September 2005

Dear Friends and Fellow Peaceworkers,

Many of us are planning to Work-A-Day for Peace again this year. Because September 11th falls on a Sunday we are donating our days wages for Friday or Monday to the Nonviolent Peaceforce. Work-A-Day proceeds will go to supporting our new peacekeeping team in Sri Lanka who arrived last month for two years AND to supporting the exploration of new projects in Northern Uganda/Southern Sudan and Colombia. To donate to Work-A-Day for Peace, go to http://nvpf.org/np/english/help/donation.asp.html

But I also want to emphasize the community building aspects of this day. In these stressful times, we should pause to expand and strengthen our circle of support. Love is the force that binds the universe; and the practice of nonviolence is love in action.

Gathering in community strengthens that love. Some communities are having formal gatherings. Others are getting together informally.

While September 11th is a day marked by tragedy, it is also the anniversary of another important event in history. Ninety-nine years ago on this date, Mahatma Gandhi began the movement of Satyagraha (Truth force) in a crowded theater in Johannesburg, South Africa. This proclamation shaped the history of the last century and, indeed, provides a foundation for the Nonviolent Peaceforce.

Reflect on Gandhi's words for a moment:
“Satyagraha is based upon truth, aimed against a clearly defined wrong, and not against those who directly or indirectly are responsible for its existence…In the dictionary of Satyagraha there is no enemy…Satyagraha is a process of educating public opinion, such that it covers all the elements of society and in the end makes itself irresistible.”

Let us claim 9/11 as a day of NONVIOLENCE. Invite friends, family, neighbors, or co-workers to gather together to “Work a Day for Peace.” Keep it simple and ask everyone to bring a favorite dish – maybe a recipe from a family member or friend.
When the time is right, ask everyone to share a story of an act or experience of unsolicited love. It doesn't matter if it was small or lifesaving – just that the doer recognized the humanity in another and expressed this kindness. You can pass a candle or other object so each person can share without interruption.
Other suggestions for activities are: Watch “A Force More Powerful” or “Gandhi.” Sing songs of peace, and/or share poems, quotes or readings Invite a local peaceworker or activist to share their experiences Share food, costumes, or rituals from diverse faiths and cultures.

When all have shared, invite each person to pledge to try one new behavior that will further their journey in nonviolence. These could be written down and placed in a basket along with any donations or pledges to support Nonviolent Peaceforce.
Close your gathering with a short meditation, prayer, or quote such as

“World peace through nonviolent means is neither absurd nor unattainable. All other methods have failed. Thus we must begin anew. Nonviolence is a good starting point. Those of us who believe in this method can be voices of reason, sanity, and understanding amid the voices of violence, hatred, and emotion. We can very well set a mood of peace out of which a system of peace can be built.” - Martin Luther King, Jr. December 1964
Thank you for sharing this day.

With hope and resolve,

Mel Duncan
Executive Director