"Overcoming Violence" Course on Iona

"Overcoming Violence" was the theme of a week-long course on Iona September 7-14, 1996. Thirty people took part in the course organised by Alan Wilkie, former co-ordinator of the Church and Peace British network, and Helen Steven.

I (Gordon Matthews), along with Gyula Simonyi, from the Bokor Movement in Hungary, and Ellen Moxley, director of the Peace House near Dunblane, took part as resource people. But all participants served as resource people by sharing experiences, ideas and concerns.

The week began--after an introductory session Saturday evening--with Sunday morning worship in the abbey church with an excellent sermon by Kathy Galloway, former warden at the abbey. She referred to the courageous work of women in Cambodia who clear the fields of mines inch by inch in order to be able to use the land to feed their families. It is difficult and dangerous work. We all need both courage and creativity in order to overcome the violence which has become so prevalent in our world.

Alan Wilkie and I reported on the origins of the World Council of Churches' Programme to Overcome Violence (POV). Helen Steven gave an introductory lecture on non-violence and led a session concerned with non-violence in personal relationships. In

considering violence in society we focused on domestic violence, vio-lence amongst/by young people, vio-lence against/by the mentally ill and structural/institutional violence.

Gyula Simonyi gave a fascinating account of the experience of the Bokor movement. A session on overcoming violence at the international level focused on four projects: the World Court Project (Alan Wilkie); Ecumenical Shalom Services (Gordon Matthews); the international work of the Bokor Movement (Gyula Simonyi); and the Gareloch Horticulturists (Helen Stevens), a group involved in non-violent action against nuclear weapons.

Towards the end of the week we all shared about projects we are already involved in at home. We left Iona with greater awareness of violence in the world but also inspired, empowered and committed to taking action to overcome this violence.

A detailed report on the gathering is available from the Iona Community House, Govan, Glasgow G51 3UT.

Gordon Matthews

"Women-Bridge"
by Kristina Bulling

"Woman-Bridge" is a project of die Schwelle in East Slavonia. Kristina Bulling is responsible for the co-ordination and supervision of the project.

The November 1995 "Erdut Agreement" between Serbs and Croats gives refugees and displaced persons from East Slavonia the right to return to their home villages within two years. What looks so easy on paper is in fact like walking a tightrope over a deep chasm of humiliation and pain.

Displaced Croat families from Serbian-occupied Baranja who are now living in refugee camps can not forget what "the other side" did to them. Hundreds of innocent young men murdered. Living for five years without any privacy in primitive refugee camps where the struggle for survival was an everyday occurrence. Remembering traumatic events of war, the pain of lost loved ones. All of this has resulted in bitterness, a hardening of the heart, apathy and depression.

And on "the other side" live Serbian families who were themselves victims of violence at the hands of criminals from their own ranks. They also had to flee the inferno of Vukovar, now practically a ghost town. Their houses in Baranja were also destroyed. They were spared life in refugee camps because the houses of the fleeing Croats stood empty. But they suffered under the threats and spying of a dictatorial military government. Then came the consequences of an embargo which totally isolated them: no money, no food, no repair parts for farming equipment, no heating in winter. They carried pain, loss and fear in their hearts just like their Croatian brothers and sisters!

How can it be even remotely possible, then, under such conditions that Serbs and Croats can live together again in their home villages? After reflecting on this question, Ruth-Christa Heinrichs had the wonderful idea to invite women from "both sides" who had lived in the same towns before the war for a weekend in Mohacs, Hungary, to meet together once again, on neutral ground, under the guidance and protection of a trained psychologist. The requirement was that these women would be prepared to eventually live together again as neighbours.

From idea to reality!

Thanks to our friends in the Osijek Peace and the Association for Peace and Human Rights in Baranja, it was not difficult to find women who were prepared to take the risk to be involved in this project. The Peace Bridge Danube office in Mohacs indicated their readiness to participate as well as the Institute for Attitudinal Healing in Zagreb. It was decided that five to six women from "each side" would participate and that the meetings would take place once a month.

The biggest surprise at the beginning of the meetings was the discovery that that which stood between the women was not hate or prejudice but rather fear: fear of new humiliation and accusations.

