Seabeck Conference 2015
Fellowship Of Reconciliation 57th Annual Northwest Regional Conference July 2-5, 2015 “Peace, Justice and Sustainability: Strengthening the Links” (flyer) Online registration is available through our partner Oregon FOR at: http://forseabeck.org What links will we strengthen? Sometimes the links involve values more than anything else: reverence for the dignity of all humans underlies our efforts whether we are working to end CIA torture, improve education, raise the minimum wage, or end police racial profiling. Sometimes the links involve methods: Cannot street theater and other joyful protest help stop wars and foster racial understanding? Sometimes the links involve our philosophy of life, as we apply nonviolent words and methods to our daily interactions as well as to our global solutions. Sometimes…
Peace Activist Trainees
Peace Activist Trainee (PAT) Program The 2014 Peace Activist Trainee (PAT) program ran Monday July 7 through Thursday July 31. This year we touched on many justice and peace issues and concerns. Because of inclement weather, the soapbox speeches at Victor Steinbrueck Park occurred during fleet day – so more “regular people” than ever before got to listen to these passionate, articulate youth. Their guerrilla theater piece (part of their overall project on the King County new juvenile detention center) surprised people in downtown Seattle, challenging assumptions and educating as they went. Their evening rally with excellent speakers (including a number of the PATs), chants, and group “privilege walk” were well-received. We ran out of the leaflet used for both parts of…
Expressions from Ellen
First we were all Tunisians. Then a poster read “Walk like an Egyptian.” Suddenly, we’re all from Wisconsin. Inspirational, remarkable change being wrought by working people, raising their voices and becoming actors in their own lives and in history. In Egypt we saw the linkage of new modes of communication (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) with the mobilization of millions of people to effect change. Did you know that among the community of young Egyptian bloggers, one of them had been promoting nonviolent civil disobedience by distributing a translated comic book about Martin Luther King that was developed by FOR in the late 1950s? In Wisconsin, tens of thousands of teachers, students, workers, and others are demanding that Gov. Scott Walker…
Day of Action on War Spending
The International Peace Bureau (Geneva, Switzerland) and the Institute for Policy Studies (Washington DC) are jointly organizing a Global Day of Action on Military Spending on Tuesday April 12, 2011, to coincide with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s new figures on military expenditures. Since this call happens to fall just before tax day in the U.S. [Monday April 18 rather than Friday the 15th because of a holiday in Washington DC, according to several sources], you may want to tie your event to international organizing. Check out the GDAMS website at http:/demilitarize.org a downloadable organizing packet and lots of organizing resources and ideas. With annual global military spending over $1.5 trillion (2009 figures), the group is asking people…
