CoExistance--A Life Equalizer

"To live together without hostility or conflict."

The goal of peacemaking is a world where we can live--exist--together. As we come to the end of 2009, a time of real spiritual insights, it is time to make the commitment to the idea that this world is built for all of us. Can we? Are we ready to? I personally think we have no choice. But, there are a few points I'd like to establish first.
You can't coexist without engaging. I am always out of my comfort zone except when I am with family and friends. The reason is that family and friends know me. I know them. It is not perfect, by any means, but the comfort lies in our love. We learn in our many religious traditions to love one another. But, many of our traditions also ask us to love our enemies. I believe that enemies are those we don't find comfort in. And that one should try to make enemies into friends--into the comfort zones of our lives. That takes engagement. Until we learn to engage, we have such an uneasy peace and uneasy peace can lead to the hostility that hampers coexistence.
Coexistence is not simply tolerance. Just the other day, someone said to me that he tolerated the way in which I took notes of our meetings. I knew the minute I heard the words that I was being insulted. I felt patronized. I felt that the uneasy peace that goes with not talking through the problems. It is similar to a blog I wrote about agreeing to disagree. That doesn't work for me and I guess it never will. I believe that tolerance leaves a void that says "we are not engaged" and I definitely believe that I don't want to agree to disagree, I'd rather agree to try and understand.
To coexist means "living" ... and to live means to embrace life. When we coexist we are truly embracing all that life has to offer. The strengths inherent in our diversity is what life is all about. If someone says, "I don't see color," I'm suspicious of that person who, I believe, wants the uneasy peace rather than the hard-earned peace. Uneasy peace, which can fracture at any moment, is not the goal of coexistence. Rather it thwarts our ability to coexist.
When I was a little girl, my mother would leave for work after kissing me with her frosty lips of red, marking my lips with a little color, too. I would send her off with a "See you later, alligator." To my delight that still makes me smile, she would respond, "After while, chocolate child." Can you imagine not recognizing the colors of roses--yellow, white, red? Would you fail to notice the color of the sky during a sunrise or sunset? I live for the creative paintbrush of God who made us all so different. God's gift to us is in each of us and it is marvelous in God's sight. It should be in ours, too. After all, God does love the whole world and I'm convinced that it is without any exceptions.
Peace.

Recommitting to the Principles of the Decade

The Peace Hour was created to tell the stories of peace in action and over the last five years has done that. Now we at The Peace Hour are looking beyond the Decade and have decided that our commitment will continue to be to the children of the world and that we will do it in various formats, including making our show available through internet. The last five years have shown us that our work with children is the most exciting work that we have ever done and will ever do. We will continue to bring the stories of peace in action to you with interviews from and about peacemakers. Along with our Peace Hour blog, our website will give you up-to-the-hour information about what is going on in the world. In addition, we are revamping our Sister II Sister blog and have started a wonderful new conversational blog called Wacky Peacemaking. We are bringing innovative ideas and conversations in every format that we can. In the meantime, though, we want you to remember what the principles are that started this Decade initiative and what the future may hold for us as we look BEYOND THE DECADE OF NONVIOLENCE!

Respect for All Life means to respect the life and dignity

of each human being without discrimination or prejudice.

It is funny that respecting life leads the list of principles because when you respect all life, no other principle is needed. In Sunday school I learned Thou shall not kill! and I believed that was a good commandment. Now, I realize that the other commandments are all about what not to do to anyone you might consider unworthy or dispensable. Clearly, you can create tons of commandments that work for the community that is honored and respected, but those same commandments are thrown out the window for the "other." Respect for all human life and dignity for each human being means everybody!

To reject violence is to practice active non-violence in all of its forms.

We think that only physical violence is true violence. Nothing can be further from the truth. While there is physical and sexual violence, there is also psychological, economic and social violence. This violence is usually perpetrated by the powerful against the less powerful, mostly the most deprived and vulnerable communities of the poor, children and adolescents, women and elders. If we think that we are exempt from being perpetrators because we didn't actually commit such atrocities, we fail to realize just how our silence and apathy play a part in colluding with those who do.
     In order to reject violence, each individual must be willing to stand against the tyranny that plagues our planet. We must learn to cease our collusion with the illnesses of society and find ways in which we can stop cycles of abuse that happen all over the world.

