News from the Local Chapters and Affiliates of the
Fellowship of Reconciliation
SPRING 2012 SP SPRING RING 2012 2012 Report R eport o on n January January 2012 2012 IIFOR FOR Delegation Delegatiion to Europe Europe Extended Extended Visit Visit to Israel/Palestine Israel/Palesti t ne byy Mark b Mark C. C. Jo Johnson, hnso on, Ph.D., Ph.D., Ex Executive ecutive Director, Director, r FOR Our O ur Metanoia Metanoia - E Egypt gypt Part Part IIII of b of bigotry igotry b by y otherwise otherwise historically h istorically ffriendly riendly M Muslim uslim neighbors. n eighbors. M Muslims uslims sh shared ared similar si milar su suspicions spicions tthat ha t confrontations co nfrontations b between etween tthe he Muslim M usl s im Bro Brotherhood therhood a and nd Salafists Sa lafists might m i gh t b be eb blowback lowback c ffrom rom Mubarak’s Mubarak’s a attempts ttempts tto o contain co ntain tthe he ri rising sing p power ow er o off tthe he Brotherhood Bro therhood (w (which hich h he ea and nd Sadat Sa dat and a nd N Nasser asser b before efore h him im ttolerated olerated a as sa an ne exemplary xemplary opposition) o pposition) w with ith tthe he a addition ddition o off a Sa Saudi au di n nurtured urtured Sa Salafist lafist undercurrent. u ndercurrent. IIn nah highly i ghl y militarized m ilitarized co country untry iin na militarized m ilitarized re region g io n o off a militarized m ilitarized w world, orld, iitt w was as a also lso striking st riki k ng tthat hat the the Church Church ffelt elt iitt would w o ul d w welcome elcome h help elp iin n deepening d e ep eni ng a an na appreciation ppreciation ffor or Members M embers o off our o ur d delegation elegation w who ho and a nd ski skills l ls o off n nonviolence. onviolence. W While hil e came ca me o out ut o off a more more r deeply deeply re reflective flective tthe he ttheory heory iis su understood, nderstood, Christian C hristian fframework ramework tthan ha n m many any iin n practice p ract c ice iis s st still i ll n needed eed ed tthe he West West (either (either from fro r m a se secular cular because, b eca c use, w when hen co confronted nfronted w with ith Europe, Eu rope, o orr tthe he ffailed ailed Pro Protestant testant tthe he n need eed tto oe exercise xercise tthe he sk skill, kill, experiment e xperiment o off N North ort r h Am America), erica), w were ere n nonviolence onviolence iis sh hard ard tto op put ut iinto nto surprised su rprised tthat hat for for tthe he ffirst irst time time in in actual a ctual p practice. ractice. decades d ecades o off vvisits, isits, tthe he p public ublic vvoice oice o off tthe he Church Church w was as re ready eady tto oa affirm ffirm iits ts The T he Pa Patriarch triarch o off the the Melkite Melkite shared sh ared re responsibility sponsibility ffor or tthe he Greek G re eek C Catholic atholic C Church, hurch, SB B conditions co nditions o off tthe he Eg E Egyptian yptian p poor. oor. Gregorios G re egorios IIII II (h (head ea d o off one o ne o off tthe he se seven v en C Catholic atholic C Confessions onfesssions iin n Egypt E y pt a Eg and nd the the Middle Middle Ea East, ast, Confessional C onfessional sp spokespersons oke k spersons all obedient o to Rome but w with ith entertained e ntertained tthe he p possibility ossibility tthat hat original o riginal e eastern astern ro roots), ots), w was as attacks a ttacks o on n Christians Christians w were ere a as s llikely ikely p perhaps erh haps tthe he m most ost optimistic optimistic directed d irected b by y tthe he government government tto o so sow w a and nd e enthusiastic nthusiastic o off e everyone veryone dissension d issension a as s tthey he y w were ere tto ob be ea acts cts w we e met. met. He He said said tthe he R Revolution evolution The m The metaphor etaphor o off sp sspring ring a as sa an n awakening a wakening iis s ce certainly rtainly n not ot llost ost o on n tthe he Arab Arab world, world, h harking arking b back ack a as s iitt th does d oes tto o early early 2 20 0 ce century ntury efforts efforts to to tthrow hrow off off tthe he yyoke oke of of colonialism. colonialism. The T he family family of of terms terms that that would w oul d iinclude nclude ‘‘intifada’ intifada’ a and nd ‘‘jihad’ jihad’ a also lso blend b l en d w with ith tthe he e expression xpression o off ‘‘metanoia,’ metanoia,’ d defined efined a as s re repentance, pentance, ttransformation ransformation o off tthe he h heart. eart. T The he llatter atter term term is is now now vvoiced oiced b by y so some me Christian C hristian cl clerics erics w who ho iin nag guilt-tinged uilt-tinged ttone one affirm affirm that that they they h had ad been b ee n complicit co mplicit iin n tthe he re reign ig n o off M Mubarak, ubarak, preferring p referring tthe he d devil evil tthey hey kn knew ew tto o tthe he rresponsibility esponsibility tthey h ey h had ad tto o ttruth ruth a and nd jjustice. ustice.
