 2007
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Basic familiarity with Church of the Brethren structures and districts very helpful
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Ability to reach out to diverse constituencies and cultures
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Multilingual preferred
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
*Information about the International Day of Prayer for Peace is available at http://overcomingviolence.org/en/about-the-dov/international-day-of-prayer-for-peace/
*Expectation is 5-10 hours/week beginning immediately through September 2007.
*This is a contract job without benefits, paid at $13.50/hr. All taxes including Social Security will be the responsibility of the contracted person.
*Expense for communication and internet provided.
*Work will be from home with regular phone supervision; some travel may be necessary.
*This position is jointly sponsored by On Earth Peace and the Church of the Brethren General Board Brethren Witness/Washington Office.
*On Earth Peace, the contracting agency, does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, culture, national origin, orientation, age, or disability, and encourages all interested persons to apply.
TO APPLY
Send a letter of interest including relevant experience to Matt Guynn, coordinator of peace witness, On Earth Peace. Send via e-mail to mattguynn@earthlink.net or fax to 765-966-2546.
Applications will be considered beginning Monday morning, June 24, 2007, and continuing until the position is filled.
March 1, 2007
Doris Abdullah Participates in Darfur Work of UN Subcommittee.
A position statement and suggested strategies for nongovernmental (NGO) action on Darfur, Sudan, was issued Feb. 8 by the United Nation’s "Sub-Committee for Elimination of Racism, Xenophobia, and Related Intolerance of the NGO Committee on Human Rights." Church of the Brethren member Doris Abdullah serves on the subcommittee, representing On Earth Peace and the Church of the Brethren.
The subcommittee hosted a meeting on Darfur for more than 60 nongovernmental organizations at the UN Church Center in New York on Jan. 10. The purpose of the meeting was to provide a briefing on the status of the crisis in Darfur and to develop strategies for assisting in bringing it to an end. The position statement and suggested strategies were issued as a "following narrative" to the discussion at the meeting, and have been offered to nongovernmental organizations for their consideration.
The position statement said in part, "The situation in Darfur, Sudan, remains dangerous, fluid, and volatile. News reports inform us that advocacy efforts to date are having a positive impact. This tells us that it is important to maintain the forward momentum of our efforts. At this time the dying continues, the rapes continue, the starvation and severe health risks continue, the displacement and sense of hopelessness continues, and these conditions are spreading across borders. We assert that this is a human rights tragedy that is caused by racism, discrimination, and targeted intolerance....
"We recognize that the UN NGO community has an obligation to seek, find, and use every opportunity to expand global awareness of the Darfur crisis, and to hold those who choose culpable silence and egregious indifference publicly accountable for the persistence of the crisis. The genocide in Dafur must be condemned without reservation," the statement continued. "We implore the general public to compassionately and conscientiously end the agony in Darfur."
Suggested strategies for action included sending letters to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, the UN’s Human Rights Council, the UN Security Council, other international and national bodies, individual political leaders, and political organizations. The subcommittee also suggested forming a broadly representative interfaith delegation to Khartoum, Sudan, and putting pressure on companies and corporations investing in Sudan.
In other work, the subcommittee is preparing a presentation for the "200th Anniversary of the End of Trans-Atlantic Slavery Commemorations," a session of the UN General Assembly beginning March 26 with speaker Rex Nettleford, chair of the UNESCO Slave Routes Project.
"I am glad for the work of Doris and the UN subcommittee," said Brethren Witness/ Washington Office director Phil Jones, who also noted that the subcommittee’s statement at points conflicts with Church of the Brethren positions of nonviolence "This may be a good time to refer Brethren to a very helpful Annual Conference paper of 1996, ‘Nonviolence and Humanitarian Intervention,’" Jones said (go to www.brethren.org/ac/ac_statements/96Nonviolence.htm).
"Darfur continues to be one of the most difficult issues I face in my work," Jones said. "If we say genocide is occurring, which I am convinced it is, and yet armed intervention, in whatever form, is not the answer--then it remains an imperative challenge that we come up with an alternative nonviolent solution."
For the subcommittee’s position statement, contact Abdullah at angramyn45@aol.com.
January 18, 2007
Matt Guynn Interviewed on National Radio
On Earth Peace staff member Matt Guynn was one of a panel interviewed on national radio as part of an activist-oriented training network called Training for Change (see www.trainingforchange.org). The interview was broadcast from Philadelphia on Saturday, Jan. 13, as part of the show, "Weekend America." The show related to the Martin Luther King holiday and included clips from Dr. King’s speeches and responses from the panelists about the speeches’ relevance for today. Find "Weekend America" at http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org.