Defend freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving

preference always to dialogue and listening.

Recently I had the opportunity to talk about the importance of words, the impact of what we say and don't say, and how we can better listen. Dialogue and listening should be done without engaging in fanaticism, defamation and the rejection of others. Still, we may not realize how much our words and actions do just that. Again, as discussed above, silence often speaks volumes as does apathy. Our expressions manifest themselves in a variety of ways, so when you're thinking about engaging in dialogue, remember that there is more than one way to say something. Think on it!

Sharing your time and material resources in a spirit of generosity.

Our inability to be inclusive, to understand when our patterns are associated with exclusion, injustice and political and economic depression, has been the bane of our society. Chief Seattle said it best. Earth does not belong to us; we belong to the Earth. Such poignancy from someone who many might have considered conquered should humble us. Instead, we have become people of ownership, taking as much as we can without regard to others. We believe in wealth and therefore, wealth for the few and the privilege. This is not about socialism. This is about community. When we share our resources, the value from that increases significantly and the world is better for it.

Responsible and Developmental practices that respect all forms of life.

No longer a simple admonishment to mankind, preserving the planet is going to take forethought and much work. We have already destroyed much of what is precious about the earth. But it doesn't have to continue. It is clear that we must promote consumer behavior. I learned recently that a woman only generates less than 5 pounds of trash a month. Unheard of. In fact, it may well be true wacky peacemaking at its best. In America we generate tons of trash. Imagine consciously choosing to create less trash. Using cloth napkins. No styrofoam or plastic forks. Time consuming, but ain't our planet worth it?

 

or "Rediscovering Our Solidarity"

What are ways in which we can contribute to the development of our communities? And as I've asked over time, "Where is our community?" A simple question with complex answers. If we think of communities as places where people look and act like us, that's one thing. When we think of the world as a variety of communities where we all can take a part, that's profound. Traveling has afforded me the opportunities of being part of communities around the world--women, people of color, yes, but peacemakers! I am discovering that solidarity with those who believe in building cultures of peace are so wonderfully diverse that we are solving most of our problems with these simple collaborations. But, there's another aspect of contributing to our communities that is essential. There must be full participation of everyone and that includes women and it includes respecting democratic principles so that we can formulate the most positive aspects of solidarity possible.

     So, there you have it!

     Are you ready to rededicate yourself to the principles of the Decade and beyond? Let's get to work.

     Peace! 

IN FOUR DAYS ...

Join members and endorsers of The Decade of Nonviolence for an evening of peacemaking through fellowship and fun. Fellowship and Fun do go together. We'll laugh and smile as we share our work and our aspirations of building cultures of peace. There will also be an auction to raise money for Decade Programs in 2010. Some auction items come from a place that epitomizes peace ---

 

http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/

Ten Thousand Villages works with over 130 artisan groups in more than 38 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin American to bring you fair trade jewelry, home decor, gifts and more. They are one of the world's oldest and largest fair trade organizations in the world. Ten Thousand Villages provides the opportunity for a better quality of life.

The Decade Principles are Respecting Life, Rejecting Violence, Sharing with Others, Listening to Understand, Preserving the Planet and Contributing to Our Communities. We share these stories on The Peace Hour. Look for The Peace Hour to resume soon. More information to follow or if you want first-hand information, come to the Decade Event at The Houston Mennonite Church, 1231 Wirt Road (North of I-10), from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday, December 12th. We're looking to see you there.

Peace.

Fantastic Authors and Artists ...

