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From
the Editor by Val Liveoak
This issue focuses on a (perhaps) lesser-known program of Friends Peace Teams Project—the “Every Friends Church and Meeting a Center for Peacemaking” campaign. In 1996, when FPTP’s Coordinating Council met in Washington, DC, George Lakey spent a day with us working on community building and on articulating our vision of the (then) fledgling organization. He suggested that one thing we want to do is, “Skill up Quakers for a fight.” We’ve revised the language but the vision of finding ways to challenge and assist Friends Meetings and Churches to become active centers for peacemaking in their own communities, as well as internationally, and to provide training to Friends and others in peacemaking skills has persisted.
Two articles give an overview of projects in two of the thirteen Yearly Meetings that are members of FPTP. Projects of Burundi and Germany Yearly Meetings are updated, and a possible way for Friends to join in solidarity with peacemakers in Colombia is described. I know other Yearly Meetings especially New England and Baltimore Yearly Meetings, have also been involved with this campaign, but I didn’t get articles about their work in time for this issue.
I was blessed with the privilege of visiting Colombia with a Christian Peacemaker Teams exploratory team in April. In eight intense days of listening to Colombian Christians who are living the peace testimony in a country with the highest rate of violence in the hemisphere, my heart was touched and I was challenged to seek ways in which I could help others understand their struggle. Our delegation spoke with some one hundred people, all of whom have become very clear that violence cannot resolved their problems and who are looking for ways to change a culture of violence to one of peace. One of the hardest things they face, said one Mennonite pastor with tears in his eyes, is the sense of being abandoned by other Christians. Their need for solidarity and accompaniment is great, and Friends outside Colombia can help by joining their Sanctuaries of Peace project.
While in Colombia I met people who risk their lives for peace, and who live under very immediate threat of death or injury for their work. Please pray for them, and support them in whatever way you can.
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