International Day of Nonviolence and the Birthday of Mahatma Gandhi

International Day of Nonviolence was declared by the United Nations to be marked on October 2nd, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and a pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence. Check out our video series on Gandhi's philosophy and its impact, this video series on Nonviolence for the Violent by Walter Wink, and LPF´s many other Resources on Nonviolence.

International Day of Prayer for Peace

What do you think could happen if churches everywhere prayed and acted together to nurture lasting peace? . . . among individuals, families, communities and societies? Well, that opportunity is here! And we invite you to join us in this collective effort, now held annually on and around September 21, and this year, emphasizing climate change.

In 2004, the World Council of Churches and the United Nations proposed the idea of an International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP) every September 21. Since then, this has become a special day of festive activity in virtually every denomination worldwide. LPF played a special role from the start: LPF leaders wrote the worship resource for the very first IDPP in 2004, used in 10,000 churches across the globe! From early on, we saw the advantages of getting involved in larger efforts like Campaign Nonviolence that both draw in lots of people, and visibly show the potential of the growing  LPF/religious peace movement.

Campaign Nonviolence reveals a growing sense that it is time to nurture a broader… longer-term… ecumenical movement…  grounded in nonviolence. And we’ve talked a lot about "connecting the dots" --  and bringing together people working on efforts to end war…climate change… violence against women… poverty… racism… and the epidemic of violence (even police violence) in our communities

LPF has ideas and resources to help you and your congregation make the most of this occasion to share in meaningful worship, build understanding and encourage action toward planet nurturing. This year, Sept. 20-27 is: the global week of action around the “Day of Prayer for Peace.” Check out the list of actions happening around the world. Consider organizing one and add it to the list.

A good place to start is to invite your pastor or worship committee to include a prayer in the service on the Sunday before or after Sept. 21. There is a wealth of resources to help.

Another possibility is to invite your social justice committee (or a few members with peace and justice interest) to share advocacy materials during the coffee hour after church. Again there are a variety of options. Here are resources and links on all of the above:

• Many groups are offering prayer and worship resources. Here are a few from several religious traditions: Education for Justice, Climate Crisis Coalition, Climate Prayer, Catholic Climate Covenant, Christian Aid, to mention just a few.
• For the connection between climate change and peacemaking, here’s a link to LPF’s blog on the subject.
• Campaign Nonviolence members are planning actions that connect reversing climate change with ending war and poverty. Actions are planned across the country during the week of Sept. 20-27 … and that's just the start!”
• Lutheran advocacy possibilities: We can start with the ELCA's climate change conversation and urge Lutheran institutions to do what other denominations have done, divest from industries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions tied to global warming. We could also call on our leaders to follow the example of these Swedish Lutheran Archbishops, including their first female archbishop. 

We’d be happy to hear from you to discuss this further. And we’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions. This has considerable potential and offers many opportunities. Let’s make the most of it!