is a re reaction action o off one o ne p people, eop le , human h u m an b beings ein gs a all, l l, n not ot a collection co llection o off se sectarian c arian ct communities. co mmunities. IItt iiss a re response sponse tto oe everyone’s veryone’s su suffering. uffering. H He e stated st ated tthat hat iitt is is a recognition recognition (again (a gain tthe he m metanoia) etanoia) tthat hat tthe he people p e op le a as saw whole h ol e h have av e b been ee n responsible re sponsible ffor or ttheir heir ttroubles, roubles, not n ot jjust ust Mubarak. Mubarak. k He He sh shared ared tthat h at w while hi le M Mubarak ubarak iis sg guilty uilty and a nd sh should o uld b be eh held e ld accountable a ccountable ffor or h his is cri crimes, mes, everyone e veryone m must ust a adopt dop t a n new ew vvision ision ffor or tthe he ffuture uture o off Eg Egypt, gypt, an a n Egypt Egypt iin nw which hich c a allll a are re called ca lled “t “to ob be ew with, ith, a and, nd, ffor or tthe he other.” o ther.” H He e warned warned tthat hat tto o encounter e ncounter IIslam slam with with a an n accusation a ccusation tthat hat iitt iis sa ffundamentalist undamentalist re rreligion ligion iis sa dishonest d ishonest a approach. ppro oach. W While hi le saying sa ying IIslam slam iis s “so ““something mething else” e lse” o orr d different ifferent tthan ha n Christianity; C hristianity; h he e st sstated ated tthat hat it it has h as much much iin n co common, m m on, iincluding ncluding a h hunger unger tto o sh share are tthat h at w which hich iis s co common m m on w with ith one an another. other. H He ew was as also also clear cl ear tthat hat even e v en b by yb being eing iin n Egypt, Eg ypt, Europeans Europeans a and nd Westerners W esterners iin ng general eneral ri risk sk distracting d istracting o ourselves urse el v es w with ith o our ur iinterest nterest in in tthe he R Revolution evolution ffrom rom what what is is really really tthe he ro root ot problem, p roblem, tthat ha t b being e ing p peace eace between b etween IIsrael srael a and nd Pa Palestine: lestine: “Iff Americans “I Americans and and Eu Europeans ropeans are a re interested interested iin n se securing curing a
peaceful future for Christians, and people in the Middle East, they must resolve the Israel/Palestine issue. It is as much a threat to Muslims as it is to Christians when Christians leave the region. It is a great loss to all concerned. And it is a threat to the rest of the world because Christians serve as a link to the Muslim World. Also, the Jews are the people now imprisoned in the region. … The Jews are walling themselves in, not walling others out.” Metanoia comes with no ritual of absolution beyond the change of heart that is necessary for a new vision to guide the future. Being open to recognizing complicity in the injustice in the world is the first step of practice in creating the beloved community. The Egyptians have clearly begun the journey, and their invitation to us was to do nothing but watch in admiration. Dr. Johnson’s full report may be read on FOR’s blogsite: www.forusa.org.
Learn more about FOR by scanning the below QR code with your smart phone, ipad, or ipod.