Thankfully this fear was swept away by the realisation that everyone at the meetings was a victim of the war and its propaganda, that each woman there had the same hurts, desires and hopes that mothers and women all over the world have. Fear was replaced by warmth, trust and empathy.

An important question was how each individual could contribute to peaceful coexistence in the future. One realisation of discussion ideas was the initiative of several women to organise

groups in their own villages in order to further develop the vision of a new beginning together.

After the initial success of the first meeting, difficulties quickly set in. Several of the Serbian woman were interrogated by the police upon their return from Mohacs. The Croatian woman felt pressured by their husbands' resistance to the meetings and their neighbours' mistrust. What started out so full of hope seemed doomed to failure due to the power of violence and intimidation.

But the women did not let themselves be intimidated for long. The Serbian women courageously informed the military police in detail about the meeting and encouraged them to send their wives to the meetings. The Croatian women reported to their neighbours and husbands about the meeting. Intimidation and threats were replaced by a feeling of relief that our seminars were really not political meetings bent on conspiracy but rather places of reconciliation.

What exactly this means in the tense situation in Baranja can only be determined by those who live there. As Croatian hopes for a quick return to their homes are dashed again and again, the Serbian people's fears of expulsion grow. The atmosphere in Croatia threatens to become strongly nationalistic once again...

In these circumstances the women's movement takes on more and more significance. For over a year now women from both sides have been meeting regularly to rebuild destroyed bridges. Would that the power of trust and love prove stronger than a climate of fear!

translation: trm

EMFK Meeting in Strasbourg
by Marie-No�lle von der Recke

The European Mennonite Peace Committee (EMFK) had its annual meeting 18-20 October 1996 in Strasbourg. The Groupe de Réflexion pour la Paix (Peace Concerns Working Group) welcomed EMFK for the first time in France! The Strasbourg Mennonite Church also participated in the organisation of this meeting.

Representatives from the Swiss, Dutch and German Mennonite peace committees attended as well as the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Several members of the French Mennonite Conference office were also present. Simultaneous interpretation was provided.

The members of EMFK gathered first for their General Assembly. A focal point of discussion was the possibility of the Mennonite peace committees attending the upcoming European Ecumenical Assembly in Graz.

The mini-conference which followed the General Assembly brought the participants together to consider the theme "Our Practical Orientation towards Biblical Peace". Two lively Bible studies lead by Maarten van der Werf, EMFK Secretary, and Michel Sommer, pastor of the Strasbourg Mennonite Church, addressed the theme from the viewpoint of Scripture.

Working groups, formed according to language(s) and nationality, permitted sharing of practical experiences of the ways in which European Mennonites deal with conflict. A questionnaire produced by the Peace Council of the Mennonite World Conference, which met in Calcutta in January 97 (see "Hear What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches", pp 37), served as the framework for this time of exchange.

Non-Mennonite friends, both Evangelicals and Protestants, were an important contribution to the meeting. With a benevolent regard for the Mennonites, they challenge them to be true to the Anabaptist vision and to not hesitate to make this vision known in the secular world and among the churches. The day concluded with a worship service.

On Sunday morning conference participants worshipped with Mennonite churches in the area, then travelled home after a meal prepared by members of the Strasbourg Mennonite church.

The quality of the various presentations and discussions made this meeting an enriching and encouraging event. As insignificant and few in number as they may seem at times, Mennonite groups working for peace do exist and continue to act as a witness in a Europe that is both developing and unravelling at the same time. We are on the way, somewhere between the Garden of Eden and the New Jerusalem, bearers and witnesses of the vision and good news of the peaceful kingdom which is to come.

translation: trm

An Example to Follow
by Rev Cecil Kerr

Over the past twenty-two years in our ministry at the Christian Renewal Centre (Rostrevor) we have seen the powerful healing which is released when people separated by centuries of ignorance and fear come to one another in a true spirit of confession, repentance and forgiveness. We thank God for the example set two years ago by the Archbishop of Canterbury and Cardinal Daly. Speaking in Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, Dr George Carey said the English people needed "to ask forgiveness for our often brutal domination and crass insensitivity in the 800 years of history of our relationships with Ireland".

