Midwest Peace Conference Was a Huge Success!

Livonia was the destination of choice as Peace emissaries from five Midwestern states and throughout Michigan attended the Midwest Regional Department of Peace Conference hosted by The Citizens for Peace. The May 14 – 16 weekend event, held at Madonna University, attracted more than 100 advocates of Peace and non-violence from all walks of life.
With the conference theme being “Making Peace a Priority: Vision; Experience; Practice,” conference organizer Colleen Mills created a weekend program that exuded passion and humor with several presentations evoking tears from more than one member of the enthusiastic audience. “We wanted a balanced program with hands on activities and useful ideas that they can return home with” said retired Detroit teacher Colleen Mills, President of the Citizens for Peace.
Highlight of the conference was auxiliary Bishop Thomas Gumbleton’s thought provoking and comprehensive analysis of the consequences of war and the history of peaceful overtures in the U.S.
A surprise guest was Congressman John Conyers, head of the House Judiciary Committee, who came unannounced Sunday, and heard Bishop Gumbleton. Colleen Mills reminded the Congressman of the Citizens for Peace request that he work to get a “Peace and Non-violence” category added to the Library of Congress. He brought the house down when he promised to have Bishop Gumbleton meet with President Obama.
Focus of the opening Friday night activities was the need for legislation to prevent youth violence – The Youth Promise Act. Polly Anna Burnette-Egan, president of the Schoolcraft College Peace Alliance, recognized as the most active group in the nation, reported on the National Student Peace Alliance Conference in Austin, Texas. Hers as well as that of two other club officers’ transportation was funded by Citizens for Peace.
Colleen Mills opened Saturday’s program with the overview of the Department of Peace legislation. Other activities and topics ranged from “Students Empowering Students” by Northville’s Kevin Szawala to “Sharing - Idea Exchange” led by attorney Dennis Mazurek of Redford, who was responsible for initiating the first City Council endorsements for the Department of Peace, now numbering more that 38 nationwide.
A special video from Congressman Dennis Kucinich, author of the Department of Peace Bill, was viewed.
Restorative Practices, a technique of using peer influence in “Conferencing Circles” with adult facilitators, as a means of combating bullying behavior, was graphically demonstrated by Livonia resident Rosemary Doyle and a group of volunteers who played the roles of involved sixth graders and school personnel.
Chicago based journalist and Tribune Media Service Editor Robert Koehler led the group in putting their passion for peace into words. Another Chicagoan, Antony Adolf, author of the book “Peace: A World History”, discussed how we can prepare for a “Department of Peace.” Illinois State Coordinator of the Department of Peace Campaign, Karen Johnson, explained the Peace Alliance’s Strategic Plan.
Popular meditation teacher, Kathy Henning of Livonia, closed the main part of the day with a meditative experience.
The presentation of the Upper Penninsula’s Sue Belanger was by definition a unique “hands on” activity. She supplied all those attending with a 108 piece “Global Peace(s)” Puzzle, a depiction of earth from outer space. Then, working in teams of 6-8 members, the audience completed the puzzle as Sue narrated techniques for peaceful teamwork.
Westland participant Jeanette Scott described the conference as “awesome!” A Missouri PHD who attended with two of her students vowed to put into practice immediately her newly learned peace methods. One student said “This was a transformative experience for me. My life will never be the same!”
Another Livonia resident observed people from Kansas, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and all over Michigan will be talking about the wonderful hospitality shown here, as well as peace.

Mourning and suffering -- with both experiences there is a loss or absence of something valued or precious. In suffering there is the absence and a rejection of the absence. Such rejection always involves a story or thought about the loss. In mourning, there is the absence held with the preciousness of that which is held dear. There is deep sadness, but it is held with an awareness of the presence of fullness of what is precious.

Robert Gonzales

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Congratulations 2010 Essay Contest Winners !

High School Division

First Place Winner: Amany Killawi

Second Place Winner: Zeinab Bazzi

Third Place Winner: Doaa Al-Howaishy

All three winners attend Star International Academy

College Division

First Place Winner: Polly Anna Burnette-Egan, Schoolcraft College

Second Place Winner: Christa Mann, Davenport University

Third Place Winner: Rebekah Terry, Davenport University

Cash Awards

First Place Winners: $250

Second Place Winners: $100

Third Place Winners: $ 50

Citizens for Peace Meeting Highlights the Work of Riane Eisler

The keynote presentation Riane Eisler gave at the National Department of Peace Conference last year will be viewed at the Tuesday, May 11th Citizens for Peace meeting at Unity of Livonia at 7 pm. The theme was “From Domination to Partnership: Building Foundations for Peace”.
As a young girl, Riane and her family narrowly escaped Nazi Germany. Her exposure to extreme violence led her on a quest to change the violence motivated by domination. Dr. Eisler is a social scientist, attorney, and author whose work on cultural transformation has inspired both scholars and social activists. She has been a leader in the movement for peace, sustainability, and economic equity, and her pioneering work in human rights has expanded the focus of international organizations to include the rights of women and children.

Dr. Eisler is internationally known for her bestseller The Chalice and The Blade: Our History, Our Future and her newest book, The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics – hailed by Archbishop Desmond Tutu as “a template for the better world we have been so urgently seeking.”
In her talk, Dr. Eisler says “we must shift from the focus on family values to valuing families.” She believes the real wealth of a nation is caring for its people and nature. The emphasis on creating “caring economics” will be clarified in her talk.
The meeting is open to the public. It is an opportunity to learn from a brilliant woman who has dedicated her life to research and promotion of a better world. For more information call Colleen Mills at 734-425-0079.

There are no mistakes
There are no coincidences
All events are blessings given to us to learn from

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Midwest Regional Department of Peace Conference Agenda
Our conference begins Friday night at 7 pm.
We hope everyone can come early to register and enjoy our continental breakfast on Saturday & Sunday so we can begin our conference on time. Also, note that there will be an Open Mike all three days so we can share our favorite quotes, inspirational thoughts and creative ideas!
Friday, May 14
6:00 pm Registration
7:00 Welcome – Description of Conference - Colleen Mills
7:10 Getting to Know You – Meet & Greet
7:35 Film – “Garden of Life”, Message from Azim Khamisa
8:00 Report from the Student Peace Alliance Conference - Polly Anna Burnette Egan
8:20 Change.org. - Author Antony Adolf
8:40 Open Mike

Saturday, May 15
8:00 am Registration & Continental Breakfast
9:00 Welcome & Poem (Common Sense)- Colleen Mills
9:15 The Power of Peace- Colleen Mills
10:00 Peace: A World History - Antony Adolf
10:30 Break
10:45 Restorative Practice Circle - Rosemary Doyle
11:45 Sharing - Ideas Exchange – Dennis Mazurek
12:00 Lunch – Working on Sharing Ideas
12:45 Sharing of Ideas - Reporter from each table.
1:15 Students Empowering Students - Kevin Szawala
2:00 Writing your heart's desire for peace - Robert Koehler
2:45 Break
3:00 How to use the Peace Puzzles - Susan Belanger
3:10 Peace Alliance Strategic Plan - Karen Johnson
4:20 Present Moment Meditation - Kathy Henning
4:45 Closing Remarks
5:00 Dinner on your own
7:00 “The Gift of Peace” Play
8:00 Open Mike

Sunday, May 16
8:00 am Registration & Breakfast
9:00 Welcome – Colleen Mills
9:15 Bishop Gumbleton’s Words of Peace
10:15 Taking it Home - Practicing Peace
11:15 Global Peace(s)– Sue Belanger
12:15 Open Mike
12:30 Final Thoughts

The People Speak
This is a link to the information I sent to The People Speak website. You can listen to the sixteen minutes that I got to talk with the host Basima. It was fun being on the radio! Click Here

Peace,
Colleen

If we could read the secret history of our enemies we should find in each man's life, sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

The People Speak!

