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January/February 2007 Living Now
Peacemakers

Be the Change: Creating a Northwest Task Force for Peace

Are you ready to be the peace you want to see in the world?

Peaceableness toward enemies is an idea that will, of course, continue to be denounced as impractical. ... And yet it seems to me that it is practical, for it offers the only escape from the logic of retribution. It is the only way by which we can cease to look to war for peace. ... [Peaceableness] is not passive. It is the ability to act to resolve conflict without violence. ... As a practicable method, it reduces helplessness in the face of conflict. In the face of conflict, the peaceable person may find several solutions, the violent person only one.
-- Wendell Berry

A Season for Nonviolence is a national 64-day educational and grassroots campaign demonstrating that nonviolence is a powerful way to heal, transform and empower our communities. Inspired by the memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the event runs from January 30 to April 4, honoring their vision for an empowered, nonviolent world.

Rev. Roberta Winn, a minister at New Thought Ministries of Oregon, wants political, social, business and spiritual organizations to work together to create peace. She sees A Season for Nonviolence as a catalyst to energize peacemakers for the coming year.

"The more we know each other, the more we can support each other," says Winn, who is a member of a task force of peacemakers in the Portland area, including the Portland Center for Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual City Forum.

On March 3, local peace workers, organizations and churches will join together for an all day peace conference culminating in an evening concert by peace troubadour James Twyman.

Winn believes that the peace movement happening now is akin to the radical changes of the 1960s, but today's peacemakers are more mature and ready to make a difference in the world.

"We've done all of the personal healing we need to do," says Winn. "Now it's time to let go of our addiction to self-help and stand up for peace. We need to step up and lead people forward to making peace in the world."

Winn invites other organizations in the Pacific Northwest to join with the task force for peace. She hopes to create a focused and dynamic group that will advocate for peace locally and globally.

For details on joining the task force, contact Winn at 503-296-9922 or info@ntmo.org. The March 3 peace conference will be held at the Kingstad Conference Center at 11540 SW Millikan Way in Beaverton. For details, visit www.ntmo.org. For information on more events happening for A Season of Nonviolence, visit www.agnt.org. For details on James Twyman's concert tour, visit www.64daysofpeace.com.

-- Vicky Thompson