Join the next Peace and the MDG conference call:
Thursday, April 26th 8:30 EASTERN: 641-696-6600
Code: 20072008
Notes from the February 28th
Call:
Those
present: Mike and Jan Burroughs (Missouri), Patricia Clayton (California), Amy Coultas (Kentucky), Sue Grisham (Illinois), Kathy Harvath (Utah), Rob Henley (Tennessee), Mike Kinman (Missouri), Jackie Lynn (Illinois), Rex McKee (Minnesota), Amanda Murphy (Illinois), Nichola Torbett (California).
Grateful to Patricia Clayton for these notes of the call.
Opened
with prayer from Rex: A poem about hunger.
Stark. About our abundance. Its about learning to care.
The focus questions for the call were:
- What is the connection between Peace and the
Millennium Development Goals? AND
- What is your familiarity with the MDG’s?
Amy is doing
peace and reconciliation work. Integral piece is building non-violent peaceful
community. Protect children from
violence. We will never achieve the MDGs
until we have peace. This is her
perspective. Need that base of security
of living in a non-violent community.
Must know that you will live through the day.
Mike
(Episcopalians for Global Reconciliation) says that the MDG’s are broad enough
for all peace and justice concerns. The
problem is so big that everyone can contribute.
Eg. The environment is
included. Unless we address the
catastrophic climate we will not meet any of these goals. Southern Sudan is in relationship with his
diocese. A lot of development and growth
took place after the peace agreement was signed. This is what happens when people have a sense
of security. People can develop their
economies when they can think past tomorrow.
Outside investment can then come in.
Darfur is an incredible example of
this. Angelina Joli is not allowed in
certain places or to take pictures of certain things. We have to look at the MDGs. The MDGs are not sustainable without
peace. Mike is going to Rowanda next
week. They are making all 8 of the MDGs
happen at once. They are doing it as
part of the rebuilding process from the genocide. It is their version of the truth and
reconciliation process. It is really an
amazing example of what is possible. We
need to be clear. While peace is a
necessary element to making the MDG’s happened there will be differing opinions
on how peace will happen. Ex. Is a
military force necessary to keep peace in Darfur.
People will differ. The EFGR has
been really careful to make sure this is something that everyone can embrace
from conservative to liberal. In his
dealings with people, everyone wants peace but we may disagree on how to get
there. We have to make sure there is
room for everyone in the conversation.
Rex. Relationship is how we make a peaceful
environment. He told a story about a
particular priest who needed water in South Africa. They brought the water truck
each day so the women would not have to carry the water every day. Some wealthy people in Nebraska offered to build a well. The bishop said fine, but why don’t you come
to South Africa and talk to our government about
what it would take to build a well in their town. After several weeks the government finally
agreed to pipe in water. It’s not just
doing work for the people to meet the MDG goals but to work with the
people. One of the ways we do this is to
make meaningful relationships with people.
There is now an exchange of people in the seminaries. It started because good people went down to
help the organize and work with the government to meet their needs.
Both Jan
and Kathy were at the UN Commission on the Status of Women conference while
they were on the call. Both spoke of
those who work with the UN. Peace is the topic that comes up most of all. Women are really getting involved. There is a ground swell. Movies are being made. They do not want people to just come in and
do stuff. They want people to come in
and ask them what they need. For
example: They do not ever want water in their homes. They want water in a central location where
they can come together and talk. Women
are really finding a voice in these efforts.
It is one of the most incredible experiences of her life. Doing the work of God and telling their
stories in their countries. The problem
with trafficking women is the lack of education and poverty. These young women are getting up in front of
the UN and speaking.
Nichola
is with the Network of Spiritual Progressives.
They are seeing solutions to assist and care for others rather than
treating all problems as terrorism. From
an ethical and spiritual perspective we need to build a foreign policy that
treats every human being as divine.
April 15. Generosity Sunday. Focus on this connection between poverty and
peace. Website is
SpiritualProgressives.org
Amanda asked
about the connection of the MDG’s and the upcoming election. Mike met
with Episcopal Office for Government Relations (One Campaign). It is going to be a push in the election
season where every candidate will be asked to make a pledge to put the MDGs
front and center. They are just
finishing the final edits on “the ask”.
The faith communities will play an integral role. Iowa and New Hampshire will be specially targeted for
publicity. A lot of coordinated effort
will be going on. Part of the plan is to
draw connections between the war in Iraq and the MDGs. Part of the question is funding. Iraq is going backwards
financially. How can we be a
humanitarian presence with we are an occupying power?
Rex. Question to the group. What is being done around the country?
In
another diocese everything has been connected between peace and the MDGs. They did the .7% giving. ½ one year and double the .7 the next. Really committed. Connecting is important. Peace and MDGs.
Keep
pushing the MDGs brings people in. Broad
base of support. They can wear their one
bracelet. Give .7%. Go to Kenya.
All different points on the political spectrum. Gives a base for talking
about other more divisive goals.
Healing.
Another
spoke that their bishop and diocese is committed to the .7%. They have another bigger problem because the
bombplex is being funded. Which area to
support is an issue. They are in a
critical conversation right now. They
will have to choose.
In Utah, the representative is doing lots
of presentations using things from the web.
MDGs and peacemaking is the way to connect the two goals. Keep people well educated and fed and there
will be peace. That is what the UN thought
to, but it did not stop war from happening.
In the Diocese
of Missouri, they have re-started an EPF chapter and they are working on both
Peace AND the MDG’s. They are trying to
create a bottom up initiative. They
agree that the MDGs are the way to achieve peace. The Diocese is already contributing money to the
Sudan. People
know that is happening but their goal is to get each individual Episcopalian
involved in it. Looking at the One
Campaign, it can mean many things.
Speaking with one voice as a church, but also our individual spirituality. MDGs is a way to activate the baptismal
covenant. The EPF conveners in Missouri are also the MDG diocesan contacts. This is an interesting model.
Ideas for
getting the word out: Question. Use the EPF
newsletter. Get copies into all the
parishes. New communications piece in
the diocese will help with the cause of peace and MDGs. Contact with the clergy and bishops so they
will speak more about it, write more about it, and put it in their
sermons. Tell people’s stories, they
really move people to action. Make
everyone aware of the importance give to the church on the MDGs. Feel free to
contact mkinman@gmail.com e-mail with any questions we may have.
This is
the beginning for EPF for creating the Peace and the MDG Action group. Send the e-mail address. We can put different recourses on the website
for this meeting. Thursday, April 26th
at 8:30 EST.
For more
information about this EPF Action Group: contact Rex McKee: rex.mckee@gmail.com
