Marching For Change

"World March for Peace & Nonviolence

First U.S. stops: Nov. 30 New York; Dec. 2 Washington, D.C.

5,000 people joined the World March for Peace team on Nov. 14 in Spain as it marched along the Paseo del Prado to the Puerta de Sol, accompanied by musical groups and dancers from different countries, members of distinct political parties, neighborhood associations, university students, cyclists and up to a hundred different cultural and social organizations. Pau Segado, spokesman of the March for Spain, called on President Zapatero to withdraw Spanish troops from Afghanistan, and denounced the government’s “double game” of promulgating peace while selling weapons internationally.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The “World March for Peace & Nonviolence” will travel to the U.S. capital for a rally at the Lincoln Memorial Wednesday, Dec. 2, from 2-3:30 p.m. The rally will pay tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and present the “Charter for a World Without Violence.”

The charter was produced by the 10th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates meeting in Berlin. The charter was entrusted to the World March during its visit there. It emphasizes a vision of a new world where all forms of violence are rejected.

The World March is expected to reach more than 1 million people in 350 cities, 100 countries on six continents. Rallies, demonstrations, summits, programs, festivals and celebrations will address urgent, timely objectives such as nuclear disarmament at a global level; immediate withdrawal of invading troops from occupied territories; the progressive and proportional reduction of conventional weapons; signing of non-aggression treaties between countries; and the renunciation by governments of the use of war as a means to resolve conflicts.

Sitting presidents of seven countries have endorsed the march, along with Nobel Peace laureates including the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Jimmy Carter.

Call for change
Over the course of three months, a core team of international marchers will meet with world leaders, faith communities, civic groups and ordinary citizens to unite the world in calling for change. The U.S. portion of the march will take them through New York City, Washington D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles and Puerto Rico.

These stops will be followed by international travels in Central and South America where the march will end on Jan. 2, in Punta de Vacas, Argentina.

New York City, Monday, Nov. 30, will be the World March’s first day in North America. Some marchers will have covered 30 countries and five continents in 60 days prior to arriving in the United States.

New York City
At 1 p.m., participants will gather at Borough Hall in Brooklyn prior to marching over the Brooklyn Bridge to New York’s City Hall to bring a universal call for peace and nonviolence. At 3 p.m., the International March Team will hold a press conference on the steps of City Hall. Team members will explain the march’s goals and achievements. They will also receive a proclamation from the New York City Council.

At 7 p.m., Riverside Church will host a World March celebration. “Beyond Violence” will be an evening of presentations and cultural performances intended to reflect the diversity of New York City itself. Details about performers, speakers, program and tickets can be obtained at World March.

The International March Team will meet with U.N. General Secretary Ban Ki Moon before heading to Washington, D.C.

Proclamations and papal blessings
On Nov. 17 ,San Francisco’s City Council passed a unanimous resolution in support of the World March, which was launched by World Without Wars & Without Violence, an organization of the Humanist Movement. On the same day, the city of Tarpon Springs, Fla., officially endorsed the World March with a proclamation.

On Nov. 11, Pope Benedict XVI offered a blessing to the marchers who arrived at Vatican City following legs in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

The march began Oct. 2, Gandhi’s birthday and the International Day of Nonviolence. On that date, an international team of marchers set off from Wellington, New Zealand, on a 93-day, 99,000-mile journey around the world. Marchers will pass through countries on six continents before ending in the Andes mountains in Argentina. Closing ceremonies will feature Rafael de la Rubia, World Without Wars founder who initiated the World March. Members of the International Team of Marchers will also take part.

For more details about the U.S. portion of the march, including activities in Los Angeles, Sacramento and San Diego/Tijuana, visit World March USA, contact Chris Wells, (646) 258-7520, or Cres O’Neal, (301) 646-4989."
Date: 11/22/2009
©2005-2009

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I would love for people to share with myself and with others what motivates you enough to stand up and march for change? What change do you want to see in the world and what are you doing to make that change happen?

Erin

A Manifesto! The Time Has Come!

An incredible and insightful article by John Shelby Spong. Please read it.

A Manifesto! The Time Has Come
http://www.rmnetwork.org/flashnet_show.asp?flashnetID=200#1

It is my greatest hope that we may we all one day join in this march to create a better world. May the battle really be over for all those who are oppressed by injustices and wrong doings and my we begin to celebrate in each of our own diversities. Let us lift each other up with love and live in unity as one body created by the always loving God.

