Peace News from FOR - Burma action, Interfaith Fast, and more updates

Crisis in Burma:

The BBC and other sources have reported that thousands of Buddhist monks are missing in Burma - arrested, in hiding, or killed. After leading the nation in protests against the repressive regime that rules Myanmar, the monks are now under attack from the military. Now is a crucial moment for the world community to speak out loudly about this atrocity, and shine a spotlight on this situation until democracy can be restored.

Actions you can take:

• Attend or organize a vigil in your community at noon on Saturday, Oct. 6. • Sign a petition to Chinese President Hu Jintao and the UN Security Council to stand with the Burmese protesters. • Send a letter to Myanmar's Foreign Minister Nyan Win to release monks and other peaceful protesters. • Donate to help Stone Circles send video cameras to Burma.

 

To stay up to date, follow the Burma section of our blog at FORpeace.net/tag/burma.

MONDAY!

Interfaith Fast to End the War in Iraq
From conquest to community. From violence to reverence.

Last month we told you that FOR is participating with a diverse coalition of religious leaders and organizations calling for Americans to fast from dawn to dusk on Monday, October 8, to call for an end to the Iraq war. There are over 50 events planned all around the U.S., so there is probably one near you! Visit InterfaithFast.org to find events, get updates, and share your own stories.

If you can't make it to a local event, join us online! Members of Facebook have created an event that has nearly 400 people signed up to fast wherever they are on Monday. And in the virtual world of Second Life, FOR is partnering with the Peacemaker Institute to observe the fast with meditations for world peace and a fast-breaking party on Commonwealth Island.

On Monday, the FOR office will be closed as we observe this fast and focus our attention on building the peace community and ending the war in Iraq. We hope you will join us in this effort.

Grassroots Civilian Diplomacy Training: Activists in the Halls of Power

The Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) & Interfaith Peace-Builders (IFPB) present:
Grassroots Civilian Diplomacy: Activists in the Halls of Power
Two-Day Training on Advocacy for Demilitarization

WHEN: November 4-5, 2007
WHERE: Washington, D.C.: The United Methodist Building, 100 Maryland Avenue, N.E., on Capitol Hill

COST: $25-75, sliding scale.

REGISTRATION: Due October 26, 2007. Contact Sharon Martin, smartin@forusa.org, 845-358-4601 ext. 33. Participants are encouraged to join with a partner from your group or local community, to support each other upon returning home. Let us know if you would like help in identifying a partner!

HOUSING: Participants should make their own arrangements. FOR has a list of inexpensive options.

QUESTIONS: Contact Leila Zand, lzand@forusa.org, 845-358-4601 ext. 27.

Download the flyer for the event (PDF, 110k). Download the registration form (DOC, 37k).

Blog highlights

Ambivalence and Ahmedinejad

Several FOR staff had the opportunity to participate in meetings with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad when he was visiting New York Last week. Here is an excerpt of FOR Executive Director Mark Johnson's blog about an "interfaith dialogue" he attended with the visiting leader:

I think I actually heard reconciling words: The arrogance of power seekers and the impious put all of us at risk. The inequities and suffering of the world's poor, hungry, diseased, homeless saddens us all. Accepting our mistakes is necessary but not sufficient to effect change: to condemn slavery and then market and buy the products of slavery; to condemn genocide and then hesitate to react to genocidal conditions in the world, are unacceptable positions. Just as there is a legitimate concern for the fate of the Jewish people, there is a legitimate concern for the fate of the Palestinians. Those who maintain large arsenals of nuclear weapons may not be the best arbiters of access to nuclear technology. When you see poverty it means somewhere nearby a right has been violated: someone is using more than their share. Hospitality must be the root environment for productive dialogue to blossom and flower.

But maybe I heard these wrong. I also watched the all too familiar dance of dissimulation, the coy and overly cautious segue away from the question on the table, the inability to acknowledge what is well documented and is challenging in the face of a message of affirming human worth, the dignity of all, the image of God in which we each are made. And then I still am confused at times, is it ambivalence or ambiguity that makes us uncomfortable?

Continue reading Mark's reflections on our blog.

Blog highlights

Understanding Jena

FOR Communications Co-coordinator Ethan Vesely-Flad blogged today about reactions to the Jena 6 cause and shares his own suggestion about how to break the school-to-prison pipeline.

A massive rally in Jena on September 20th on behalf of the six accused has been described as the largest march in the Deep South since the era of the civil rights movement. (Police estimates varied between 5,000-15,000; eyewitnesses, including FOR members, put the crowd at between 50,000 to 100,000.) Other solidarity rallies were held on the same day in cities around the United States.

Yet there has remained a significant racial disparity between those who have joined the cause of the "Jena 6" -- the case has resonated deeply in the black community, but liberals and progressives from other racial/ethnic backgrounds have been slow to participate. Why is this?

In the October 8th edition of The New Yorker, a commentary titled "Disparities" by Steve Coll notes one key reason: while many whites have tended to look at the specifics of this case, blacks see it within the broader spectrum of racism and discrimination in our society.

Continue reading Ethan's thoughts on our blog.

Upcoming events

Learn about all of these and more by visiting FOR's Peace and Justice Calendar. This page is always up to date with our grassroots civilian diplomacy activities as well as national events.

Work for peace

FOR currently has two job openings, and a couple more on the way. See our job listings page to learn more and apply.

Youth and Militarism Co-Coordinator
This new position is critically important to strengthening FOR's efforts in the national peace and justice movement and at local levels. Among other key responsibilities, the Youth & Militarism job will help move FOR into its new role as one of three national organizations leading the Not Your Soldier campaign. Click here to learn more and to apply.

Receptionist
This full-time position at the Fellowship of Reconciliation is responsible for supporting the communications efforts of the organization. The outreach and contact specialist position reports to the Communications Co-Coordinator and works collaboratively with the entire FOR staff at its national headquarters in Nyack, New York. For the full job description and to learn how to apply, click here.

Your support keeps us going

The latest issue of Fellowship magazine focuses on Pluralizing Sustainability; Sustaining Pluralism. If you have donated to FOR in the past year, you should have already received your copy. If not, now's a great time to subscribe.

 

You can sustain and strengthen FOR's essential work for peace and justice in many ways.

Membership is free, and demonstrates your support of our Statement of of Purpose. Donations are always welcome, and we'll thank you with a year of Fellowship magazine. Visit our blog and leave a comment. Or just share this message with a friend who understands the importance of peace and justice with nonviolence.

Now federal employees can support us at work, too! FOR was recently chosen to receive donations from the Combined Federal Campaign, the largest workplace fundraising drive. We are a part of the new Peace and Reconciliation category. If you are a federal employee please choose FOR, CFC number 12436.