ONLINE NEWSLETTER - JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2005
::January 13 Book Discussion to Feature 'How To' Guide for Social Justice::
::Interfaith Youth Core--Youth Taking Charge::
::The Honor and the Privilege by Pamela Yenawine::
::Harry Pickens' Concerts for Contemplation to Continue in 2005::
::Resources or Kin?::
::Meet Keith Eiken--IPP's New Board Secretary::
::Start Your Year Off Right--Take the Vow of Nonviolence for 2005::
::Hold the Dates April 14-16::
IPP Launches Vow of Nonviolence Campaign
Beginning in January of 2005, Interfaith Paths to Peace will undertake a campaign to get as many people as possible to take an annual, repeatable, vow of nonviolence.
The vow is based on a vow of nonviolence developed by longtime peacemaker John Dear who is also the former national Director of the Fellowship of Reconciliation.
IPP will work with local leaders of the world’s religions to adjust the language of the vow to make it compatible with the needs of those who practice Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and additional spiritual communities.
Terry Taylor, the new Executive Director of IPP plans to worship with dozens of local spiritual communities and to enlist their participation in the Vow campaign.
Those who wish to join IPP’s nonviolence campaign by taking the vow (which can be found on page 3), can clip it, sign and date it, and return it to the IPP office. Plans are underway to make it possible for computer users to take the vow online. Visit the IPP website for details.
Those who wish to modify the draft vow to meet the needs of their religion, can contact Terry Taylor at (502) 214-7591 or via e-mail at Director@InterfaithPathsToPeace.org
January 13 Book Discussion to Feature 'How To' Guide for Social Justice
IPP’s January book discussion will feature Louisville author Tom Lauderback discussing his brand new faith and justice “how to” book, Putting Your Faith to Work: Practical Things You Need to Know About Getting Organized for Social Justice. This handbook has just been published by Interfaith Paths to Peace, and IPP is making it available in a binder format for only $5, the cost of reproducing and binding it.
The discussion will be held on Thursday, January 13, at 7 p.m. in the Bishop’s Hall of Diocesan House at 425 S. 2nd, in Louisville. The event is free and open to the public.
According to Tom, who is an active member of Louisville’s Friends (or Quaker) community, the handbook is a compilation of practical tips on social justice organizing, which he says he hopes will inspire you, and save you time. Most of these bits of information come out of Internet web sites; others from his favorite books.
Toms says, “The two bits that inspired and motivated me the most profoundly are the Seven Kinds of Social Action and How to Practice the Generosity of My Faith. The first is a ready-made action plan for social justice ministries and the second, a ready-made action plan for individual persons.
When asked why he produced this handbook, Tom says, “The social justice books I’ve read so far are long on details about the social issues but short on practical advice. These include some books about planning for social change, which go into great depth about how to write a mission statement and strategic goals but don’t really help you decide exactly what to do. My aim is to cut through all of that clutter and get to the social action as promptly as possible. I hope to get there by literally handing you all the strategic planning you’ll really need in this little booklet. And, I promise to do my best to keep it simple.”
Interfaith Youth Core--Youth Taking Charge
Interfaith Paths to Peace is working with representatives from the Cathedral Heritage Foundation, Highland Presbyterian Church, Bellarmine College and the Jewish Federation to support the creation of an Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC) in Louisville. At last November’s Festival of Faiths, the founder of IFYC, Dr. Eboo Patel, talked about his passion for this organization and its success in 20 cities.
In his letter in the Organizer’s Toolkit for the National Days of Interfaith Youth Service (April 9-10, 2005), Ebbo writes: “Working with others to improve the lives of all is also at the core of my Muslim faith. .. The National Days of Interfaith Youth Service is about living the deeper values that our faith traditions share, by embracing diversity, building understanding, and serving others.”
The first step in creating this opportunity in our community is to create a Youth Council that will spearhead the effort, make contacts with youth groups in the community, and organize activities for the two days in April. The Youth Council will be supported by a Steering Committee of representatives from various faiths and organizations.
The goals of the 2005 Days of Interfaith Youth Service are:
communities by exploring teachings of service in their own faith tradition
If you know of a youth group that would be interested in exploring the National Days of Interfaith Youth Service, please contact Terry Taylor, Executive Director of IPP, 214-7322, cell phone, or director@InterfaithPathsToPeace.org
The Honor and the Privilege by Pamela Yenawine
Thanks for the memories! Now, let’s create more. That’s my attitude about the past 1.5 years as Executive Director of this amazing small organization that makes a big difference—a few people at a time.
