Iraq
… Israel – Palestine … Colombia … An eye for an eye … and eventually the whole world will be blind … Is there a better way? Is there a way to break this seemingly endless spiral of armed conflict, brutal repression and violence? Mahatma Gandhi thought so. He imagined “a band of workers who would devote themselves to the maintenance of peace among people.” Unfortunately, he was assassinated before he could begin to build on his vision of a “peace army.” But during the half century since Gandhi’s death, about 20 organizations have successfully experimented with “Third Party Nonviolent Intervention” in conflict zones around the world. Now the Nonviolent Peaceforce is building on this legacy to create a trained civilian intervention force that will help create space for local groups to struggle nonviolently for social justice. Madison-area peacemakers have formed a local affinity group to help promote the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Please join us for an evening of discussion to learn more about how you can help create a world-wide civilian peace force. Our guests will be three representatives from the (temporary) international headquarters of the Nonviolent Peaceforce in St. Paul:
Sunday, June 8, at 7 PM 480 N. Baldwin, #6 (Baldwin & Sherman, a half block west of Tenney Park) The
Nonviolent Peaceforce will deploy its first civilian
peacekeepers this summer in Sri Lanka, where 65,000 people have died
in a 20-year civil war. The Peaceforce will need to raise $8
million dollars a year in order to be effective. Yes, a lot of
money, but only what the world wastes on weapons of war every
hour. Please join us Sunday to discuss how we can help raise
funds, recruit peacekeepers, and conduct outreach for the |