United for Peace

LEARNING

Peace is not the absence of war.
Dr. Ursula Franklin*
Certainly there is more to peace than the absence of wars in our own country. For me, the most appropriate definition of peace is the absence of fear; it is the daily reality of the biblical promise, "Fear not". [pg.69]
The definition of peace as the absence of fear illustrates that the central element needed to bring peace on all levels and to reduce fear is justice. Bertrand Russell defined the indivisibility of peace in his statement that "the price of peace is the happiness of our enemies", and added that he was not at all sure that humanity was prepared to pay that price. The second component of a commitment to peace is a rejection of the use of fear as an instrument of policy. [pg.70]
Louis Mumford in The Condition of Man (NY:Harcourt Brace, 1944, pg. 162) wrote that "Between the thirteenth and the nineteenth centuries one may sum up the changes in the moral climate by saying that the seven deadly sins became the seven cardinal virtues ... avarice ceased to be a sin, the minutes attention to the care of worldly goods, the holding of pennies, the unwillingness to spend one's surplus on others -- all these habits were useful for capital saving. Greed, gluttony, avarice, envy and luxury were constant incentives to industry." [pg.71]
Peace is the absence of fear. Peace is in the message of the angel to the shepherds in Bethlehem, "Be not afraid." ... Consequently, peace is not the absence of war -- peace is the absence of fear. This again links peace tightly to justice, because it is only in the presence of peace and justice that fear can be absent. Justice, in both the temporal and the spiritual sense, is a guarantee against the arbitrariness of power that is the source of so much justifiable fear. [pg. 76]


*from The Ursula Franklin Reader: Pacifism as a Map (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2006)

The youth of Trinity United Church proudly carried the UNITED for PEACE banner in the Village Christmas Parade. The parade reflects a spirit of celebration and it was great to hear the crowd cheer as they read the strong statement on the banner.

Bill Casey, M.P. and Maurice Henri, a photographer from Moncton, discussed his work with 'Cameras for Healing' in Sierra Leone. Maurice and his team of five volunteers travelled to Sierra Leone in 2006 and worked with child soldiers and their victims to begin the healing process. Maurice has a wonderful power point presentation that tells the story in a powerful manner. Bringing them together to:
- tell their stories
- take pictures of beautiful things
- begin to understand and forgive
- to try to find love
- to seek peace
In 45 minutes he shares the sadness and joys of his work. Changing broken lives. Working together for a positive change. Building capisity to move on.

After 12 years of war the country of Sierra Leone was left devastated. They made the decision to move forward by developing a "Culture of Peace". Maurice and his team have planned to cotinue their work for four more years and will return in Feb 2007 for the second year.