This Saturday, December 2, Pax Christi USA and many of our partner organizations are offering a special online peace convening, 1-4pm Eastern.
Awash in a normalization of violence across global society, many of us across several networks* have been in conversation about the need to reset the cultural narrative. What is the Big Story that supplants violence in human affairs?
Naming such a story is no simple project. It’s not about a one and done conference. It’s generational, and aims to discern a narrative from across a very wide learning community of those engaged in lessening violence in human affairs. It draws on the wisdom and learning that exists across the scale from households to marketplaces to legislatures to religions and cultures and global affiliations to discern: What would living in a peace culture society look like and how does that metanarrative gain support and commitment
With that overall aim as background, the three-hour online gathering will have three parts:
- Orienting participants around the idea/aim/question (30-45 minutes)
- Presentation by The King Center (TKC) of Nonviolence 365 that briefly explains what the narrative/aspiration is, and mostly focuses on the “how”: how has TKC proceeded in pursuing this work? What has succeeded and vitally, what are the most significant challenges? (25-30 minutes presentation; 30 minutes exploration with attendees)
- Identifying what needs to be done to hold an in-person national convening at TKC in June 2024 – enlisting working groups (60 minutes)
>> Please register to join us online on December 2 from 1-4 pm Eastern Time to share and develop a work plan.
*Organizations identified to date below, which includes some that have been involved in our working group’s discussions and others whose excellent work have been identified as needed participants in this exploration to develop a narrative of peace:
The Just Trust
Interfaith America
Interfaith Alliance
Conference of National Black Churches
Black Women for Positive Change
National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center
Southern Truth & Reconciliation Commission
National Association for Mediation
World Beyond War
Giffords Center for Violence Intervention
Dr. Paul Zeitz
The King Center
Evangelical Lutheran Church of America
United Religions Initiative
Nonviolent Peaceforce
Anti-Defamation League
Police2Peace
Community Peacemaker Teams
Institute for Economics and Peace
National Council of Churches
Cure Violence Global
Meta Peace Team; Pax Christi Michigan
Portland Peace Team; Portland State University
Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Florida Council of Churches
The Trust Network
Ruminant Resolutions
Cure Violence Global
Meta Peace Team – Detroit Hub
Search for Common Ground
Pax Christi USA
CURE PDX
International Center for the Study of Violent Extremism
Congregation Shir Tikvah
International Center for Religion & Diplomacy
Community Peacemaker Teams
Institute for Strategic Dialogue
Catholic Nonviolence Initiative
American Friends Service Committee
Fellowship of Reconciliation
The Center for Ecumenical & Interreligious Engagement at Seattle University