Transformation And Dialogue: The Buddhist Peace Fellowship in 2012 by Jacks McNamara, Co-Editor The Buddhist Peace Fellowship is in an exciting time of transition. We recently transformed our historic journal of socially engaged Buddhism, Turning Wheel Magazine, into an online interactive platform called Turning Wheel Media. We launched the new website just as Occupy Wall Street was catching fire across America, and were able to quickly create an active multiauthor blog to report and reflect on spiritual activism and nonviolent resistance in the Occupy movement. Recently, we've launched another blog on engaged practice in our neighborhoods and local communities called Sangha'hood, which promises to collect thoughtful analysis on how we show up in the immediate world around us. With the new Turning Wheel Media we are also politically pushing the envelope by featuring topics such as an examination of the limitations of meditation practice for trauma survivors and social justice activists, investigations of gender in Western Buddhism, and spiritually grounded peace work in Israel/Palestine. We
are also reimagining how we do the work we do, transitioning the editorial team behind Turning Wheel to an editorial collective. If you are interested in joining us, please check out our application information online: http://www.turningwheelmedia. org/joining-theconversation/become-a-bpfmember/ These changes are further reflected in the larger organization of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship as we are moving toward a horizontal staff collective structure and prioritizing multiracial alliance building in our organizing over the coming year. As an Oakland-based organization, we have expanded our offerings to our community in the Bay Area. We recently launched a sitting and study group, opening space for practice and discussion of nonviolent resistance and movement history. In the coming months, we will be hosting a series of public dialogues with notable Buddhist authors and teachers on topics like Buddhist economics in the context of a globalizing world economy, compassion fatigue and transformative activism, and Buddhist environmental work.
For more information: www.bpf.org, or jacks.bpf@gmail.com
Page 2
FOR Witness Spring 2012
Living the Dream of Justice and Peace: Occupy and Beyond 54th Annual Seabeck Conference: June 29 – July 2, 2012 The Western Washington Fellowship of Reconciliation (WWFOR) and Oregon Fellowship of Reconciliation (OFOR) have partnered for fifty-four years to conduct one of the largest peace conferences in the Pacific Northwest. This year's Keynote Speaker is Dr. Aaron Wolf. He is a professor of geography in the Department of Geosciences at Oregon State University. Trained as an environmental scientist and dispute resolution theorist, Dr. Wolf’s work focuses on transboundary water treaties. He discovered that commencing negotiations with each group's spiritual needs for water allows for clearly seeing the other as fully human and leads to successful treaties. His keynote presentation is titled "Healing the Enlightenment Rift: Rationality, Spirituality, and Shared Waters." Dr. Wolf will also lead a “Transformative Listening and Facilitation” workshop which will involve role-play and exercises.
Dr. Aaron Wolf, photo courtesy of Daniel Root.
Rev. Lucas Johnson
Our second keynote address will be by Reverend Lucas Johnson, a National Council member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. Rev. Johnson is currently a teaching assistant with Vincent Harding at Morehouse College in Atlanta for the course,"The Last Years of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Life and the Future of American Democracy." He is also involved with the King Center Imaging Project, digitalizing the archives at the Center for Nonviolent Social Change. Rev. Johnson earned a BA from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University, Candler School of Theology; and has worked extensively with the Baptist Peace Fellowship and other Baptist programs, and served as Atlanta Director of Lutheran Volunteer Corps 2010-2011. The Seabeck Conference offers numerous workshops covering relevant issues for our time, and has an outstanding music program led by folksinger Tom Rawson. Attendees represent a variety of denominations and faith traditions. EAs in other years, educational programs for children and youth will be provided. For Conference or Registration Information: John Roy Wilson, Conference Co-Chair, at (503) 585-5436 or jrw45@comcast.net/; Janet Hawkins, Conference Co-Chair, at (503) 244-7703 or janetchawkins@msn.com . http://www.wwfor.org/projects/seabeck-conference-2/ www.ofor.org, and http://www.seabeck.org. FOR Witness Spring 2012
Page 3
Community of Living Traditions - 2012 Events! Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit!
