Reports on International Activity: SNV 2010

To send in a report, EMAIL US

 

Bend, OR
Bridgewater, NJ
Dallas, TX
Durban, South Africa
Eureka, CA
Kumasi, Ghana
Marin, CA
Olympia, WA
Spokane, WA
Tijuana, Mexico

 

 

Bend, Oregon

Central Oregon through Central Oregon Community College, local schools and organizations raised over $50,000 to donate to Greg Mortensen when he was there to talk about building schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. See Feb 11 event on the calendar. 

Peace Center of Central Oregon is collaborating with the college on annual SNV events which has greatly impacted their community.

 

Bridgewater, New Jersey

Article on Arthur Romano and Bridgewater College SNV Event: (link to article)

Dallas, Texas & Northern Uganda

Powerpoint presentation created by the Center for Spiritual Living, Dallas (download)

From partner Ruth Marting in Uganda:

Just wanted to let you know that Season for Nonviolence WILL have exposure in Northern Uganda.  

    • I have presented it to NGO Forum of Gulu  --- a group of about 50 non-government organizations working here to help this Northern Uganda area recover from 20 years of rebel fighting and 'displacement' from their homes.  There was interest and an expectation that at least some of them will use it.( I'm trying to get more details from them but no response yet.)

    • I will be doing the daily practices with the women tailors working at our fair trade organization, One Mango Tree.  There are almost 30 women.

    • I have edited the children's version (for more appropriate wording in this environment) and given it to St. Jude's Children's Home and School, where I'm now volunteering a couple of days a week. They showed interest.  I hope the social worker and the teachers will become active with it, but at the very least when I'm there I'll also talk about it with the older kids who can understand me.

Gulu is an area desperately seeking harmony after 20 years of war. What's happening now is truly a test for the principles of forgiveness and reconciliation. Former LRA rebel fighters, many of whom had been abducted as children, brainwashed and forced to join the fight (i.e. 'victims' themselves), are returning to the towns and villages hoping to be forgiven and to build a new life; at the same time, gradually, the people who were their victims -- either directly by unimaginable acts of violence or by being driven from their homes into displaced person camps that housed as many as two million people -- are going 'home' ready to rebuild their huts, find a way to make a living, i.e. to start again. Complex peace negotiations assisted by U.S., U.N., etc.  have pretty much fallen apart, and the LRA leader Joseph Kony is still in hiding, but it seems to be the general consensus here that there can be no 'justice' and that their only hope is to  forgive, (try to) forget, and to reconcile.

 

Durban, South Africa

2010 Program of Events from the Gandhi Development Trust (view / download)

 

Eureka, California

    • Unity Church of the Redwoods in Eureka has been joined by the Center for Spiritual Living in Eureka as official sponsors of SNV in Humboldt County.  The spiritual leader of the Center is the Rev. Wayna Scovell.

    • As an SNV project, Unity is preparing "Kindness Packets," ziplock bags containing a selection of necessities, for distribution to Humboldt County's street people.  The packets contain: Trial sizes of hand sanitizer, mouthwash, and foot powder; a pair of socks, an energy bar, a package of crackers with peanut butter or cheese, a $5.00 gift certificate from Mc Donald‚s, and a „Kindness Smile‰ card.  Half of them also include 1 medium-sized dog biscuit.  Packages are available, at cost, from
Unity Church of the Redwoods.  The project has the support of the Eureka Interfaith Fellowship and will be supported in many of the churches in Humboldt County.

    • The Eureka Interfaith Fellowship has voted to change the the award date of the "Peacemaker Prize," a biennial grant of $4,000 given to a local community member or organization working toward peaceful solutions to issues and conflicts, from around Thanksgiving time to the Season for Nonviolence. Local residents send in nominations, and the award is administered by the Eureka Interfaith Fellowship in partnership with KEET-TV. It is funded by a grant from the Andrew Wagner Peace Trust.

 

Kumasi, Ghana

Be a Peace Maker Campaign 2010 (View / Download Project Summary)

 

Marin, California

Press Release for "The Complete Interview" of Paul Hawken Event (view / download)

 

Olympia, Washington

Unity Church of Olympia will hold an Evening of Compassion on Friday, March 19th at 6:00 pm.  This evening is centered around the Dinner of Compassion (actually lunch) presented at our AGNT conference several years ago in Palm Springs.  
(download flyer)
(view / download article appearing in newsletter)

 

Spokane, Washington

Article about A Season for Nonviolence and the parenting/youth arena in Spokane. (view / download)

 

Tijuana, Mexico

Photos and notes from task force leader Janice Deaton about their "Peace Circle" event. (view)