I have been invited to talk on the radio show The People Speak Tuesday, April 6th. This show will be archived. Go to the website: www.thepeoplespeakradio.net/.
to listen. It is very exciting to hear about public media with a focus on the issues that are important for us. I contacted the radio host, Basima Farhat, after reading the wonderful article Linda Chomin wrote about her in the Observer. The title of the article was "Livonia woman extends hand in peace"! She sure did! She invited me to talk on her show. Thank you Basima!
Peace, Colleen

Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it

Rumi

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

CITIZENS FOR PEACE ESSAY CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY!

Everyone is invited to the Peace Essay Contest Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, April 13th at Unity of Livonia, 28660 Five Mile Road, Livonia, 48154. Our winners are Polly Anna Burnette-Egan from Schoolcraft College, and Christa Mann and Rebekah Terry from Davenport University in Livonia; and Amany Killawi, Zeinab Bazzi, and Doaa Al-Howaishy from Star International Academy in Dearborn Heights.

We will all enjoy hearing the winning essays read by the authors. Kevin "Mr. Peace" Szawala will be our guest speaker. John Wilson will sing his song "Bridges". We will have a reception with our favorite cookies. Let's celebrate "The Season for Nonviolence" together!

Forgiveness will not be possible until compassion is born in your heart

Thich Nhat Hanh


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Love


We are members of one great body, planted by nature in a mutual love and fitted for social life. We must consider that we were born for the good of the whole.

Seneca

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Panel Discussion on Active Nonviolence
We will have a panel presentation on the work of Gene Sharp, the authority on active nonviolence.
Join us for a powerful discussion on how we can commit to nonviolence as individuals and as a group. The meeting begins at 7 pm at Unity of Livonia. Bring a friend!

Diversity is a good thing
Prior to understanding evolutionary emergence our differences were looked as problems to be solved.
But from an evolutionary standpoint we can begin to see that our differences are the solutions to our problems.
It is almost like an ecosystem, the greater the bio diversity, the healthier the ecosystem can be.
The same is true in consciousness.
When we value our differences we can see there is a collective intelligence that is possible.
When we honor our differences we can find a conceptual common ground so that we can cooperate across ethnic and religious differences in service for a just, healthier and thriving future for the entire planet.

Reverend Michael Dowd

Peace to You andYours with Love
Jerry

A Weekend to Remember!!!
Midwest Regional Department of Peace Conference
Making Peace a Priority: Vision; Experience; Practice

Madonna University - May 14 - 16, 2010!

Conference Highlights:
Vision of Peace: The Peace Alliance Strategic Plan with Lynn McMullen
Peacebuilding Circles (Restorative Practices) with Rosemary Doyle & Jerry Mehler
Puzzles with a Purpose with Sue Belanger
Communicating Your Heart's Desire for Peace with Robert Koehler
Present Moment Meditation with Kathy Henning
Students Empowering Students with Kevin "Mr. Peace" Szawala
Report from the National SPA Conference with Polly Anna Burnette-Egan
Message of Peace with Bishop Thomas Gumbleton

The conference begins on Friday, May 14, at 7 pm. with a "Getting to Know You" reception.
We will view and discuss Azim Khamisa's short film "Garden of Life".
Saturday will start with a continental breakfast at 9 am. A buffet lunch will be included. The main conference will end at 5 pm. We will meet again at 7 pm for the "Reader's Theater" production of the original play "The Gift of Peace".
Sunday we are honored to have Bishop Thomas Gumbleton share his Message of Peace.

You can download the registration form in the Current Events section on the right.
The first 150 to register will receive a free Global Peace(s) Puzzle
Call Colleen for more information - 734-425-0079.
Also, go to www.dopeace.ning.com. to see the invitation to the conference on the national activism website.

Love Me


´Love me when I least deserve it, because that's when I really need it.”

A Swedish Proverb


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Forgiveness entails the authentic acceptance of our own worthiness as human beings, the understanding that mistakes are opportunities for growth, awareness and the cultivation of compassion, and the realization that the extension of love to ourselves and others is the glue that holds the universe together. Forgiveness… is not a set of behaviors, but an attitude.

Joan Borysenko

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Peace: How Sweet it is!
Our February 9th meeting has the theme "Love & Peace"! For the third year, Kathy Henning will lead us in a meditation to connect with our inner peace. Reverend Dennis will talk about bringing that inner peace into the world to create more love & peace in our lives. We will have our business meeting following our two presentations. Happy Valentine's Day!
Peace, Colleen

The world is changing and the physical barriers are down now. It’s time for the emotional barriers to go down. And what better place to start than school?

Laura San Giacomo

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Our greatest wounds are caused by separation, isolation, and loneliness. But there is not a lack of love on our planet; there is simply a lack of courage to show it.

author unknown

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered. Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives. Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies. Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you. Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating, others could destroy overnight. Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous. Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten. Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it will never be enough. Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway.
-this version is credited to Mother Teresa

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

2010 Citizens For Peace Meeting Topic Calendar

Click Here

Activities and Accomplishments

There are many dedicated members working for the creation of a cabinet level Department of Peace as well as for the creation of a culture of peace. Through a variety of activities, we are able to offer opportunities that appeal to those with many different interests, talents, and know-how.

Click here to read "Citizens For Peace Activities and Accomplishments 2009".

Love

Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us.”

Marianne Williamson

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

What shames us, what we most fear to tell, does not set us apart from others; it binds us together if only we can take the risk to speak it.

Starhawk

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Forgiveness

What we need to forgive in others may be something in ourselves that we have hidden from our awareness. Forgiveness is the most powerful healer of all.

Gerald Jampolsky

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Congratulations Rosemary!
Rosemary Doyle was honored at the American Association of University Women's "Salute to Women" Luncheon on Saturday, Dec. 12th. Several members of the Citizens for Peace attended the luncheon to support Rosemary & hear her acceptance speech. Colleen Mills nominated Rosemary because of her work as the Education Director of the Citizens for Peace. The AAUW selection committee was impressed with the accomplishments spearheaded by Rosemary.

When you meet anyone, remember it is a holy encounter. As you see him, you will see yourself. As you treat him, you will treat yourself. As you think of him, you will think of yourself. Never forget this, for in him you will find yourself or lose yourself

A Course In Miracles

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Education or War?

Nations have recently been led to borrow billions for war; no nation has ever borrowed largely for education. Probably, no nation is rich enough to pay for both war and civilization. We must make our choice; we cannot have both. -Abraham Flexner, educator (1866-1959)

Poverty & Plenty: Reflections on Haiti

Join us for the December 8th Meeting. Kim Redigan and Therese Terns will give their personal account of their trip to Haiti where they attended the graduation of the first rural university in Haiti. It will be informative & inspirational. Bring your friends!

PEACE

Peace is more than the absence of war, violence, or conflict. Peace is a presence – the presence of connection.
-Louise Diamond

Only when peace lives in each of us, will it live outside of us.
-Deng Ming Dao

For it isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

All works of love are works of peace.
-Mother Teresa


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

“A human being is part of a whole, called by us the Universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”

Albert Einstein

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Celebrate!!

Join the celebration of the 6th Anniversary of the Citizens for Peace on Tuesday, November 10th at Unity of Livonia at 6:30 pm. We will have a potluck, a silent auction, games, and music by Kriya! We will be celebrating six years of incredible work to create a culture of peace. Bring your friends & family to celebrate with us.

TEARS

There is sacredness in tears. They are not a mark of weakness, but of power. They speak more eloquently than ten thousand tongues. They are the messengers of overwhelming grief, of deep contrition, and unspeakable love.

Washington Irving

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

If you judge people, you have no time to love them.

Mother Teresa


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

LOVE

It is easy to love someone you love, but to love your enemy is to know true love

Mahatma Gandhi.


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Men and Women

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in the moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Dr. Martin Luther King , Jr.

The woman’s mission is not to enhance the masculine spirit, but to express the feminine; hers is not to preserve a man-made world, but to create a human world by the infusion of the feminine element into all its activities.
Margaret Thatcher

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

The best and most beautiful things in the world can not be seen, nor touched...... but are felt in the heart.
Helen Keller

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Citizens for Peace Participate in the Global Oneness Project

The Global Oneness Project is exploring how the radically simple notion of interconnectedness can be lived in our increasingly complex world. Since 2006, they've been traveling the globe gathering stories from creative and courageous people who base their lives and work on the understanding that we bear great responsibility for each other and our shared world. They provide their videos in DVD format for free to organizations that want to deepen their understanding of these vital issues.

On Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 7:00 pm at Unity of Livonia, come join us as we watch a few short videos and take this opportunity to deepen our experience with the different facets of oneness we are exploring as a community. Vincenza Mueller, Citizens for Peace Vice President, will lead the discussion with questions provided by the Oneness Project in their DVD Conversation Guide.

We hope that by showing the diverse ways oneness is expressed—in the fields of sustainability, conflict resolution, spirituality, art, economics, indigenous culture, and social justice—we will be inspired to create solutions to personal and community challenges from our own lived understanding of oneness.

What is oneness?

Oneness is a fundamental aspect of human experience. When a mother puts the needs of her family before her own, when we recycle because we are concerned about our planet’s resources, or when we instinctively treat others as we would be treated ourselves, we are relating to life with an understanding of our interdependence and the responsibilities that come with it.

Oneness has informed spiritual, artistic, and indigenous traditions for thousands of years. And today we are becoming conscious of oneness through sciences, like ecology and physics, and through technology.

It has been shown again and again through the films’ subjects that when people shift their focus away from personal fulfillment towards the needs of the community – be it local or global – innovative and life-sustaining solutions are born. We see this potential reflected all around us, and we hope to encourage others to recognize and participate in this emerging awareness so we can work together to help create a world that consciously reflects the values of oneness: freedom, compassion, abundance, and respect for all life.

For more information about the Citizens for Peace, contact Colleen Mills, President, at 734-425-0079. For more information about the Global Oneness Project, visit their web site: http://www.globalonenessproject.org.

There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way it treats its children.

Nelson Mandela


Peace toYou and Yours with Love
Jerry

Join us for the Friday Night Film Series at Madonna University's Kresge Hall.
Donation: $5.00. All films start at 7 pm.
"Unnatural Causes: How Inequality Can Make You Sick"
October 9
Increases public awareness of our socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities
in health and their human and financial costs.
"American Dream, American Nightmare" October 16
Reveals the poor treatment many legal immigrants suffer at the hands of the
INS, offering first hand accounts from the victims themselves.
"Los Trabajadores - The Workers" October 23
Brings to life the vivid contradictions that haunt America's dependence and
discrimination against immigrant labor.
"Rethink Afghanistan" October 30
Focuses on the key issues surrounding this war. Directed by Robert Greenwald.
This MCHR Film Series will be at different times & places. Go to www.mchr.org.

Yesterday our family attended the One Peace Event, enriching an already magnificent day. We were given this gift ,"The Mender Pledge" which we recited in unison, with all who attended. The energy was spectacular, miraculous. So it is with this energy that I share it with you, to share with others. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did and that through it you will experience the beauty of your wholeness and the connectedness and fullness of our oneness.

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

THE MENDER PLEDGE

I believe in inclusivity.
I believe that our lives are inextricably linked one to another. We cannot wage war against anyone without waging war against ourselves. Therefore, I will practice inclusivity with myself, my family, my community, the natural world, and all others. I will actively work toward the goal of an inclusive society, a world that works for all.

I know that we are One.
Therefore, I will give to you what I want for me. I know there is enough for all.


I want everyone to win.
Therefore, I will work to resolve all conflicts to every party’s satisfaction.

I want acceptance.
Therefore, I will accept myself for who and what I am, I will accept you for who and what you are, and I will accept all others for who and what they are. Even if I resist your behavior, I will accept you as a Child of God, a part of the Divine.

I want no harm.
Therefore, I will not harm myself or you or any others, by thought, word, or deed.

I want forgiveness.
Therefore, I will forgive myself, I will forgive you, and I will forgive all others.

I want to be free.
Therefore, I will not let others dominate, control, or manipulate me. And I will not dominate, control, or manipulate you or others.

I want peace.
Therefore, I will be peaceful with myself, with you, and with others.

I want love.
Therefore, I will love myself, I will love you, and I will love all others.

In today’s highly interdependent world, individuals and nations can no longer resolve many of their problems by themselves. We need one another; we must therefore develop a sense of universal responsibility. It is our collective and individual responsibility to protect and nurture the global family; to support its weaker members, and to preserve and tend to the environment in which we all live

The Dalai Lama



Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Day After Peace Documentary

Angelina Jolie and Jude Law are featured in the Afghanistan documentary Day After Peace that will be shown at the monthly Citizens for Peace meeting on Tuesday, September 9^th at Unity of Livonia. The public is invited.

The creator of the 80 minute film, Jeremy Gilley, worked for years to establish and promote September 21^st as the United Nations International Day of Peace. Traveling to Afghanistan to spearhead a massive vaccination against polio on Peace Day is the ambitious effort highlighted in this inspiring film. The Day After Peace is a moving testament to the power of an individual and the perseverance of the human spirit.

Unity of Livonia is located on Five Mile between Middlebelt & Inkster. The movie starts at 7 pm. A $5.00 donation is appreciated. For more information call 734-425-0079.

Specific Directions for Entering the
SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE ESSAY CONTEST

The World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes interpersonal violence in our communities and throughout the world as a major problem with costs in the United States estimated at $300 billion per year. The cost to victims was estimated at more than $500 billion per year. Combined, this is the equivalent to nearly 10% of our country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)(The Economic Dimensions of Interpersonal Violence, WHO, 2004). It is both a national and international challenge for people to resolve conflicts peacefully. It is this challenge that motivates the Citizens for Peace to sponsor this essay contest. We are happy to have you join us in this effort.

ELIGIBILITY: Michigan high school and college students.

CASH AWARDS: $250, $100, $50 each for First, Second, and Third Place in
both high school and college divisions.

DEADLINE: March 12, 2010

AWARD
RECEPTION: April 13, 2010, 7:00 PM (winners posted by April 1 on blog)

THEME: PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE

FOCUS: Research violence in families, schools, or neighborhoods and how active
nonviolent action promoted cooperation, understanding, and/or reconciliation.


FORMAT: The essay should be no more than 500 words typed, double
spaced on 8.5” x 11” paper within the structure of the following
four parts:

1. Introduction: Your rationale for your thesis statement.
2. Body: The body of your essay should develop your position and include a)
description of the conflict, b) the nonviolent action, c) the barriers that
existed, and d) the outcome or results.
3. Conclusion: Your conclusion is the result of the analysis of your research
which supports your thesis and convinces the reader of your position.
Include your personal reflection on how this conclusion has impacted your
perspective on nonviolence as a pathway to peaceful relationships.
4. Sources: Include at least two sources from the Peace Bibliography.
The titles can be viewed at the Peace Collection link on Citizensforpeace11.blogspot.com. In addition, all sources must be listed and credited using a standard citation method. “Encyclopedias” are not
acceptable as sources. When using internet sources include author(s), title of work, internet address, and date information was accessed.

COVER PAGE: Complete the following Cover Page making sure that you and your parent/guardian sign (if age of student is under 18). Copy and attach the cover page to your essay before mailing.

QUESTIONS: Call 734-525-4326 or email arabdoo@earthlink.net

COVER PAGE

SEASON FOR NONVIOLENCE ESSAY CONTEST

THEME: “PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS THROUGH ACTIVE NONVIOLENCE”


1. Please Print and attach a copy of this form to the front of your essay.
2. Signature of student required.
3. Signature of parent/guardian required. (If student is under 18)

NAME _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP_____________________________________________________________

PHONE: __________________________________EMAIL_____________________________

HIGH SCHOOL NAME__________________________________________GRADE_______

COLLEGE NAME_________________________________________LEVEL_____________

CITY WHERE SCHOOL IS LOCATED__________________________________________

TEACHER/INSTRUCTOR NAME_______________________________________________


Please read the following and sign.

I am submitting an original essay to the Citizens for Peace essay contest, (title) __________________
______________________________________,_as they honor the Season for Nonviolence. I
certify that this essay is my own work and that I have abided by all the guidelines and requirements of the contest. I understand that my essay will not be returned to me and will become the property of the Citizens for Peace to use at its discretion in activities related to the contest. I further understand that the judges’ decisions are final and that if I am selected as a winner of the contest, I will be available for a photo for a press release.

Signed_______________________________________________________Date__________________

Parent/Guardian signature______________________________________Date__________________
(if student is under 18 years of age)



Mail to: Citizens for Peace SNV Essay Contest
31648 Pembroke, Livonia, MI 48152

September 2009 Special Events

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12^th

^{WALK FOR PEACE Fundraiser}

^{Join this fun & fitness activity to raise funds to support the Peace Alliance and their work for a Department of Peace!}

^{Meet at St. John’s Episcopal Church at 10:30 am}

^{26998 Woodward Avenue (Woodward & Eleven Mile)}

^{The walk is 3 miles through Royal Oak}

^{Call Dennis Mazurek at 313-433-4466 or Mike Mc Evoy at 313-756-6270}

^{Sponsored by the MI Department of Peace Campaign}

^{www.thepeacealliance.org.}

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th

ONE PEACE Concert Fundraiser. Please join us for an evening of entertainment

and fun as local musicians showcase their talent and share their music. Proceeds go

toward the Sept. 19th ONE PEACE event, celebrating United Nations International

Day of Peace. Concert begins at 7:30pm @ Unity of Livonia. Come early and

browse the tables starting at 7 pm. Admission $10.00 at the door. For more info

visit: www.OnePeace.us

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19

ONE PEACE celebrating United Nations International Day of Peace 1-4 pm.

"Creating a World that Works for All" with special guest speaker and author

Dr. Sharif Abdullah. Also, "insightful meditations", local poet Willowbei Eversole,

metro Detroit musicians, and more. All are welcome. Suggested attire logo-free whites.

Donations appreciated. Schoolcraft College VisTaTech Center, Livonia.

For more info and to reserve your seat on-line visit: www.OnePeace.us.

DoPeace- You Are Welcome to Join

What is DoPeace? It's a social networking site. In internet jargon web 2.0. It's a place to meet people who support and promote the Department of Peace legislation and other peace and nonviolent activities.

At DoPeace you can interact with others by posting photos and videos. And of course you can post your ideas and activities as well as comment on other posts. But if you prefer to read all the exciting activities that is happening across our great land and in other parts of the world that too is lots of fun.

Click here to see a overview of DoPeace. Remember all are welcome to join and it's free.

Forgiveness teaches us that it is possible to choose love over fear and peace over conflict regardless of the circumstances affecting our lives. We can choose to forgive rather than to hold on to our embitterment’s, grudges, and judgments. Foregiveness allows us to experience our wholeness our oneness with all of life. It opens our eyes to experience the light and the essence of love that we all are.

Gerald Jampolsky

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Our August Meeting is a Veggie Potluck

Bring your friends and a vegetarian dish to share to our Party on Tuesday, August 11th. at 6:30 pm. We will enjoy a vegetarian dinner and talk about the connection between our food choices and world peace.
The film Food Inc. is playing at the Novi Town Center Theater. It is a terrific documentary that makes you think about the fact that we vote 3 times a day with our food choices.

A TASTE OF MINDFULNESS

”Have you ever had the experience of stopping so completely,of being in your body so completely,of being in your life so completely,that what you knew and what you didn’t know,that what had been and what was yet to come,and the way things are right now,no longer held even the slightest hint of anxiety or discord,a moment of complete presence beyond striving,beyond mere acceptance,beyond the desire to escape or fix anything or plunge ahead,a moment of pure being,no longer in time,a moment of pure seeing,pure feeling,a moment in which life simply is,and that is-ness grabs you by all your senses,all your memories,by your very genes,by your loves,and welcomes you home,that is a taste of mindfulness.”

Jon Kabat - Zinn


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

New Members of DoPeace

Colleen Mills, Citizens For Peace President, and Vincenza, Vice President Citizens For Peace, have joined DoPeace. The DoPeace has certainly enhanced their organization with these promoters for peace and nonviolence.

To see their smiling faces and learn more about them, click on their names above.

Join us in August for these special events.

August 6 - Hiroshima & Nagasaki Comemoration at the 1st Baptist Church in Birmingham located at 300 Willits. Paul Gunter (Keith's brother) is the keynote speaker. His talk is "Proliferation and Pollution: Costs & Consequences". We are sponsors & will have a table.

August 7 - ONE, the Movie will be shown at Madonna University at 7 pm. Ward & Diane Powers will discuss their journey making this film. It is a fundraiser for the ONE PEACE event September 19th. at Schoolcraft College. Go to the website for more information: www.onepeace.us.

Empathy and Compassion for Others


Thich Nhat Hanh
As soon as you see that the person you call your enemy is also suffering, you will be ready to love and accept him. The idea of "enemy" vanishes and is replaced by the reality of someone who is suffering and needs our love.

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Martin Luther King Jr
Compassion, empathy and nonviolence help us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.




Peace to You and Yours with Love

Jerry

Martin Luther King Jr

Compassion, empathy and nonviolence help us to see the enemy's point of view, to hear his questions, to know his assessment of ourselves. For from his view we may indeed see the basic weaknesses of our own condition, and if we are mature, we may learn and grow and profit from the wisdom of the brothers who are called the opposition.

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Our July 14th meeting will start at 6:30 pm. The Dr. Wayne Dyer film, "The Shift" (formerly "Ambition to Meaning", will begin at 6:45 pm. "Are you ready to make the shift that changes everything? When will you find the joy, the peace, and the love that you came here to give and to receive?" Come view the film and be inspired. Bring your friends!

What is Peace

Peace does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work, rather it means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.


Author Unknown

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

Thanks Colleen for bringing this movie to me , to us

http://www.youtube.com/homeproject

Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

This Moment


This moment is it. You will never have it again. So don’t miss it. Don’t let an opportunity like this go by

Sufi poet Kabir


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

The latest edition of the MI Department of Peace Political Action Guide is available now. They will be available for purchase ($5.00) at our monthly meetings. Thank you to Ann Abdoo for writing the essay "Courageous Peace". She is sending the Guide to our president!

Join us at our monthly meeting to hear Amy Lange, Fox News investigative reporter, as she talks about homelessness in Detroit. Amy has won the Edward R. Murrow award for her work on homeless veterans. The meeting begins at 7 pm at Unity of Livonia (Five Mile between Middlebelt & Inkster).

LOVE

Even after all this time the sun never says to the earth, you owe me. Just think what a love like that can do. It lights up the whole world.

The poet Hafiz

Peace to You an Yours with Love
Jerry

The Citizens for Peace had the Peace Awards Ceremony at our April meeting. Our guest speaker, Linda Chomin, wrote a column describing the evening. We are very grateful for Linda Chomin's support of our activities, and her positive columns in the Observer. We will not be the only community members who will miss her informative and hopeful writing.
If you would like to read Linda's column click Here

Forgiveness

Forgiveness does not mean that we suppress anger; forgiveness means that we have asked for a miracle: the ability to see through mistakes that someone has made to the truth that lies in all of our hearts. Forgiveness is not always easy. At times, it feels more painful than the wound we suffered. And yet, there is no peace without forgiveness. Attack thoughts towards others are attack thoughts towards ourselves. The first step in forgiveness is the willingness to forgive.

Marianne Williamson


Peace to You and Yours with Love
jerry

“We shall not cease from exploration and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started... and know the place for the first time.”
“In my beginning is my end.”

T. S. Elliot


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

CITIZENS FOR PEACE ESSAY CONTEST RESULTS

The "Nonviolence as a Pathway to Peace" Essay Contest was initiated to promote the
Season for Nonviolence, Jan. 30-Apr. 4 as an ongoing memorial to Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi and their philosophy of nonviolence.

Because of your participation in this contest you and your family/friends are invited to attend the Awards Reception for the contest winners on

Tuesday, Apr. 14, 2009, 7-9:00 PM

Unity of Livonia

28660 Five Mile Road

Livonia, MI 48154 (n. side of Five, bet. Inkster and Middlebelt Rds.)

734-421-8782

This reception is open to the public as well with possible attendance of the Livonia Mayor, Jack Kirksey and State Senator, Glenn Anderson. The guest speaker is Linda Chomin, Health and Community Life Reporter for the Observer & Eccentric Newspaper.

The contest awards will go to:

$250.00 - Molly Fessler, Plymouth High School, Plymouth

$100.00 - Raja Al-Meraisi, Universal Academy, Detroit

$ 50.00 - Arthur Burse, Jr., Universal Preparatory High School, Detroit

$250.00 - Lauren Schwarz, Madonna University, Livonia

$100.00 - Annie W. Robbins, Washtenaw Community College, Ypsilanti

$ 50.00 - Kevin Edward Szawala, Wayne State University, Northville

CONTRATULATONS!!!

Rosemary Doyle, Education Director

Citizens for Peace Education Fund

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Peace to you and yours
Jerry

SALVATION LIES IN RADICAL FORGIVENESS


Our salvation lies in radical forgiveness, which is the commitment to the perception of each others innocence. We are all innocent, regardless of what we are displaying at the moment. The fact that someone is not displaying their innocence does not mean that it is not there. By affirming their innocence even when they are not showing it, you literally bring it forth. Or at the very least, even if they are not showing it, you can no longer be at the affect of their lovelessness, because you have decided to perceive something else.

Marianne Williamson from A Course In Miracles

Peace to You and Yours With Love
Jerry

COME ALIVE

Don’t worry about what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive and do that. Because what the world needs are people who have come alive.

Howard Thurman

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

EveryONE is invited to our Citizens for Peace meeting on Tuesday, March 10th at 7 pm at Unity of Livonia. The topic is "Using Nonviolence to Create a More Peaceful World". I will share some information that I used in a presentation to the American Association of University Women at their convention last year. It will be a starting point for a group discussion on nonviolence. What a perfect way to celebrate the Season for Nonviolence! Please join us & bring your friends and family.
Peace, Colleen

SINCERE FORGOVENESS


Sincere forgiveness isn’t colored with expectations that the other person apologizes or changes. Don’t worry whether or not they finally understand you. Love them and release them. Life feeds back truth to people in its own way and time.

Sara Paddison


Peace to You and Yours with Love
Jerry

CAPACITY TO FORGIVE


We must develop and maintain the capacity to forgive. He who is devoid of the power to forgive is devoid of the power to love. There is some good in the worst of us and some evil in the best of us. When we discover this, we are less prone to hate our enemies.

Martin Luther King Jr.



Peace to you and yours
Jerry

EMBRACE THE UNKNOWN

When you feel a new impulse, an uplifting thought, an insight that you never acted upon before, embrace the unknown. Cherish it as tenderly as a new born baby. God lives in the unknown, and when you can embrace it fully, you will be free.

Deepak Chopra

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Frederick Douglas

It is much easier to build a strong child than to repair a broken man


Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Love and Forgiveness

Love is the one main ingredient that holds us all together, Forgiveness is the means of removing emotional obstacles to the awareness of loves presence.

John Fetzer

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

FORGIVNESS

Many people confuse forgiveness with exoneration. Forgiveness does not excuse someone from doing something wrong. It does not alleviate their guilt or lessen their transgression. Instead, forgiveness accepts the past as it was, embraces the present, and faces the future. Forgiveness is a strategy for you to become free of emotional baggage. Hate, fury, recrimination, and blame weigh us down. The ball and chain of old wounds tethers us to the past and limits our ablity to move forward with vitality.

Ira Byock

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Dear Citizens for Peace,
We are sensing the shift towards peace in this peaceful transition of power in our great country. MLK's son reminded us that "Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve." Thank you for your service to the cause of peace that you provide when you work on your own inner peace, when you take time to learn about nonviolence, when you listen with an open mind and heart to someone you disagree with, when you contribute your energy to the activities of the Citizens for Peace, and when you demonstrate peace to everyone you meet on this wondrous path of peace we are traveling together! I am honored to walk this peace path with all of you!
Peace, Colleen

One day we must come to see that Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Peace to You and Yours
Jerry

Observer Newspapers Reports Essay Contest

Today, the Observer Newspapers reported how Rosemary Doyle became a member of the Citizens For Peace organization and why she is committed to ways of creating peace and nonviolence in our world. Her commitment lead her to take a leadership role in initiating the Peace Essay Contest.

In the article Colleen Mills, Citizens For Peace president, said we want "...to raise awareness of how to create nonviolence through respect for others...."To read the column click here.

ESSAY CONTEST - NONVIOLENCE AS A PATHWAY TO PEACE

Following is information on how to enter the contest to celebrate the "Season For Nonviolence".
Please join us in this celebration by entering.


Nonviolence as a Pathway to Peace

Citizens for Peace is sponsoring an essay contest for Michigan high school and college students to help promote The Season for Nonviolence. The Citizens for Peace is a grassroots nonprofit nonpartisan community organization whose mission is to create a culture of peace and has been active since 2003. (citizensforpeace11.blogspot.com) For additional information call 734-525-4326 or email arabdoo@earthlink.net

The Season for Nonviolence began in 1998 when it was inaugurated at the United Nations. It was co-founded by the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence and a group of ten ministers forming the Leadership Council of The Association for Global New Thought. Its purpose is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. The Season is January 30th through April 4th of each year.

DEADLINE
March 10 , 2009, Mail to: Citizens for Peace, Essay Contest, 31648 Pembroke, Livonia, MI 48152

CONTENT
“How do nonviolent practices reduce conflict and create pathways to peace?”

Sample approaches: compare and contrast the peace efforts of two or more peacemakers; discuss the causes of violence and what needs to be done to reduce it; focus on a specific area of the world and discuss how violent conflict was stopped and what steps were taken to secure peace.

FORMAT
8 ½ x 11” paper; margins 1”; double space; 500 word maximum. List all materials on the last page of your essay, using the standard bibliographic format that you use at your school. Quotations must be referenced. Essay must be typed in English.

Your essay must show evidence of relevant reading and thoughtful use of resource materials; treatment of assigned theme; clear and effective language; and a coherent plan of organization.

RESEARCH
The sources for this essay must include at least two selections from the Peace Collection bibliography, which lists over 300 titles to select from. Most of the books are located at the Civic Center Branch of the Livonia Public Library. The complete bibliography can be viewed from the Citizens for Peace blog (citizensforpeace11blogspot.com) or at the Resource Desk at the Civic Center Branch. You may also view a partial listing at http://www.livonia.lib.mi.us/cfpcollection .

If you do not have Livonia Public Library Card, call 734-466-2491 to obtain one or to inquire about reciprocal borrowing privileges and interlibrary loan, available to most libraries in S.E. Michigan.

AWARDS
Both high school and college prizes will be $250, $100 and $50 each for first, second and third place.

Prizes will be awarded at the Season for Nonviolence celebration on April 14, 2009 at the monthly meeting of the Citizens for Peace in Livonia, MI. Each winner will be invited to attend.

COVER PAGE
List name, address, city/zip, phone number, email address, high school or college grade level and school name. If under 18, include parent/guardian signature along with yours.

Type the following statement on your cover page:

I am submitting an original essay to the Citizens for Peace essay contest, “Nonviolence as a Pathway to Peace” as they honor the Season for Nonviolence. I certify that this essay is my own work and that I have abided by all the guidelines and requirements of the Contest. I understand that my essay will not be returned to me and will become the property of the Citizens for Peace to use at its discretion in activities related to the contest. I further understand that the judges’ decisions are final and that if I am selected as a winner of the contest, I will be available for a photo for a press release.

Then, sign your name along with your parent or guardian, if applicable.

Unite for peace

Michigan has an opportunity to take part in a historical, inspirational and transformative day Sunday, Sept. 21, at the Eastern Michigan University Convocation Center. Two visionary leaders will be traveling from opposite corners of the world and the country, to bring us all together in an experience of uniting for peace.

Michael Bernard Beckwith, the dynamic African American pastor from one of the largest congregations of Los Angeles, and Gandhi Peace Prize winner Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, from Sri Lanka, will lead us in meditation, prayer, dialogue and song. Their goal: to focus our attention and intention on the possibility of creating peace and harmony in ourselves, our families, our community and our world.

"Dr. Ari," as he is affectionately called, has worked for 50 years for the "awakening of all." He emphasizes practicing loving kindness, compassion, service and equality. In his words, "We are one human society ... we are all members of one living world." His message is very important for all of us.

Michael Bernard Beckwith combines the power of Martin Luther King with a force that motivates listeners to have confidence that a unified, peaceful future will be a reality.

His 8,000-member Agape International Spiritual Center lives up to its name. Its congregation celebrates a love of humanity that seem boundless and world changing. With his wife, Rickie Byars Beckwith, who composes inspirational music and directs the 200-member Agape International Choir, Michael travels the world working for peace.

Maybe Michigan has more in common with Sri Lanka and Los Angeles than we think. We can follow the lead of Ariyaratne and Beckwith, and trust ourselves to make a better world, starting here. Sept. 21 is an opportunity to decide to not tolerate intolerance; to agree to recognize our common humanity; to support one another; and rise up together.

Come to EMU 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21, the International Day of Peace. Join millions around the world. Make history!

Colleen Mills

Citizens For Peace 2008 Fall Film Series

All films shown at 7 p.m.
Madonna University, Schoolcraft and Levan in Livonia,MI. Click Here for a map.
Donation: $5.00 per event. Parking in large, free, well-lighted lot.

"Blood & Oil" Friday,September 26 Shows how concerns about oil has fueled war for at least 60 years and calls for radical rethinking of U.S. energy policy.

"Election Day" Friday, October 3 Filmed in 14 different locations including Dearborn, this movie chronicles the ordinary citizen determined to vote, to turn out the vote, and to see that voting is legally and fairly done in the 2004 elections.

"On the Line" Friday, October 10 Inside look at the people behind one of the largest nonviolent movements in America today: the movement to close the School of the Americas/WHINSEC, a U.S. Army school that trains Latin American soldiers.

"Tim Wise: On White Privilege" Friday, October 17 Deeply personal and electrifying inside-out view of race and racism in America by providing a non-confrontational explanation of white privilege.

All of the above films will be shown at different times and dates at:

St. John’s Episcopal Church, Woodward at 11 Mile Road, Royal Oak, Tuesdays, 313-579-9071

Macomb Community College, South Campus, Warren, Mondays, 586-445-7378


Also don’t miss: Talk on Colombia, Cecilia Zarate with Bishop Tom Gumbleton, Oct. 16 at St. John’s Church

BEYOND WAR (1 of 8 study sessions)

Highlights of “BEYOND WAR” Study
Session I: An Introduction to Beyond War – June 2008
Social Change—how it happens, historical examples

(This is a compilation of “headlines” and excerpts from the 37 printed pages of Section I, “Beyond War”. Rosemary Doyle, Group Facilitator, Citizens for Peace, June 10, 2008.

Participating as a Change Agent, Gayle Landt(Change our way of thinking to build a world of beyond war). What would need to happen in the minds and hearts of how many citizens in order to achieve long-term, life-affirming change? Session I introduces the cornerstones of “a new way of thinking” and puts the work of building a world beyond war into historical context. People who are active in Beyond War are responding to Einstein’s 1946 quote “Everything has changed, save our modes of thinking, and we thus drift toward unparalleled catastrophe.” The thinking that Beyond War promotes is that war is obsolete in the nuclear age—and it is an ineffective response to terrorism—and that we all live on one planet and the means are the ends in the making. These are the ideas that people must adopt in order to build a world beyond war.

Beyond War: A New Mode of Thinking: (Make the shift and give up the habit of war.) This will require knowledge, decision and action…time has come to give up the ancient habit of war…war is here, not just over there…problem is our mode of thinking…change our thinking that war is inevitable…we are connected through our common needs and cannot separate ourselves…what is fear’s role in war…we must be the change…our intention must be nonviolent, nonwar…education is the most effective action…educate on the values of not having a war system but a peace system…history shows that governments and leaders will respond to the will of the people…to resolve a conflict, I must have an attitude of goodwill…I cannot preach peace while waging war at a personal level. THE SHIFT IS A PERSONAL ONE—A NON-WAR ATTITUDE.

(The Section I discussion group responded to the question of “Was there a point in my life when I began to question whether war might not be an option to resolve conflict?” with “during the Korean War; Vietnam War, current war, some were unsure, others never thought about it, and there was commentary on government integrity as it relates to ending wars.)

Beyond War is a revitalized organization which peaked in the 1980’s with over 24,000 members in 23 states and several countries. In 1991 it shifted its focus toward cultural and environmental issues and formally became the Foundation for Global Community, 1991.

Optimism of Uncertainty, Howard Zinn: (Super Powers have failed to accomplish their goals because they were unable to control what seemed to be the “powerless”.) (Headliners) Don’t let those who have power intimidate you…understand that the major media will not tell you all of the acts of resistance taking place every day in the society…power is fragile, it depends on obedience…see engagement as an ongoing struggle with victories and defeats…what leaps out from history of past 100 years is its utter unpredictability…Rosa Parks refused to move from the front of the bus…the Russian revolution to overthrow the Tsar startled most advanced imperial powers with its results…the Chinese revolution…Spain became an astonishment…the end of WIII left two superpowers, U.S. and Russia…the failure of the Soviet Union to have its way in Afghanistan…the U.S. sent an army into Korea but could not win…apparent power has proved vulnerable to human qualities less measurable than bombs and dollars: moral fervor, determination, unity, organization, sacrifice, wit, ingenuity, courage, patience…no cold calculation of the balance of power need deter people who are persuaded that their cause is just…there is a tendency to think that what we see in the present moment will continue…pessimism becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy; it reproduces itself by crippling our willingness to act…the bad things that happen are repetitions of bad things that have always happened…the good things that happen are unexpected…people are not naturally violent or cruel or
2


greedy, although they can be made so…revolutionary change does not come as one cataclysmic moment but as an endless succession of surprises, moving zigzags toward a more decent society. (This article appears in the book, The Impossible Will Take a Little While, copyright 2004, Paul Rogat Loeb.)

The Process of Social Change, Professor Everett M. Rogers, (Stanford Research Institute, Diffusion of Innovations, Third Edition, New York, MacMillan Free Press, 1983: (The phases of a new idea being adapted.) Studies at Stanford University tell us that when only 5% of a society accepts a new idea, it is “embedded”. When 20% adopt the idea, it is “unstoppable.” The studies also
show that it normally requires 50% of the population to be “aware” of the idea in order to reach the 5%
who will adopt it. (Related website: http://www.ogc.org/traubman/)

Examples of the Process of Change, Leon Friedman, Civil Rights Reader, 1967; Alan P. Grimes, Equity in America, 1964: (A historical perspective of major social changes, time, and individuals who started the momentum.) It took 200 years to abolish slavery; women’s suffrage, 80 years; Civil rights: in 1896 with Supreme Court held that “separate but equal”; in 1954 the Supreme court ruled that “separate but equal” was unconstitutional; in 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed; in 1965 President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law.

Dancing With Systems, (Donella Meadows, professor, Dartmouth College. The Sustainability Institute that she founded before her death will publish her uncompleted book: (Do not assume that technology and data analysis will predict and control results.) People in the industrial world are likely to make a terrible mistake in systems analysis, in interconnection and complication, and the power of the computer if they think that there is a key to prediction and control…The goal of foreseeing the future exactly and preparing for it perfectly is unrealizable…The idea of making a complex system do just what you want it to do can be achieved only temporarily at best…We can never fully understand our world, not in the way our reductionistic science has led us to expect. Our science itself, from quantum theory to the mathematics of chaos, leads us into irreducible uncertainty…The future can’t be predicted, but it can be envisioned and brought lovingly into being…We can’t surge forward with certainty into a world of no surprises, but we can expect surprises and learn from them and even profit from them…We can’t impose our will upon a system. We can listen to what the system tells us and discover how its properties and our values can work together to bring forth something much better than could ever be produced by our will alone…We can’t control systems or figure them out. But we can dance with them…Get the Beat…Listen to the Wisdom of the System…Expose your Mental Models to the Open Air…Stay Humble, Stay a Learner…Honor and Protect Information…Locate Responsibility in the System…Make Feedback Policies for Feedback Systems…Pay Attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable…Go for the Good of the Whole…Expand Time Horizons…Expand Thought Horizons…Expand the Boundary of Caring…Celebrate Complexity…Hold Fast to the Goal of Goodness.

What Is The Price of Peace?

At the Midwest Regional Conference June 20-22, 2008 in Chicago the participants were asked to write something about peace within a 10 minute time period. The content was to come from the heart. It's been reported that there were several excellent pieces submitted and read to the group.

George Mills, the Citizens for Peace, Public Relations board member, submitted the following piece. George claims it's the first draft. For myself, I'm not sure this gem needs polishing. Colleen Mills, George's wife, said her tears flowed as he read his words from the heart.

June 24, 2008

WHAT IS THE PRICE OF PEACE?

Peace for Sale! Peace for Sale! For a nickel or a dime you can buy the price of peace.

I used to teach in the inner city—second grade—where students came to school eating

dry Cheerios from their coat pocket. Nickels and dimes was all it took to spark a

school breakfast program. No need any more for teachers to maintain a stash of peanut

butter and crackers for classroom snacks.

Peace for Sale! Peace for Sale! Two bits, four bits, even six bits will do—to shelter

a homeless person in a warming center and provide a meal or two.

Peace for Sale! Peace for Sale! See what a buck will do. Get friends and neighbors

behind you with this one—and give those battered wives and children a safe warm

haven.

Peace for Sale! Peace for Sale! Let’s raise the ante just a bit—say five billion dollars—

the price of a sleek new killing machine. The cost of Katrina would be covered in a

heartbeat by the cost of just one or two.

We could go on and on. But you get the idea. No matter what the cost the price of peace

--it’s worth it. We are living in the alternative.

2008 Calendar June through August

Join the Citizens for Peace this summer at our meetings (second Tuesday of each month). We meet at Unity of Livonia at 7 PM.

Please mark your calendar & share this email with your friends.
Here's the schedule:

June 10 Citizens for Peace host the Beyond War Study Series. Group discussions include:1) Intoduction to Beyond War & Social Change, 2) Communication Skills (How to talk to people who think war is a good idea), 3) War is obsolete, 4) We all live on one planet.

July 8 Citizens for Peace host the Beyond War Study Series. Group discussions include: 1) What to do instead of war: Nonviolent Conflict Resolution Processes & Appropriate humanitarian Foreign Aid, 2) International Law & Cooperation between nations, 3) Practical experience in talking about what people & nations can do instead of war, 4) Effective Advocacy.

To read about the Beyond War Study Series--it's three guiding principles, three core practices and it's history click here.

August 12 Citizens for Peace present the film The Power of Forgiveness. You will be inspired & motivated to forgive after viewing this film.
Everyone is welcome.

"I Stand for Peace" Campaign

CommonDreams.org News Center have posted a Peace Alliance press release announcing the "I Stand for Peace" campaign. Click Here to read the press release.

Also Peace Alliance posted a 30 second psa on YouTube to announce the campaign. Click Here to see the it.