Soon after Cardinal Cahal Daly accompanied Archbishop Robin Eames to Canterbury Cathedral where the Cardinal said, "I wish to ask forgiveness from the people of England for the wrongs and hurts inflicted by the Irish people upon the people of this country on many occasions during that shared history, and particularly in the past 25 years. I believe that reciprocal recognition of the need to forgive and to be forgiven is a necessary condition for proper Christian and indeed political relationships between our two islands in the future."

The cardinal warned "that our repentance for the sins of our forebears in the past can be self-deceiving and even self-indulgent unless we recognise and repent of our sins against unity and reconciliation in the present".

Please continue to pray that this call will be replicated in every church and fellowship in Ireland and Britain.

Christian Renewal Centre Newsletter, Winter/Spring 1997

MIR Priorities: Non-violence Training
by Anita Thomas

For the past two years some of the non-violence trainers from MIR Romand, the French-speaking branch in Switzerland of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), have been holding regular meetings to build up a network amongst themselves. Their goal is to promote non-violence training within MIR and in the larger society and also to respond to requests that come in for training.
The members of this group regularly lead training sessions within the context of the course cycle organised by MIR, Peace Brigades International (PBI) and Centre Martin Luther King (CMLK).

Since last September MIR trainers have led or co-led four sessions: two on non-violent communication (with Berta Staedler), one on group leadership (Pjotr Haggenjos and Anita Thomas) and one on dealing with fear (Anita Thomas).

Jean-Denis Renaud and Pjotr Haggen-jos led several sessions in the canton of Neuch�tel, one of which was held under the auspices of the Neuch�tel Reformed Church.

Along with an officer of the Swiss army, Anita Thomas led an evening on the theme of war and peace to help young adults in a catechism class to think seriously about these issues.

Several MIR trainers were also invited by groups in Chad, Burundi, Lebanon, Congo (formerly Zaire), Germany and Croatia to lead sessions in these countries.

Two members of MIR Romand are very involved in getting a non-violence program started at the national level in Switzerland. This is within the context of the Swiss Ecumenical Program for Peace (Programme oecuménique suisse pour la paix).

Bulletin romand de la réconciliation, Jan 97, n 60
translation: trm

MCC/MBM Peacemaker Honored by Queen of England
"Clearly well deserving of the accolade," local newspaper says

The queen of England has awarded Joe Campbell an MBE -- Member of the Order of the British Empire -- for his outstanding service to the community.

Campbell, who is Irish, directs MCC and Mennonite Board of Missions (MBM) programs in Northern Ireland. He also works with the Mediation Network of Northern Ireland.

Campbell and colleague Brendan McAllister received national recognition for their key roles in facilitating a peaceful settlement between Protestants and Roman Catholics at Drumcree, North Ireland, in summer 1995.

Campbell, a Presbyterian elder, was one of 12 persons in Northern Ireland to receive this year's MBE award, also known as the "New Year Honour," for "Service to the Community."

"This award also goes to all the other people who have worked alongside me in all of my jobs," Campbell says.

MCC Europe director Hansulrich Gerber notes the award comes at a time when further deterioration of Northern Ireland's fragile situation appears imminent. "Joe needs our prayers, along with all his fellow peace workers," Gerber says, adding he is "honored to have a colleague and friend winning such a distinguished award."

MCC News Service, 10 Jan 97

Corrymeela Wins Niwano Peace Prize

The 14th Niwano Peace Prize is to be awarded to the Corrymeela Commu-nity; this Japanese-based annual prize goes to honor individuals and organi-sations that have contributed significantly to interreligious cooper-ation thereby furthering world peace. Past recipients include Helder Camara, Philip Potter, the World Muslim Con-gress, Hildegard Gross-Mayr, Dr. A T Aryaratne, Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam and Dr. R Aram.

In monetary terms the prize is worth �100,000 which Corrymeela will use for long-term support of group pro-grammes as needed at the Ballycastle centre; the actual presentation cere-mony will be held in Tokyo.

Corrymeela is a dispersed Christian community with 180 members. It was founded in 1965, several years before the recent "Troubles". In addition to members there are over 3,000 'Friends' as well as 3,000 supporters of the British-based Corrymeela Link organisation. The Corrymeela Centre's main building in Ballycastle is used by 200 groups a year from all sides of the political and religious divides.