THREE FANTASTIC BOOKS FOR THE DECADE

The Decade of Nonviolence has six principles that urge all of the world's citizens to embrace. All six of these principles are encompassed in three books: Within These Walls: Memoirs of a Death House Chaplain by Rev. Carroll Picket, Detour to Death Row by Houston's own Dave Atwood, and The Challenge for Africa by Nobel Peace Laureate, Wangari Maatha. The principles that these books urge us to look at concern human life and the Earth. Anti-death proponents, Rev. Pickett and Dave Atwood, believe in the sanctity of all life. They recount their experiences about the death penalty and its ill-advised use to combat crime, but also as a bad use of the penal system. The principles of the Decade they employ are "Respecting life," "Rejecting violence," and "Listening to Understand." Nobel Peace Laureate Wangari Maathi employs the use of the other three principles in her book "The Challenge for Africa" of "Sharing With Others," "Preserving the Planet," and "Contributing to Our Communities." She offers up her work "in the trenches with others to find ways to break the wall that separate the peoples of Africa from justice, wealth, peace and respect." All three books will be auctioned off on December 12, 2009 at the Houston Mennonite Church, 1231 Wirt Road (North of I-10) at the Decade Event. Each book is signed by the authors. For more information contact either Judith Hoffhein at 713-863-8708 or P.K. McCary at 713-893-1304. You can offer a bid for any or all of the books by emailing us at info@thepeacehour.org. Please note which book or books and your auction bid.

REMEMBER, PEACE IS AN ART FORM

Remember that you can also bid on fantastic art at this Decade event. Houston artist Chuck Ivy offers as an auction item "Wife/Lover," a 20x30 print facemounted on plexiglass. Chuck Ivy is another Houston artists who work can grace your home. Bids for art pieces start around $100 and are for a good cause to support the work of the Decade's work in 2010.

Again, for more information, contact Judith Hoffhein at 713-863-8708 or P.K. McCary at 713-893-1304. Each piece will be at the event on December 12, 2009. You can also email us at info@thepeacehour.org.

Hug A Bear of Your Very Own

Ever wonder about the story behind "Teddy's Bears?" More than just cuddly, teddy bears have a history. As everyone knows, real bears disappear in winter and reappear in spring. Bears symbolize renewal and rebirth. In some cultures, the bear symbolizes female energy and is considered powerful medicine. But, the story of the teddy bear did not come about because of her symbolism. Instead, the teddy bear was borne out of a story about President Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt’s refusal to shoot a bear that had been captured. He considered it bad form and lacking ethics. A Washington Post cartoon by Clifford Berryman captured the story, which was seen by a Russian immigrant by the name of Morris Michtom who asked his wife, Rose, to create a stuffed bear like the one in the cartoon. She made one and put it in the couple’s store window and it not only sold, but every bear she made sold out, too. The bears were dubbed “Teddy’s Bears” and were a huge success. President Roosevelt gave his permission to continue calling the bears by his nickname “Teddy” and the rest is history. The Company’s name was the Ideal Novelty and Toy Company, which still exists today. This story resonates with us here at The Peace Hour as well as on our Think Peace Radio Network, but in addition so do the symbols associated with the bear. We find the idea of bear magic appealing. We love the idea of renewal and rebirth since both are needed for each of us committed to the peace movement. Because of the bear’s fierceness and strength, we believe that bears also symbolize our need to utilize our combined strengths as passions to build cultures of peace all around the world. In addition, we believe that the symbol of the bear is perfect for the work that we do, telling the stories of peace in action.

     Our bears come with t-shirts that say "God Bless the Whole World, No Exceptions," Think Peace," and our new t-shirt with "Give Peas a Chance." We've included a picture here for you. 

"Won't you take one of us home?" Bears are available for your support of The Peace Hour and Think Peace Radio Network. If you're interested in having one of these bears for your very own, email me at info@thepeacehour.org for pricing information.

You're Invited to A Decade of Nonviolence Event ...

You're Invited to a evening of Fellowship and Sharing ...

When:

December 12, 2009

Where:

The Houston Mennonite Church

1231 Wirt Road (North of I-10)

Time:

5 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Decade of Nonviolence-Houston invites you to a holiday event at the Houston Mennonite Church, 1231 Wirt Road (North of I-10) so that we can share food, fun and fellowship to talk about Beyond the Decade: Where do we go from  here? The Decade of Nonviolence is a movement. Regardless of the wars and rumors of war that float throughout the world, peacemakers ARE making an effort and we are also making a DENT in the violent aspects of our lives. Come learn about Compassionate Communication, Peace Camp, Peace Education in Schools, and yes, The Peace Hour. Our work is really only just beginning.

ATTENTION: If you're an organization or group who endorses the Decade, please contact us so that we can list you in the program. In addition, bring your materials and information. We'll have a place set up just for you! We will be holding an auction to help raise money for the future of The Decade. Remember: Peace is an Art Form and we'll bring the creativity of peacemakers to you on this night, from 5 to 9. For more information, email us at info@thepeacehour.org or call P.K. McCary at 713-893-1304 or Judith Hoffhein at 713-863-8708.

AUCTION --- Peace is an Art Form

"Alien Friend" by Jennifer Chen

Kane Pau "Water Blossom" Lee

by Bobbie Jo Free

Artists from Texas and California have either donated or given at costs works that make a difference. Artists include Jennifer Chen a.k.a. "Komodokat," Burford Evans, Bobbi Jo Free, and other artists who showcase their works at the Black Heritage Gallery in Houston, Texas. Also, auction items are from 10,000 Villages and donations from private donors and collectors.

Proceeds from this event will benefit the Decade of Nonviolence--Houston, a non-profit charitable organization, and its programs: Compassional Communication, Peace Education in Schools, Peace Camp and The Peace Hour and Think Peace Radio.

BEYOND THE DECADE ...

The Peace Hour broadcast, as many of you know, is an initiative of the Decade of Nonviolence, when living Nobel Peace Laureates made their appeal to the world that we use this first decade to build cultures of peace for the children of the world. These last five years, I have started every show with these words. Next I say, "Many have heeded the call." And now I ask, "have they?"
The Call to Peace
As we head into 2010, there are many who feel that we've failed or at least are failing at building those cultures of peace in every day life. In America, we are struggling through a horrendous recession. We can't agree on ways to ensure that every American has health care or access to good health care. We fight over whether to stay in wars on the other side of the world--Iraq and Afghanistan, for instance--or whether to bother with conflicts in areas we don't think are important enough to warrant our time or efforts. The Republican/Democrat wars are legend. The wars around the world, many conflicts ongoing, don't seem to be abating. Every day, there is some conflict that results in the deaths and maiming of others. The Uppsala Conflict Data Program tells us that armed conflicts around the world result in 1,000 deaths a day! If we take a look at the world, we'll see that there is a conflict going on in almost every part of the world.

