John Dear

A series of emails have come in this week from Fellowship of Reconciliation members across the country regarding various court trials of peace activists. Here follow three examples. First, this Monday, 11 nonviolent activists were sentenced in Georgia for their role in "crossing the line" at the School of the Americas protest last November. Le Anne Clausen -- a member of FOR's December 2007 peace delegation to Iran, and the director of Seminary Action based in Chicago -- was sentenced to 30 days in jail for her participation in the SOA action.

Richard Deats, former executive director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and editor of Fellowship magazine, called my attention today to the latest column by John Dear -- another former ED at FOR -- in the National Catholic Reporter. John now travels the world teaching about Jesus' message of nonviolence, and he writes about this message in the context of world spiritual leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

During the next two weeks an incredible wealth of great programs are being held in New York City and the lower Hudson. Here is a "Top Ten" list I have organized, and I hope to see many FOR members and friends at some of these gatherings over the coming fortnight. Short descriptions are immediately below this paragraph, and greater detail is offered about each event further down the message: