Forum articles:
THANK YOU, MIDLAND! A COMMUNITY CREATING A CULTURE OF PEACE FOR CHILDREN
Coming full circle, becoming fully human
Peace and non-violence begin with you and me!
September 12, 2010
Rose Marie McQuaid,
Ten years ago the Midland Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (MICPJ) was formed to promote local understanding, dialogue and action to support the UN’s Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World. Over 50 members from Baha’i, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, and Unitarian Universalist faith communities joined in focusing on one issue each year that we believe impacts a child’s life such as Community, Water and 21st Century Living: Sustainability. Being a member of this organization has fit well with my commitment to children.
One of my biggest
concerns has always been how
Even though I am familiar with each of the entities listed here, I am really amazed and overwhelmed at the number that contribute to this laudable goal and how well all work together unselfishly. Their only concern is the well-being of our children and of our families. I hope I have remembered to name them all.
A huge thank you from all of us. We appreciate your struggles, your many positive accomplishments and your caring.
Here are the organizations.
1-Midland Community Center,
2-West Midland Community Center,
3-North Midland Community Center,
4-Chippewa Nature Center,
5-Railway Family Center,
6-Midland
7-American Red Cross,
8-Family and Children Services,
9-Arc of
10-Big Brothers,
11-Big Sisters,
12-Building Strong Families,
13-Community Mental Health,
14-Human Service Dept. of
15-Midland Area Community Foundation,
16-Dow Foundation,
17-Strosacker Foundation,
18-Gerstacker Foundation,
19-Midland Early On,
20-Midland Gang and Violence Prevention,
21-Midland Great Start Collaborative,
22-Midland
23-Mentor Partnerships,
24-Mid-Michigan Community Action Agency,
25-Salvation Army,
26-Shelter House,
27-Midland Area Partnership For Drug Free Youth,
28-Safe and
30-United Way,
31-Foster Care Parents,
32-Girl and Boy Scouts,
33-Kiwanis Clubs,
34-Midland Exchange Club,
35-Rotary Clubs,
36-4-H Program,
37-Sunrise Optimist,
38-All schools, pre-schools,
39-Literacy Council,
40-Head Start,
41-Catholic Family Services,
42-Studley Grange
43-Grace A. Dow Memorial Library,
44-Legacy Center for Student Success.
45-Juvenile Care Center
46-Food Pantries/Back Pack Program
47-Midland County Health Department
48-Lunch Box Readers
49-All faith communities and counseling agencies
September 19, 2010
By Marge Darger
With the Tridge event Oct. 10 (see
related article below),
And what are these values? Sharing of goods, detachment, freedom, life, humanity, gentleness, sensitivity, humility, nonviolence, relationships, mercy, forgiveness, compassion, singleheartedness, reconciliation, peace, integrity. These values, deepened in our hearts by reflection, dialogue and daily living, help us to become fully human.
The children born in 2001 are 10 years old. Are they being well-prepared to live in the coming decades? Are we helping them to realize their great potential? Are we developing the structures and policies they will need, i.e. will our economic policies and planning decisions reflect consideration of what's best for our children's future? Will our nation's economic and political decisions, re: their health, education and what constitutes a meaningful life, be motivated by what is best for them?
Instead of answers during the past 10 years, MICPJ has posed questions for individuals, families and groups on which to reflect, dialogue and act.
Today I pose more dialogue questions on the use of time, on nonviolence and very importantly, on the role of beauty in the pursuit of becoming fully human. Year one dealt with nonviolence as a way of life. We circle around to end the decade encouraging a discussion about a path to serene patterns of living.
SLOWING DOWN: Are our schedules too tightly packed? Do we listen well? Do we deal with angry feelings effectively? Do we do positive conflict resolution if we are always in a hurry? Is there a need to put some limits on parents' or kids' activities?
ACCEPT THAT CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE BUT VIOLENCE IS NOT: Do we accept and work through conflicts in our family? Do we totally avoid conflict to keep the peace? Do we scream, yell, slug it out? Are name-calling and put-downs common in our home? Where do we need to change?
TEACHING NONVIOLENT SKILLS: Do we believe that violence is a learned behavior and can be "unlearned?" Does our family model effective problem solving? Do we listen well? How do we manage our anger? (Questions gleaned from Reuel Howe's "The Miracle of Dialogue" and "The Shadows of The Heart: A Spirituality of the Negative Emotions" by James and Evelyn Whitehead).
BEAUTY: Dostoyevsky said: "In the end beauty will save the world." How often do we take time out for beauty? To listen to music? To go to a museum? To read poetry? To contemplate? Is beauty a centerpiece of our lives? What does it mean to say that if we really want justice (which is surely a part of securing peace and nonviolence) we must learn to cultivate beauty?
So come dance and sing with us on Oct. 10 at
This article can also be found at:
http://www.ourmidland.com/opinion/article_ecfc5952-9d38-5b0f-9956-2be119fe153a.html
Norbert Bufka
September 26, 2010
For ten years the Midland Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (MICPJ) has been writing Forum articles and engaging the community in dialog about issues that affect the world our children grow up in. Two weeks ago the Forum article thanked the agencies and organizations that help children. Last week our article focused on values necessary to promote peace and non-violence. We asked questions for personal reflection.
While our goal has been a better world for all children so they can live in peace and non-violence, our focus has been directed toward adults, because it is the adults who have to make and model the changes necessary to make our world a better place. As the Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World ends, we urge you to renew your commitment to and encourage others to get involved in making a difference.
Peace and non-violence are essentially rooted in the personal and individual hearts of all of us. It is our attitude that frames the world around us no matter that we see and experience evil and heartaches. That attitude can be one of optimism and love in the most difficult of circumstances. And it must be if the world will be changed one person at a time.
This individual transformation is rooted in our spirituality and faith, both of which are at the heart of our being. Healthy religions not only express their beliefs and practices but nurture our faith and spirituality. Too many religions today are being co-opted by fundamentalism which appeals to security but tears at the very fabric of our spirituality for the sake of conformity to an ideology separate from the core of religion. This is especially prevalent in Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.
In addition to the personal nature of spirituality, there is a community aspect which is also necessary if we are to improve our world. We need to incorporate our personal faith and spirituality with the needs and reality of our world in such a way that peace and non-violence are core elements. This means changing from exclusionary to inclusionary thinking. For example, all human beings have rights based on their dignity as human beings. One group is not superior to another nor is one favored by God more than another. We are all in this together. As long as we think that some have rights over others, there will continue to be violence and wars fighting for property, resources, comforts, and wealth.
This conflict is not just at the global level of course. In our daily lives, aspects of exclusion and superiority are bullying, ridicule, or sharing very personal information about other people on social media outlets. Physical and verbal sparring with another are also examples of violence which we must try to eliminate from our lives.
A key to spiritual growth is awareness of our limited abilities. Awareness comes from a continual desire to learn and be open-minded about what we do see and hear from others as well as the very world we inhabit. The environment speaks to us if we but give it a chance through quiet reflection. It should be clear to all that while we have enough resources for all, they are not unlimited. This is a call to examine your use of resources.
Much of the violence in our world stems from the mentality of “us vs. them”. A new mentality is unitive consciousness. In this mentality we see ourselves in union with other people, no matter their race, color, or economic circumstances. We are one with the poor and disadvantaged and we are one with the rich and powerful.
There is more to unitive consciousness however. There is not only a connection between all people of the world but a connection with all of nature and our environment as well. A popular way of saying this is “we are one with the universe.” This consciousness will help us to stop our destruction of nature and resources, all of which are forms of violence.
Simple living
This understanding of faith and spirituality can be realized by living more simply. This flies in the face of our consumer mentality which is fed by our capitalistic economy which depends on consumption. Simple living does not mean living in a shack in the woods without modern conveniences but rather a change in attitude about the things we purchase, own and use. It involves caring for the people in our lives rather than the things we possess and desire. This is an invitation to explore what that might mean in your life and the lives of your family members.
On our website (http://www.rc.net/saginaw/micpj/) are all the Forum articles for the last ten years as well as other stories and links. We invite you to explore those articles and make an effort to bring peace and non-violence into your life. By doing so you will be making the world a safer place for all children.
We invite you to gather with us on October 10 to celebrate this decade of non-violence and make a commitment to live peaceful and non-violent lives for the sake of our children.