December 1, 2006
Counter-Recruitment Networking Calls Scheduled for December 6th & 7th
Every six to eight weeks, On Earth Peace sponsors a networking conference call for anyone working on truth-in-recruitment organizing, especially focused on supporting those working from the basis of Christian faith (though all are warmly welcomed to participate). We welcome both those people who have been active for some time or those just beginning to work in this area.
You can see a basic introduction to this work here.
It's time for the next round of calls! Here are your choices:
1. Wednesday, December 6th at 6:00 pm Eastern
2. Thursday, December 7th at 11:00 am Eastern
Please reply to Matt Guynn to join this month's calls, which will feature (1) Christian theological reflection on counter-recruitmen, (2) a chance to share and hear stories with other organizers around the country, and (3) highlights of recent resources and new developments in the truth-in-recruiting movement.
These networking calls are always a high-energy boost of cross-pollination, and include organizers from coast to coast. Folks have already RSVPed for this round from Washington DC, Cinncinnati and Columbus OH, Brooklyn NY, Claremont CA, Richmond IN, and El Paso TX.
This time we're scheduling two conference calls for you to choose from, which will be limited to 8 persons each (not including the facilitators). Don't panic! If demand outpaces supply, we will schedule another call, and celebrate our abundance!
Contact peacewitness_oepa@brethren.org or 765-962-6234 to reserve a spot.
September 27, 2006
On Earth Peace Board Member Works with UN Subcommittee on Racism
When Doris Abdullah pondered how her involvement as a board member of On Earth Peace connects with her membership on a United Nations subcommittee working against racism, two scripture texts came to her: Revelation 22:2c, “...And the leaves of the tree (of life) are for the healing of the nations”; and James 3:18. She likes a Catholic Bible version of James 3:18, “The harvest of justice is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.”
Abdullah is a member of the UN Subcommittee for the Elimination of Racism of the International NGOs (non-governmental organizations) Committee on Human Rights. She also serves as a credentialed representative of the Church of the Brethren with the UN. The Church of the Brethren has a long-standing history as a certified NGO with one of the UN directorates, according to Stan Noffsinger, general secretary of the General Board. For many years, former General Board staff member Shantilal Bhagat served as a Church of the Brethren representative to the UN, as well.
The sub-committee, which meets once a month, has “a great commission,” Abdullah said: the charge to eliminate racism, “which the UN considers a scourge on human history.” As a member of the subcommittee, she also had the opportunity to attend the 59th Annual Department of Public Information/NGO Conference on “Unfinished Business: Effective Partnerships for Human Security and Sustainable Development.” The Sept. 6-8 gathering featured presentations on effective partnerships to achieve the Millennium Development Goals of the UN. Abdullah’s subcommittee offered a workshop titled, “Racism and Discrimination as a Cause of Poverty and Hunger.”
Still awed by the level of work she has become involved in, Abdullah thought, “Pinch me!” when she was seated only five rows from UN secretary general Kofi Annan at the conference. The address Annan gave impressed her as well. “He said that we are the boots on the ground that push things forward,” referring to NGOs like the Church of the Brethren and On Earth Peace, she said. For Abdullah, the work of these organizations are “like the leaves of the tree in Revelation.”
Ecumenical and international perspectives come naturally to Abdullah, and are major reasons for her involvement with the UN. “I suppose God prepares you for the things you do in life, although you don’t realize it,” she said. Her personal journey of respect for people of other backgrounds began early, with her wedding to her Muslim husband, held at Convent Avenue Baptist Church in New York, with a Jewish friend as an attendant. In her professional career of 30 years, she was employed in the New York area by an international company based in Europe.
Then, five years ago on Sept. 11, 2001, “when those buildings came down,” her world changed, she said. At about the same time she retired and had new time and energy to work on the healing of a world she characterizes as deeply flawed by the linked ills of racism and poverty.
Abdullah joined the On Earth Peace board in 2002; she joined the UN subcommittee just this April. The goals of On Earth Peace are the same as the goals of her work at the UN, “because as long as there is racism, we cannot have peace,” Abdullah said. She pointed to the Church of the Brethren’s recognition of racism as an enduring structural factor related to poverty, in the 2000 Annual Conference statement, “Caring for the Poor.” The UN recognizes the link between racism and poverty in its Millennium Development Goals, which Annual Conference has endorsed.
