International Day of Nonviolence - Video Series

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.

Advocacy Alert

The US is not living up to our potential regarding the poor of the world in a number of major ways. We have a rare opportunity to influence far-reaching legislation to change a number of those problems: read more . . .

International Day of Peace 2009

The International Day of Peace 2009 and The International Day of Prayer for Peace, observed widely on Sept. 21 in congregations and at the ELCA Center in Chicago. LPF and the ELCA offer a variety of peace prayers and other resources that can be used throughout the year. LPF’s director was one of six Lutheran peace leaders whose reflections were featured on the home page of the ELCA web site for the week preceding the 21st. more resources . . .

Urgent Action: Defend Democracy in Latin America

The future of democracy in Latin America is at stake: do we continue on the road to democratic norms and the rule of law, or are we to head back down a dark path where power is seized and held through violent means. read more . . .

LPF Resources for Leaders

Here is a new select list of LPF resources for leaders all on one page.

Volunteer at the ELCA Youth Gathering

New Orleans July 22-26, 2009

Volunteer opportunity: Can you help out at the ELCA Youth Gathering? LPF's large exhibit area includes the Path of Hope, peace flag art activity, and resources for action. There are a variety of ways to plug in, and you'll be inspired by meeting lutheran youth and adults, sharing stories, and new peacemaking info. If you're not going, please pass this on to someone you know. Give us a call to talk it over! Rev. Carol Jensen, 425-422-5494 lpfyouth@gmail.com

read more . . . print flyer

The Story of Consumerism

Extreme poverty and hunger are key underlying causes of conflict in the world today - made worse by declining environmental and economic conditions. At the intersection of our environmental dilemma and the economic crisis lies the story of consumerism in our culture . Here are three outstanding and very different windows on the ‘stuff’ of
consumer culture. Each, in its particular genre, merits six stars out of five.

1. Some interesting reviews have appeared in the Multinational Monitoreditor's blog and the New York Times of a video entitled "The Story of Stuff" (20 min. in length). The basic information may be familiar, but the young woman who researched and narrates the video put together a powerful and persuasive narrative.
The video is also available at: www.storyofstuff.org/ along with a variety of other resources.

2. A second review article by the late Donella Meadows is entitled "A Useful Guide to Understanding Where All That Stuff Comes From". It is a good review, and more, of a book as terrific short book it is brief, "Stuff: The Secret Lives of Everyday Things" by John Ryan and Alan Durning.

3. George Carlin is considered by many to be one of the great humorists of the past century (and by others as an exceptionally most foul-mouthed symbol of the decline and corruption of that century).
What can’t be denied is that he is frequently more thought-provoking than his competition. At his best he combines a laser focus on cultural and linguistic nuance with his more commonly noted capacity to shock. Nowhere are all these qualities in greater evidence than in his barely five minute treatise, "George Carlin Talks About 'Stuff'"


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvgN5gCuLac