I knew coming in that I’d be a short-timer; after all, I do have a second career in the budding as a CranioSacral Therapist, my way of creating peace and balance one person at a time. What an honor and privilege it has been to work for and with the Board of Directors and all of you in our community who support us in so many ways, not the least of which is financially.
I am truly excited to hand the daily intention of IPP over to Terry Taylor and his vision for the future. I am also honored that I have been appointed as ExOfficio member of the Board.
In my short time here we have created a presence on the Internet with our web site and our ability to send our newsletter PEACES to you electronically. There is more of an infrastructure in the office and a couple of new programs.
I am a team player and I can assure you that none of this came about from my efforts alone. And now, to work! There is still a lot more to accomplish.
Harry Pickens' Concerts for Contemplation to Continue in 2005
Following on his successful 2004 Concerts for Contemplation, Peacemaker and musician Harry Pickens has agreed to conduct a 2005 season of concerts.
Last year’s fundraising concerts brought in a total of more than $2,000 which was shared by IPP and the churches hosting the events.
This year Harry hopes to present as many as 50 concerts. To schedule a Concert for Contemplation at your church, synagogue, mosque or religious facility, please contact IPP’s director, Terry Taylor at (502) 214-7322.
Resources or Kin?
“What your people call your natural resources our people call our relatives.”
—Oren Lyons, faith keeper of the Onondaga Nation
Meet Keith Eiken--IPP's New Board Secretary
Keith Eiken is a founding member of the IPP Board, and became Secretary of the Board in December of 2004.
A native of Louisville, Keith began his career as a social studies teacher for the Louisville Public Schools (LPS) at Parkland Junior High. After five years of teaching, Keith enrolled in a year-long graduate program at the University of London, and returned to his home city to become Supervisor of Social Studies for LPS. Later he served as Principal at Atherton High School (from which he had graduated). He went on to head up the LPS program for gifted and talented students.
Following his retirement from the LPS after 32 years of service, Keith became Executive Director of Scenic Kentucky, an environmental group that works to control the impact of commercial signage that can often prevent us from fully enjoying the natural beauty of the Kentucky landscape. He has also been active for years in the English Speaking Union.
Keith’s interest in interreligious cooperation was kindled in the 1970s when, after moving from Crescent Hill to Highland Baptist Church he was part of a Jewish/Christian dialogue. Keith says he could see the ripple effects of that dialogue in the Highland Baptist congregation as it instilled in the members a greater interest in interfaith activities.
Keith went on to play an active role in the Cathedral Heritage Foundation’s annual Festival of Faiths and has been active in the Festival since its inception. He also helped create CHF’s Spiritual Art Gallery.
Regarding IPP, Keith says he appreciates the way IPP strives to broaden the public’s awareness of non-violence and social change in a spiritual context. He is very interested in exploring ways to use nonviolent means to resolve the Israeli/Palestinian conflict.
Start Your Year Off Right--Take the Vow of Nonviolence for 2005
The commitment to treating others as we ourselves wish to be treated is central to most of the world’s great religions. This commitment serves as an antidote to the violence that poisons our world with war, pours blood into the streets of our cities, and causes anguish in our families. Moreover, taking a formal vow of nonviolence is a beautiful and public way of affirming our spiritual values.
The Vow of Nonviolence
Recognizing the violence in my own heart, yet trusting in goodness and mercy, I vow to live for one year a life of nonviolence by:
·
striving for peace within myself and seeking to be a peacemaker in my daily life;·
showing love, compassion and forgiveness to everyone I meet;·
accepting suffering in the struggle for peace and justice rather than inflicting it;·
refusing to retaliate in the face of provocation and violence;·
persevering in nonviolence of tongue and heart;·
living conscientiously and simply so that I do not deprive others of the means to live;·
striving to treat the natural world not as a resource but rather as a beloved member of my family, and·
actively resisting evil and working nonviolently to abolish war and the causes of war from my own heart and from the face of the earth.To enroll in the
Interfaith Paths to Peace
2005 Vow of Nonviolence Campaign
Please clip, complete, and mail this form to:
Interfaith Paths to Peace
425 S. 2nd Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Hold the Dates!
Please mark your
calendar to hold
April 14-16 for
an important series of events related to
spirituality and the
environment and
the spirituality of
“Deep
Ecumenism”
featuring a major
international
spiritual
leader
Interfaith Paths to Peace | 425 S. Second Street | Louisville, KY 40202-1430
(502) 214- PEAC (7322) | Terry@InterfaithPathstoPeace.org