While this these violent conflicts include major and minor conflicts, they also include non-state and one-sided violence (UCDP Database, 2009). Still, this doesn't include the violence inflicted in homes, cities, states and nations, in families, in business, and in our "Peace" organizations.
     If I had to establish what hurts the most, I would say that the violence that hurts the most is violence perpetrated by those who are supposed to care and those who should know better. For the models of peace are there for us to use when conflict arises, but somehow, we don't always use them or maybe we haven't really learned how. When people that we love, respect and care about, resort to violence, our lives are shattered by that betrayal. When people fail to see that violence can happen without the use of a fist or a gun, that the weapons of hate, deceit, disinterest, disenfranchisement, disrespect and other types of actions more subtle, are as devastating to the soul, we'll never get this peace thing right. Weapons such as these can kill the spirit, the will and the heart of a people. It can make us jaded, cynical, but it can also make us afraid. Afraid to speak up. Afraid to venture forth. Afraid to use our gifts and talents for the good of humankind!
     Still, this is my heart talking. My brain tells me to look beyond the shadows. As one friend told me "Never attribute to malice what incompetence is sufficient to explain." Peacemaking is a lifelong endeavor. We have to get "good at it" in ways that make accomplishing it something like breathing. In. Out. Deep breaths. Exhale. My Yoga friends would agree.
   Another thought from this friend talked about the complications embedded in this world of peacemaking. He described them as "so many interlocking and overlapping, yet often competing, responsibilities" that we often drop the ball far more often than we admit. We too often focus on the one event that has been difficult rather than looking at the entire picture of events. My friend went on to explain it this way, "I DO think that [people] are often myopic and short-sighted (and redundant). There is a constant tendency to focus on the matter or issue or crisis that is right in front of a person and forget that decisions about the immediate matter affect other previous commitments, or even contradict stated principles and goals." In this, I found an answer that I think we must truly evaluate in ourselves. Am I so myopic or short-sighted that I'm concentrating on the immediate goal or problem? Do I only think of what is solved right now, rather than all the layers that it affects? I have to ask this question of myself because unless I reflect and evaluate my own purpose, I have no right to demand it from others.
The Vision
When a person is hurt, compassionate communication urges us to "listen to the need of that person" and that by understanding that need, acknowledging that need, we then are able to empathize. Empathy connects us. That's the "heart" part of peacemaking. We all need to listen to our hearts a little more.
     Besides the complications, we have systems that have been in place for centuries and these systems create disparities that resonate in different ways. We cannot create cultures of peace within these systems. It's a given that these systems must change. And here lies another problem. In order to change systems, many feel that we must use the same methods of these systems to vanquish that which we considered unholy, unhealthy or undesirable. This is defined as a takeover and takeovers are simply, to coin a violent analogy, simply "the faster gun." Instead, we must throw away these weapons and create models that mirror the best of our methods. Charles Edwin Markham talks about this when he says, "They drew a circle that shut me out--heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But love and I had the wit to win; we drew a circle that took them in."
Who's In/Who's Out
I'm out! I took myself out of a situation for reasons that I won't go into. It isn't important. What is important is that it hurt. I don't do hurt well, mostly because I try to anticipate hurt ahead of time. I walk around with my hurt detector on, but it is not infallible. So, then I'm surprised (well, not really), or taken off guard, then I start second guessing myself and trying to deal with the current issues (or what is perceived as the current issues) and I'm trying to fix those and I am, as my friend so appropriately points out, "myopic and short-sighted." I start trying to change the system and it isn't my place to change anything. There are a number of reasons why this is true. The biggest reason is that I have not nor will I have power in these systems. These are systems that I cannot take over even if I wanted to. I don't belong and it gets harder and harder to participate in a system where I am not only uncomfortable, but also have no real say. The most significant reason I can't change these systems is that I-can-only-change-myself. We must, after all, be the change we wish to see. When we do that, I can leave a little residue of my intent to empathize and love the people within these systems and perhaps those in power or control can use that, when and if they choose. But it is not now nor was it ever my job to change another. And even if someone tries to say that it is, I decline the offer. Thanks, but no thanks.
     Instead ...
     I want to build an place that is the wider circle built on principles of the Decade, but also principles of my faith, a place that still holds hope and love for the world. I want to build a place where the energy of young people is harnessed and developed, giving their creativity, gifts and talents free reign in the world. I want to capture the wisdom of the elders. I want an organization that supports intergenerational relationships. As a storyteller, I want to gather the stories and share them with the world--my way of sharing the world's cultures with one another. I want to be free--free to be all that I can be and along the way, stop to make sweet potato pies for my family and friends. In essence, I want to live this life to the fullest as a peacemaker. That's the job I'm applying for every day of my life.
     Someone said that if you build it--they will come. So, you may ask--why do I think I can build it? That's easy! Because everyone has it in them to do it. Because--after all--I'm In! In this world to do good.
     Peace.

[The Peace Hour broadcast will be heard every week on the Think Peace Radio Network, on OhZone.org, with archives at www.thepeacehour.org starting December 7, 2009. For more information on the work of The Peace Hour and the Think Peace Media and Communications Cooperation Circle, email us at office@thinkpeaceradio.net. We're building it. Won't you come?]