After School Program

I was leaving work yesterday and one of my youth was walking by the church with a few of his friends. Now, you need to understand that this is one my youth that would never admit that he like coming to youth, much less that he like me, so I suspected when I said hello he might say hi and keep walking or I could even get ignored. However, I also know the importance of acknowledging a child when you see them outside of church and school so of course I said hello. As soon as he saw me he ran over and gave me a huge hug and screamed my name and then introduced me to each of his friends. After getting over my shock that he was acknowledging my presence lol we began talking and I asked them what they were doing. They proceeded to tell me that they had just got out of school and they were running around the neighborhood with nothing to do. I told them to be careful, we said our goodbyes, and as I got into my car a light bulb came on.
The church where I work has two middle schools in walking distance. These middle school kids are passing by here every day after school and most of them have nothing to do. Why not offer something after school for them to come to rather then having preteens running around the neighborhood, which seems unsafe and probably creates more trouble then it does good.
My idea was to create a program, possibly starting with only one day a week that brings in middle school kids after school to the church. We could offer a snack, possibly tutoring, and then some form of fellowship. This is where I need ideas. I personally do not think this needs to be a time for Bible study or even anything related to God but rather just a time for fellowship and fun.
My first idea was to offer different opportunities to learn about all sorts of things that might appeal to the interests. For example, for the first two times we meet I could have someone come in a teach the group about dance. Then for a few weeks we could learn about frisbee golf and ultimate frisbee, and then maybe one week we could look at computers and how use computer safety while surfing the Internet, and then maybe we could teach them how to be a photographer and how to properly use a camera, etc. The opportunities would vary and although each youth might not be passionate about each thing they learn it allows them to maybe find something they really enjoy that they might have not know about before. Overall, it would hopefully be something they enjoy and look forward to coming to each week, and maybe in the midst they might learn a thing or two. I also hope it would help these young teens stay out of some trouble at least for a few hours during the week, and it will encourage them to come and be apart of a group and maybe they will even bring their friends.
Like I said, it was simply an idea that popped into my head yesterday and it could be a complete bust however, I think I am going to give it a try starting in the spring. So, if you have any ideas on how to make this program a success or if anyone has ever done a program like this I would love some helpful tips. Thanks!

Talking with Teens

"What are our youth ministries passing on to our youth?" If we want to pass along the Christian faith, then parents must be reflections of that faith and spend time with youth. Youth leaders are saying, Let’s step back a little, and make use of what God has given us to help pass along the faith. Let’s put parents and the congregational family to work with our youth." (Pamela Smith McCall)

Lately, I have been trying to think of ways to better incorporate parents into the lives of their youth. Although youth are often just as busy as their parents I feel it is the adults role to make sure and spend time with their children, especially their teens.

Although teenagers will never admit it, they long for attention from the adults in their lives. They want to feel acknowledged and important. Most teens want to know their opinions are valued and be given recognition in their daily lives. Although parents might not always agree with their teenagers choices or understand some of the things they do, the teenagers feel the say way about you (parents). By entering into healthy conversations together about what is important in each of your lives, you might be able to find some common ground. Yes, times have changed and teenagers lives are different then they use to be when their parents were younger, however you are both people living in the same world and that allows for a lot of similarities.

You might ask: what do we talk about? Or, my teenager would never sit and have a conversation with me? ... but I think you would be surprised.
Start simple. Something a family friend once told me she did with her family each day was simply asking her kids where they saw God today. Something to do that is even easier then that and something my own dad use to ask me each day was, "did you learn anything today?" Although the answer to the question might often be, "not really, or ya but I can't remember," and you might feel blown off ... you are opening a door for conversation and letting you teens know you care about what is going on in their lives. Although they might not share with you something deep each day, the day will come when they might say, "you know today in one of my classes at school we were talking about health care, and I just really don't understand what its all about. What do you think about it?" Or they might say, "today at band practice we learned how to play your favorite song and I really hope you will come to the game Friday night and hear it." Teens might even begin to enjoy you asking the question, like I did, and they might even begin to notice when you forget to ask your daily question.

Of course, you can pick any question that works best for you and your teenagers and it might not work instantaneously or at all. This is just something simple I know has worked for others and could work for you. So, I challenge you to engage into conversations with your teens. Try and come up with a question that you could ask your teenager each day even trying it out just for a month and see how it goes. Then report back. In the meantime, I would love for resources and ideas on how to help parents be more involved in the lives of their teens.

Erin