Film Series Spring 2008

Madonna University, Schoolcraft & Levan

All films shown at 7 p.m.

Donation: $5.00 per event. Parking in large, free, well-lighted lot.

“WAR MADE EASY” April 18 Click Here for trailer. This film shows that since the Vietnam era, the corporate media has played an integral part in building public support for military adventures. (Narrated by Sean Penn and features Norman Solomon). Science Lecture Hall

“BELOVED COMMUNITY” April 25 Hitting close to home, this film looks at Sarnia, Ontario who faces the toxic legacy of Canada’s petrochemical industry. Sure to generate discussion around the questions of how industrial communities can arrive at a healthy balance between a community’s economic livelihood and health and environmental impact. Science Lecture Hall

“AMERICAN BLACKOUT” May 2 A 2006 Sundance Film Festival winner, this film examines the contemporary tactics used to control our democratic process and silence voices of political dissent. Just in time for the 2008 election, this film chronicles the recurring patterns of voter disenfranchisement while following the story of former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney. Kresge Hall

“THE BIG SELLOUT” May 9 This political documentary depicts the stories of the everyday life of those who have to deal with the effects of privatization failures. Basic public services such as water supply, electricity, public transportation, and even health care are examined. Kresge Hall

PRESS RELEASE March 10, 2008

MUSICAL STORYTELLER-POLITICAL SATIRIST

CHARLIE KING TO APPEAR IN LIVONIA APRIL 5^TH

Livonia—Charlie King, “One of the finest singers and songwriters of our

time, according to folk legend Pete Seeger, will perform Saturday, April 5^th at

Unity Church of Livonia.

A musical storyteller and satirist for 40 years, King sings and writes passionately

about the extraordinary lives of ordinary people. As one of the pillars of American folk

music, his songs have been sung and recorded by other famous artists such as Pete

Seeger, Arlo Guthrie, Peggy Seeger, Chad Mitchell, and Judy Small.

King and his partner, Karen Brandow, have been performing together in support

of numerous groups working for peace, human rights, and alternatives to violence. She

will not be accompanying him for this performance.

Peace Action of Michigan and the Livonia based Citizens for Peace are hosting

King as a fund raising event. Both groups have a combined membership that covers

most of Southeastern Michigan.

Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. Students, $10. The performance

begins at 7 p.m. Unity of Livonia is on Five Mile Road between Middlebelt and Inkster

Roads.

For tickets or additional information, please call 248 548 3920 or 734 425 0079.

Submitted by Colleen Mills, 734 425 0079

A Special Valentine for YOU!
Kathy Henning will lead us in meditations on Love & Blessings at our Citizens for Peace meeting Tuesday, February 12th. at Unity of Livonia. Kathy has been meditating and studying the writings of spiritual masters for over 30 years. Meditation has been proven to improve both physical and emotional health. If you have never tried meditation, this would be a wonderful introduction. We will start promply at 7 pm, so don't be late.

Military Spending

The president's $3 billion fiscal year 2009 budget request is put into perspective by Ben Cohen's Oreo cookie analysis.

"Livonia Observer"

Today the "Livonia Observer" newspaper features Citizens For Peace (CFP) on the front page.

The article's three major points:

1. Rudy Simons, songwriter and music publisher, will speak at the CFP January 8, 2008 meeting about his recent trip to Iran with the group "Fellowship of Reconciliation".
   
2. CFP works for the passage of a Department of Peace and Nonviolence, HR 808.
3. The Peace Collection with books about peace and nonviolence are now in the Livonia Library.

To read this excellent article, Click Here.

Peace for All in the New Year

It is up to all of us to create a more peaceful world. The latest research on energy gives the responsibility and power of creating the type of world we live in to each individual! The time has come for each of us to use our collective intelligence to bring forth the world we want for us and future generations.

The Citizens for Peace are dedicated to accepting the responsibility and using our collective power to create a Department of Peace and Nonviolence in our federal government. We are part of the vision that began with the founding of our country. The creation of a Peace Department was suggested in 1793. It seemed logical that a Peace Department was needed to balance the War Department. Unfortunately, despite many attempts through the years, that vision never became a reality. The time is crucial now.

The change will occur when enough individuals realize that what we focus on grows. If we want peace, we must focus our attention on the programs that address the root causes of violence with effective solutions. We must fund the creative and practical programs that have proven to decrease violence.

With our increased scientific knowledge, we have the rationale to support our efforts to create a Department of Peace and Nonviolence. If we can find our own inner peace, educate ourselves and others, use tools such as Nonviolent Communication & Restorative Practices, and join the ever growing network of peace seekers; we can bring about the vision of peace into our government and the world!

We invite you to join us on our journey to create the peaceful world that is possible. Use the power you have within to create this world. Accept the responsibility to “Be the Change you wish to see in the world”! Join the Citizens for Peace and start creating the peaceful world that only we can.

Have a beautiful Holiday Season!

2008 Citizens For Peace Calendar

Colleen Mills, President, Citizens For Peace reports:

Our monthly meetings are open to everyone. Please invite your friends to help us create the culture of peace we desire. Here is the list of monthly meetings:

January 8th - Rudy Simons will report on his trip to Iran!

February 12th - Kathy Henning will lead us in meditations on Love & Blessings!

March 11th - we will view & discuss the video "Beyone War"!

April 8th - Robert Weir will present "Incentive & Instruction from Christ, Gandhi & King"!

May 13th - Professor Michael Whitty will present a talk on Inner Peace and Outer Peace!

With your help, we will make 2008 a year of peace!
See you Tuesday!

Peace, Colleen

Year 2007 In Review

Citizens For Peace President Colleen Mills made these comments and review of 2007:

Thank you to everyone who helped in any of our activities this year:

1. Tabling at Eastern, Schoolcraft, Body, Mind, Spirit Festivals, Nagasaki Day, the DoP Film Festival, the Spring & Fall Film Festivals, the Restorative Practices Program, the Dinner for Peace, the Royal Oak Main Theater, Muruga & the Global Village Band’s show, the Bake Sale, and Swami Beyondananda’s show!

2. Helping with the Fundraisers at Max & Erma’s, the Dinner for Peace, the Bake Sale, the DoP Film Festival, the Walk for Peace, and the MCHR Film Festivals.

3. Assisting to make the Nagasaki Day event a success.

4. Supporting the library Peace Collection.

5. Attending the Department of Peace Conference in Washington, D.C.

6. Delivering the Peace Pizza and requesting the “Peace wants a piece of the pie”.

7. Developing a Peace Speakers group.

8. Practicing Nonviolent Communication.

9. Attending the monthly meetings.

10. Participating in the Arlington Midwest vigil.

11. Being the change we want to see in the world!

What a year! THANK YOU!!!

We have a new year coming up & I know our seeds of peace will bear fruit!

December Meeting

Hi everyone,
Our December Citizens for Peace meeting is Tuesday, Dec. 11th at 7 p.m. at Unity of Livonia. Click Here for map. We will have a guest speaker from the Michigan Peace Team, Loretta Johnson. She will inform us on the activities of the Peace Team, and share information about her trip to Palestine. Bring a friend!

Cheers,
Colleen Mills, President, Citizens For Peace

International Day of Peace September 21

Today has been designated as the International Day of Peace. Everyone is asked to reflect on peace at twelve noon today. For more information regarding this day click here

What if you should read this post after today? Well, designate that day as a day of peace.