CLT is offering summer internships for our program “Farm the Land, Grow the Spirit.� From June 4 through July 19, 2012, members of all faith communities are invited to become Food Justice Interns. Through growing a vegetable garden, participants will learn how food justice and nonviolence are embraced by Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and learn effective strategies for creating food justice in their home communities. Experience will be gained in planting, harvesting, tilling, composting, and cooking seasonal produce while also enjoying kayaking, hiking, creating art, and exploring the scenic Hudson River valley and villages. Summer interns will receive room, board, and a weekly stipend.
2011 Food and Justice Interns
2011 CLT Camping Trip
Interfaith Fellowship: 3 months to 1 year! Join the Community of Living Traditions as an Interfaith Fellow to learn about and deepen your engagement with strategic and religious nonviolence. Study nonviolence via the lens of Islam, Judaism, and Christianity and participate in creating programs and workshops around issues including, but not limited to food justice, peace building, Israel/Palestine conflict transformation, the arts and resistance, and power and privilege. Grow deeper in your own faith tradition while engaging with people of other traditions. Enjoy the experience of building friendships, developing your professional skills, and participating in a community that is changing the world. Fellows will receive room, board, and a weekly stipend. Community of Living Traditions is a multi-faith intentional community dedicated to the practice and Caption describing picture or graphic. study of nonviolence. For more information: http://communityoflivingtraditions.org/; http://communityoflivingtraditions.org/getinvolved/food-justice-internship/, and, http://communityoflivingtraditions.org/get-involved/interfaithfellowship/ Page 4
Page 4
FOR Witness Spring 2012
FOR Local Chapters and Affiliates Photo Gallery Scenes from the 2011 Seabeck Conference. From left to right: Talent Show performers about to go onstage; view of the Seabeck grounds from outside the meeting house; and, the talent show audience. Courtesy of Tom Rawson.
New England Peace Pagoda: Left - Dedication of the new Temple, October 2, 2011. Right - South side of the temple - showing solar panels. Courtesy of Sr. Clare Carter.
Community of Living Traditions 2011: From left to right: Friends: Ariel Vegosen, NC member and Tasnim; Peace interns; and, Food and Justice Summer interns. Courtesy of Karl Smerecnik.
[
Page 6
FOR Witness Spring 2012
Page 5
About the New England Peace Pagoda by Sr. Clare Carter, Buddhist Nun, Nipponzan Myohoji Order
New England Peace Pagoda, Leverett, MA, photo courtesy of the New England Peace Pagoda.
Situated on a hilltop in Leverett, Massachusetts, the New England Peace Pagoda invites visitors to enjoy peace year round from sunrise to sunset. As the sign in the parking area says, “The New England Peace Pagoda is the first Peace Pagoda of Nipponzan Myohoji to arise in North America. Inaugurated in 1985, it is a visible form of prayer for inseparable peace in the world and in the minds of all humanity.” There are more than 80 Peace Pagodas built worldwide by the founder of Nipponzan Myohoji, Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii. In North America, there is a Peace Pagoda in Grafton, New York, and a third under construction in the Smoky Mountains about one hour from a nuclear weapons fabrication installation in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. Other Temples are located in New York City, Washington, DC, Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Bainbridge Island, WA. Most Venerable Nichidatsu Fujii (1885 – 1985), named Guruji by Mahatma Gandhi, gave his entire life for the realization of a peaceful world through the spiritual practice of walking, beating a prayer drum, and chanting Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo. The practice is continued by all Nipponzan Myohoji monks. The New England Peace Pagoda community has undertaken many walks with purposes such as the cessation of U.S. wars in Central America and the abolition of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. In 1998-1999, as part of the Interfaith Pilgrimage of the Middle Passage, we retraced the history of the transatlantic slave trade through the Americas to Africa. Since September 11, 2001, we "Walk for a New Spring" throughout the Northeast in midwinter to early spring in order to renounce war and violence and transform our culture to embrace life and community. Thousands of people come to the New England Peace Pagoda annually to be uplifted and refreshed. There is a New Temple that is recently dedicated and open for prayer and meditation whenever a monk is present. We always aspire to make the hilltop more beautiful and welcoming for people. The teachings handed down to us from the Buddha reveal the belief that the true nature of this world is like heaven – the Pure Land – and that the true nature of humanity is divine. Our work, individually and together, is to cultivate this teaching inwardly and outwardly, purifying our own hearts and minds and working to purify this world so that heaven on earth can become a reality.