Abdullah’s concern for the connection between racism and poverty shows in her volunteer work at a shelter for young women. In the three years she has worked there, she said, she has seen only three white women stay at the shelter; all the others have been Hispanic and African-American. The women are there because of dysfunctional family backgrounds, dismal experiences in the school system, lack of basic education, and lack of skills, Abdullah said. Many are pregnant and homeless at age 17 or younger.
“Why does this happen to these girls?” she asked. “We expect them to make choices. But there are no choices.” The women are victims of institutional racism, she said. At the UN, Abdullah heard reports of the progress of African women, aided by programs teaching life skills, agriculture, and small enterprise. In contrast, she said, “my young ladies have no skills. They are fourth-world women living in the first world.”
Praising the Church of the Brethren as a peace church, Abdullah also called Brethren to recognize the long way we have to go to eliminate racism. Referring to the “Caring for the Poor” statement, she called for fulfillment, for example, of the recommendation to make anti-racism training available in the denomination and a standard part of orientation for new employees.
The church “still is overwhelmingly white in its structure,” she said. Society in the US is based on white privilege, the idea that “white makes you right,” and the church has picked that up, she said. The rich color present among Brethren in places such as the Northeast, Chicago area, and sister churches in Nigeria and the Dominican Republic still remains to be seen in the denomination as a whole. “Our church drifts along with a white European structure at the top.”
How can the church eliminate racism? Abdullah suggested some possibilities. One is the successful model used by Nelson Mandela to address the pain of apartheid in South Africa, where he worked on reconciliation first, before he started to seek justice, she said.
A story from the life of her “favorite white European,” Mother Theresa, illustrates another measure to eliminate racism from the church. When Mother Theresa went to India, she discarded the traditional habit of a nun and created a habit more suited to Indian culture, Abdullah said. “Why? Because she never assumed that white means right.” When churches begin asking what people of other cultures need, and allowing them to decide that for themselves, “of course you can succeed,” she said, “if you throw off the nun’s habit.”
Her final suggestion may be startling to some: use shame. “Start by shaming people,” Abdullah said. For example, the horrific events in New Orleans during and after Hurricane Katrina, revealing the persistence of poverty and racism, are shameful, she said. “You have to address it.”
The School of the Americas
The SOA Watch has announced that this year’s witness will be held Nov. 17-19 in Columbus, Ga., at the gates of Fort Benning. On Earth Peace is inviting Brethren to take part. Visit www.soaw.org for more information. The witness is focused on closing the school that has trained military personnel from other countries, many of whom have been connected with human rights abuses in Latin America.
August 30, 2006
Advanced Reconciliation Skills: A Systems Approach to Conflict and Self Understanding
The Ministry of Reconciliation (MOR) of On Earth Peace is offering "Advanced Reconciliation Skills: A Systems Approach to Conflict and Self Understanding," a fall practitioner workshop, on Nov. 15-17 at Camp Mack in Milford, Indiana. Participants will learn a biblical approach to consulting and healing broken communities, the dynamics of emotional fields, brain function and co-causal understandings of human interaction, and skills for self-understanding and differentiation in healing ministries. Leadership is provided by Jim Kinsey, a member of the General Board’s Congregational Life Teams and a certified trainer, consultant, and practitioner of the Bowen, Friedman, Steinke Systems Process. Cost of $120 covers tuition, materials, meals, and two nights lodging. Commuters pay $84 for tuition, materials, three meals, and day-use fees. The workshop begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and concludes at 4 p.m. Friday. Time for worship and fellowship is included. One continuing education unit is available to Church of the Brethren ministers through the Brethren Academy for Ministerial Leadership. Registration deadline is Oct. 15. To register or for more information, contact Annie Clark, MOR coordinator, at annieclark@mchsi.com.
Brethren are invited to Counter-Recruitment Conference
A Counter-Recruitment Conference sponsored by Mennonite Central Committee US (MCC US) will be held in San Antonio, Texas, on Nov. 3-5. On Earth Peace is planning a delegation from Church of the Brethren congregations, led by Matt Guynn, coordinator of Peace Witness.
"This is an open invitation event which a group of Mennonites who are mostly people of color have had the major hand in planning," reported Guynn. "The conference is going to be a special opportunity to worship, share, learn, and plan together as we prepare to respond actively to the impact of military recruitment on communities."
