Resource Information

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Let’s Go to the Movies – and Look for a Message of Peace

Author: Breeze Richardson

My workshop this week has been a really nice experience, facilitated by Gareth Higgins (author of How Movies Helped Save My Soul: Finding Spiritual Fingerprints in Culturally Significant Films) and Warren Cooper (owner of Music Media Ministry).  Titled, “How Does Pop Culture Reinforce Conflict or Encourage Healing”our time together focused on Walter Wink’s Myth of Redemptive Violence and how that false truth – that order comes from chaos – has been the key belief of all human cultures.  …and how this has played out in pop culture, especially film.

I think my main take away was a new appreciation for the idea that the context in which you see something affects how you perceive it.  So if you look for a message of peace, or reconciliation, or hope, or integrity… you might just find it.

Here are 7 films Gareth recommended, all which challenge this notion that violence can be a cleansing experience:

– Hero (Ying Xiong) (2002)
– The Full Monty (1997)
– The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
– Munich (2005)
– Protagonist (2007)
– ScaredScared (2004)
– Gran Torino (2008 )

Can you add to the list?  Or Comment on any of these you’ve seen (or see them so you can comment!), and share your thoughts on what take-away message you found?

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Declaration of Life

One of the campaigns that ILYM PRC is bringing to a wider audience is to encourage personal expression through use of the anti-death penalty “Declaration of Life” wallet card.wallet-card_declaration-of-life2

In part, we as Friends “are opposed to capital punishment because it is contrary to the Divine law of love. The application of the death penalty is brutalizing and degrading to the public mind. It leaves no room for the reformation of character, which should be the principal aim of criminal law, nor for the revision of the sentence in the event of a miscarriage of justice.”

On our website we outline the history and motivation of Quaker work around the issue of the dealth penalty in more detail, and share some specific educational resources, but wanted to share this specific action here, as well.

To download the “Declaration of Life” wallet card, click here.

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Greetings from Camp Hope

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Greetings F/friends,

Steve Flowers from ground zero / Camp Hope Chicago. For those that are not aware of whats going on in the streets, churches, faith communities in the Hyde Park area, home of 57th street meeting of Friends -also my monthly meeting- go to http://www.camphope2009.org.  I have been most recently very active in the planning and running of Camp Hope as the co-clerk of 57th Street Meeting of Friends Peace & Social Concerns Committee.

This has been an inspirational experience for me. Witnessing and supporting the youth involved in the organizing, staffing, collaboratively running of this project has brought much joy and hope that a new dawn in the peace movement has arrived. It has been a while, I started my work in the peace movement back before Paul Simon won as Senator from IL on the heals of the Nuclear Weapons Freeze Movement, since I have experienced the energy of youth facing down and braveing cold snowy days of frigid temps sharing their desire for Peace.

Living in public housing, where Obama orgaized prior to his arrival, from the north and south city limits of Chicago to attending schools from Carbondale to Aurora, IL… If I were actually provided money for the volunteer service I currently provide I would be wealthy. On the other hand my sitting with a multicultural group of activists until late (10:30 pm) in the evening last Sunday representing members of the Camp Hope coalition deeply in dialog around the direction of Camp Hope provided me with wealth of the Spirit from which, though I may be poor financially, I carry on the struggle for sustainable Peace amongst all humanity.

May the dialog continue. Blessings; to all my relations, In Peace, In The Light, In Touch – Steve Flowers

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Heeding God’s Call: A Gathering on Peace

Author: Breeze Richardson

Breeze, here.  All next week, I’m going to be attending a national conference as the delegate from Illinois Yearly Meeting.  According to the “Heeding God’s Call” website, the gathering’s mission statement declares that the purpose is “to strengthen our witness and work for peace in the world by inspiring hope, raising voices, taking action.”

I think it will be an interesting experience & plan to write daily about what I learn.  Other Quakers around the country will be writing, too, as part of Friends Journal‘s coverage of the event.  I look forward to the other members of the Peace Resource Committee Commenting on what I discover & Friends across ILYM and beyond joining in on the conversation, too!