Peace is more than the absence of war,
and Peacework requires more than just protesting violent actions.
Peace begins, as all good things do, in the heart.
Anne McCrady
Oppression and violence continue in the name of security.
Religious fanatics keep millions of girls from attending school.
Every day thousands of boys become soldiers instead of students.
Women produce half the world's food, but own only one percent of its farmland.
Tonight, millions of families will spend another night as refugees.
Peace is important work! InSpiritry, with its values of community, compassion, creativity, collaboration, consilience, courage and celebration, offers encouragement for those who want to become a personal source of peace. When we practice InSpiritry, we can inspire others by serving as an example of what peace looks like! As Gandhi told us: we can be the change we want to see in the world!
Watch this video: An Anthem for the World
Learn more about Peacework at this website: War Is Not the Answer
War Is Not the Answer Bumper Stickers and Signs
are available from the Friends Committee on National Legistlation (The Quakers)
For those in East Texas, contact InSpiritry. Anne is the FCNL distributor!
Celebrate the International Day of Peace on September 21!
Join Anne at the Art of Peace Festival September 11, 2010!
We seek:
a world free of war and the threat of war
a society with equity and justice for all
a community where every person's potential may be fulfilled
an earth restored
Agenda of the Friends Committee on National Legislation |
Peace is a part of every faith tradition; read sacred writings about peace!
For A List of InSpiritry Peacework Links, click here.
Peace is built on hope; read Anne's poem about hope!
What are you doing to make the world a better place?
Why wait another day for peace?
Here are some everyday Peacework suggestions:
- Believe in your own ability to make a difference!
- Stand up for justice in ways great and small.
- Stop making excuses for violence.
- Consider the Greater Good in every encounter.
- Speak up for those who cannot.
- Forgive a person who has wronged you.
- Call or send a note to somone who might be lonely.
- Think creatively about solving problems.
- Laugh when you could cry.
- Listen to someone who needs to speak.
- Gladden the heart of a child.
- Let your words be a blessing.
- Take pleasure in what is good.
- Welcome what is to come.
- See the sacred everywhere.
- Save a portion of each day for spiritual growth.
- Open your heart, your mind, your home and your wallet.
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights |
WORDS OF WISDOM FROM PROPHETS OF PEACE:
Gandhi said,
Be the change you want to see in the world.
Pope Paul VI told us,
If you want peace, work for justice.
Walt Whitman advised,
Obey little; resist much.
Ruth-Gaby Vermont-Mangold tells us,
Peacework starts again every morning.
Jesus Christ told his followers,
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Eleanor Roosevelt said,
You must do the thing you think you cannot do.
The Dalai Lama explained,
My religion is kindness.
Nobel Laureate Jody Williams reminds us,
Violence is a choice.
Thoreau wrote,
Go in the direction of your dreams.
Live the life you imagine.
Nobel Laureate Betty Williams greived,
The world is full of beautiful children that we kill every day.
Prince Hassan Bin Talal, uncle of Jordan's King Abdullah II urged,
We must stop focusing on war and military security
and begin investing in peace.
Palestian-American Poet Naomi Shihab Nye writes,
...now that we pretend
God like some kinds of killing,
how will we deserve
the light of candles...
Ursula LeGuin cautioned,
It is good to have an end to journey towards,
but it is the journey that matters, in the end.
David Friedman noted,
The direct use of force is such a poor solution to any problem, it is generally employed only by small children and large nations.
Knowledge brings Power;
Knowledge plus Wisdom brings Peace.
When We Know and Understand Each Other, We Can Live In Peace.
PRACTICE INSPIRITRY -- OFFER THE WORLD HOPE !
Enjoy some of Anne's poems about peace:
Public Health Proposal
A poem by Anne McCrady from Under a Blameless Moon
What if it was in the water?
Hope, I mean,
added like flouride
for our health.
It would be poured into baby bottles,
mixed with formula
so that at an early age
it would become a part of us
stored in our cells
for later.
In schools, it would flow
from the water fountains,
leading teachers to trust students
to never give up.
We would bathe in it,
sprinkle it on our lawns,
cook our food with it.
Why, hopewater would be
served with every meal
like salt and pepper.
In hospitals and nursing homes,
doctors would hang IV bags
of it mixed with medicine
whose results would be astounding.
After a while, the lakes
and ocean would be full
of it. It would rise and fall
as rain. And every afternoon,
the sky would fill with puffs of it,
and folks would look up
and say,
There's hope!
Welcome Hope
A Christmas Poem by Anne McCrady
As the days are growing shorter, welcome rest!
Though this year has been a journey, you can lay your burden down.
You can let your heart find healing and take comfort in the sound
Of God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. Let your worries come unwound.
As the days are growing shorter, welcome rest!
As the year comes to its closing, welcome thought!
Let your mind drift from the present to reflect on where you’ve been.
Take out keepsakes and old photos. Let yourself remember when.
Say, “My life has been a blessing.” Speak your loved one’s name again.
As the year comes to its closing, welcome thought!
As the days grow rushed and busy, welcome time!
Let the calendar remind you of the chance to be aware
Of the world that’s all around you: There is Christmas in the air!
With the tidings of the season, find a moment for a prayer.
As the days grow rushed and busy, welcome time!
If you feel a bit uncertain, welcome peace!
Though the world is full of trouble, try to see what’s really good.
Though some grudges can be stubborn, just forgive. You know you should!
Resist memories that might hurt you--People are misunderstood.
If you feel a bit uncertain, welcome peace!
With each Christmas card and letter, welcome love!
Open up your heart to others and show them you really care.
Embrace all the folks around you and find ways to help and share.
The world needs what you offer and new friends are everywhere.
With each Christmas card and letter, welcome love!
As this Christmas Day approaches, welcome joy!
Take out favorite decorations. Hang a wreath on the front door.
Sing sweet carols. Wrap some presents. Welcome all those you adore.
The world is far from perfect but we live expecting more!
As this Christmas Day approaches, welcome joy!
As we look toward the New Year, welcome hope!
The past should be a treasure, not a burden in our hearts.
We can let our loved one’s spirit hold us now that we’re apart.
Let’s each see the future’s promise and let this be how it starts.
As we look toward the New Year, welcome hope!
Welcome Rest! Welcome Thought!
Welcome Peace! Welcome Time!
Welcome Love! Welcome Joy!
Welcome Hope for Our Times!
Welcome Christmas and the New Year!
Welcome Light! Welcome Life!
We are the hope we have been waiting for~
What are You Doing about Peace?
Share Your InSpiritry Peacework Story!
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