The conference will bring together youth and adults from communities heavily targeted by military recruitment. It was inspired by the Anabaptist Consultation that took place at the Church of the Brethren General Offices in Elgin, Illinois, in March 2005, which focused on the potential for military conscription.
"Given the strong military recruitment efforts in communities burdened by poverty and racism, a people-of-color caucus at the (March 2005) consultation issued a strong call for a conference focusing on military recruitment," said the announcement of the event from MCC US.
The event is planned for youth and young adults, youth sponsors, Sunday school teachers, pastors and youth pastors, district and conference youth ministers, peace committee members, school teachers, and guidance counselors. Organizers hope to equip congregations to help youth find meaningful nonmilitary opportunities for education, job training, employment, and leadership development; network and share resources and strategies for outreach in schools and other public settings; and ground the work of counter recruitment in commitment to Christ's way of peace and reconciliation through worship and biblical study.
Register and get more information at mcc.org/us/co/counter/conference. To attend as part of the Brethren delegation, contact Matt Guynn or 765-962-6234.
A truth-in-recruiting organizing and outreach packet is now available from On Earth Peace, including a 10-minute DVD to be used as a conversation starter related to questions of military recruitment. The packet will be useful for Sunday school classes and youth groups. For more information go to the On Earth Peace Counter Recruitment Website.
May 25, 2006
On Earth Peace board begins strategic planning process
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| On Earth Peace Board and Staff at their Spring 2006 Board Meeting in New Windsor, Maryland. |
The On Earth Peace Board of Directors and staff met April 21-22 at the Brethren Service Center in New Windsor, Md. The board’s Advancement, Personnel, Finance, and Executive committees met April 20. The devotional theme used scriptures focused on "A Passion for Peace.”
Beginning new strategic planning work, the board affirmed and encouraged staff to go ahead with planning three “big goals” that On Earth Peace has in process: “That On Earth Peace will make it possible for every youth in the denomination to have a real opportunity for an extended peace learning experience while in high school; that On Earth Peace will make it possible for every pastor in the denomination to learn effective conflict transformation approaches and skills; and (this goal is still being refined) that On Earth Peace will provide tools for every congregation in the denomination to have a vibrant peace/justice ministry which affects the life of its community or beyond.”
A session was devoted to reviewing the vision and goals from the agency’s 2000-01 strategic planning process, looking at how On Earth Peace wants to move forward in new planning. Time was given for a “clearness process” for raising concerns and questions, followed by a small group discussion. Issues addressed included organizational health, identification of what is working and what is not, who On Earth Peace primarily represents, and who the agency would like to represent.
Board and staff reviewed the report from the Annual Conference Study Committee on Doing Church Business. The study committee includes On Earth Peace staff member Matt Guynn and board member Verdena Lee. After meeting in small groups, the board offered a brief response to the study committee, recognizing that the paper’s implications for On Earth Peace and for the Annual Conference will be major if it is adopted.
In other business the board received reports from board committees and staff and was introduced to a "big goal" of resourcing congregations to have a significant peace ministry either locally or globally. Other program developments reported by staff included a new resource packet on “Encountering Recruitment,” workshops at all four regional youth conferences, expansion of the Peace Retreat Leadership Team, the Ministry of Reconciliation’s training for Shalom Teams in many districts, creation of a new manual for leaders for Matthew 18 workshops, the growing number of congregations receiving “Living Peace Church News & Notes,” Spanish translation of printed materials, a new video telling the story of the work of Brethren Service Committee after World War II, and development of a program focus on Israel/Palestine that includes delegations, speakers, and resource materials.
Updates on On Earth Peace’s effort to become an anti-racist organization were shared as well, highlighting the work with consultant Erika Thorne from Future Now. Board member Doris Abullah, from Brooklyn, N.Y., reported on her participation in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in their working group on Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Board member David Jehnsen of Galena, Ohio, also reported on his involvement in the Churches Supporting Churches project, which is working with 900 churches in the Gulf Coast whose buildings were destroyed by hurricanes last year. The project is attempting to partner ten other congregations with each of these churches. Nonviolent education will be part of the overall effort, and there may be places for On Earth Peace to be involved in this work, the agency said.
The next meeting of the On Earth Peace Board is scheduled for Sept. 22-23, when the board will commit five hours of meeting time to an abbreviated process of Together: Conversations on Being the Church.
For more about On Earth Peace go to www.brethren.org/oepa.
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2006 News Archive