Page 6
FOR Witness Spring 2012
FOR Atlanta: How can we promote a build-down of mass incarceration, right here at home? by Max Hess Parr Tuttle, Chief Jurist of the Civil Rights. The book opens with a heartbreaking account of a near lynching of a black man almost surely falsely accused of rape by a white woman. Tuttle is on the scene as part of the National Guard to prevent the lynching. When the lynching is averted, the matter At FOR Atlanta, we’re making it our business to converts to a death penalty case. (There it is – the follow the work of the Reform Council, exploring direct link.) Again, as part of the National Guard, Tuttle is on the scene to help preserve order in the ways to urge the Council to be bold and to do courtroom. Emanuel details the racial distinctions more. For instance, having just endured the execution of Troy Davis, we’re looking for ways Georgia law made: death penalty for rape of white to urge the Council to take up the long overdue woman by black man; lesser penalty for rape of white woman by white man; no legal concern for work of addressing the American Bar Association’s assessment report (supervised by rape of black woman. Law Professor Anne Emanuel) on deficiencies The text includes a touching mention of FOR. in Georgia’s use of the death penalty. One of the report’s recommendations: the creation of a Tuttle’s daughter, Nicky married John Harmon. database so that we can conduct proportionality Harmon was an Episcopal clergyman, who was a member of FOR and an ambulance driver with the reviews and also root out racial and other disparities in terms of which cases are selected American Field Service during WW II. Nicky and to be charged as capital cases and which cases John lived the Beloved Community in their everyday result in a death sentence. Maybe, the Council lives. They were credited by Tuttle (later a judge on the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals) as an can give us that database. Here’s hoping. inspiration and a model for him in his courageous FYI: Emanuel has just published a book, Elbert work of desegregating the Deep South. Revolution. Our Chief Justice Carol W. Hunstein, and Governor Nathan Deal asked the Georgia General Assembly to create a Criminal Justice Reform Council with a legal brief. Let’s just say … It’s a welcome opening.
The Corvallis FOR (CFOR) meets the second Sunday of each month, from 4:30 - 6 pm. Prior to the meeting, there is also an ongoing Nonviolence training group that meets from 3 - 4:30pm. Both take place at the Friends Meeting House, 3311 NW Polk St., Corvallis, OR. To confirm dates/times, and to join the email list contact Laurie Childers, 541-757-9025.
CALENDAR - April - July 2012 April 4/8: CFOR Nonviolence Training Workshop. Corvallis, OR. 541-7579025.
CFOR monthly meeting. 541-757.9025.
UPCOMING EVENTS May June 5/13: CFOR Nonviolence 6/4-7/19: CLT Summer Training Workshop. Food Justice Internship Corvallis, OR. 541-757http://communityoflivingtr 9025. aditions.org/getinvolved/food-justiceinternship/
July 7/1-19: CLT Summer Food Justice Internship http://communityoflivingtr aditions.org/getinvolved/food-justiceinternship/
CFOR monthly meeting. 541-757-9025.
7/1-2: 54 Annual Seabeck Conference
6/10: CFOR Nonviolence Training Workshop. Corvallis, OR. 541-757-9025. CFOR monthly meeting. 541-757-9025. th 6/29-7/2: 54 Annual Seabeck Conference
FOR Witness Spring 2012
th
7/8: CFOR Nonviolence Training Workshop. Corvallis, OR. 541-7579025. CFOR monthly meeting. 541-757-9025. Page 7
SUPPORT FOR! Purchase the following books by Richard Deats, or, any other of our offerings located in our bookstore - http://forusa.org/content/for-bookstore-publications-greeting-cards-postcards, and help us to continue our work for peace, justice and nonviolence!
Mahatma Gandhi: Nonviolent Liberator $12.95
Stories of Courage, Hope & Compassion - $9.95
Ambassador of Reconciliation: A Muriel Lester Reader - $14.95
For Postage & Handling: please add $2.50 to your order
Fellowship of Reconciliation 521 No. Broadway P.O. Box 271 Nyack, NY 10960 T:845.358.4601 / F:845.358.4924 www.forusa.org / for@forusa.org