'Friends' of Corrymeela receive a regular newsletter and information on events. The minimum subscription to become a Friend is �15, to be sent to:

The Corrymeela Community
8 Upper Crescent,
Belfast BT7 1NT
belfast@corrymeela.org.uk

General inquiries can be sent to the same address. A publications list is also available.

Contact address in Britain: Corrymeela Link, PO Box 118, reading, Berkshire RG1 1SL, phone 01734 589800

INNATE Non-violent News, 6 March 97, Nr 47

EIRENE Turns 40
"The concept has lost none of
its relevance and urgency"

The General Secretary of the Ecumenical Council of Churches, Konrad Raiser, has assessed the work of the international peace and service agency Eirene. "The concept has lost none of its relevance and urgency", he said at a 40th anniversary celebration in Geneva on 18 February 1997.

More and more churches see their commitment to development aid as a concrete expression of peace work. Raiser urged Christians faced with the numerous wars and violent conflicts around the world, to develop more non-militaristic, "creative" types of conflict resolution.

Eirene, with its head office in Neuwied am Rhein, has been working as an international agency for peace and development since 1957. The most significant stimulus for establishing the agency was given by Willem A. Vissert' Hooft, the former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, on his return from a visit to Algeria.

On 18 February 1957 in Geneva at a conference of Mennonites, Quakers and the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, he made the proposal of setting up a peace agency "in the spirit of Christian love without any political or military motive" to relieve the misery caused by fighting in North Africa. Eirene was founded that year.

The first volunteers started work in Algerian refugee camps in Morocco. Subsequently peace work and development aid programmes were developed in other African countries and then extended in the 80s to Latin America and industrialised countries.

To date some thousand volunteers have been involved in over two hundred projects undertaken in more than thirty countries.

epd Wochenspiegel 9/1997, 27.02.97
translation: Brian Hawkins

To Remember...
by Scot McElvany

I was trained as an artist and a theater maker. It's all I can really do and it's what I set out to do at Mladi Most. Even before I arrived I questioned the very foundations of making theater within the context of an economically deprived, divided, war-torn area, where many people lacked common necessities.

Are there not greater needs? Where do the resources that support my work come from and should they be used for something else? The real question was of what use could theater be within the process of resocialization, rede-velopment, reintegration and... remembering.

To understand Remembering we must look at its opposite, Dismembering, or, to take apart. To Re-member means "to put back together"

I have just made a broad leap, or connection rather, between the idea of reintegration and remembering. Truly, how much value is the process of remembering to reintegration?

I am still attempting to answer that question. I am not even sure how long after an experience the process of remembering begins. I am absolutely sure the process can be as destructive for some as it is constructive for others.

So the next question is WHAT process of remembering will lead to personal construction, insight, courage, awareness, health and well-being. But it is clear we must look at the idea of Remembering...

To understand Remembering we must look at its opposite, Dismembering, or, to take apart. To Re-member means "to put back together". Theater is a place where the act of recalling can become re-membering, a place where things are put back together. I am amongst a people who need to put their country, their culture and their lives back together.

There is a small stone palette along a cobbled walkway leading into the destroyed old town of Mostar that reads in black paint, "Don't forget". It doesn't say "Don't look back" or "Let go of the past" but rather "Don't forget". How often must we be reminded that the future is build upon the past?

Scot McElvany is a Brethren Voluntary Service worker with the Mladi Most youth project in Mostar, Bosnia-Herzegovina

BVS Sharing, Feb 97

"Hear What the Spirit is Saying to the Churches!"
Mennonite World Conference,
Calcutta, India
by Sylvie Gudin-Poupaert

The Mennonite World Conference (MWC) is primarily the grand assembly of Mennonites from all over the world, held every six years. This concept has evolved over the years under the influence of its executive secretary Larry Miller. The assembly is always the high point of MWC's activities, but the MWC also attempts to link local congregations all over the world.

To gather together men and women from all over the world in the same place for a week is a huge undertaking! But the MWC goes further in working to establish permanent structures for dialogue between Mennonites world-wide. It is in these areas particularly - dialogue and networking - that Church and Peace is concerned with MWC, and a degree of similarity
becomes evident.

In fact, even if Mennonites have a common theology, their way of interpreting it varies from one continent to another, from one country to another, sometimes from one church to another... A certain diversity of thought exists due to history and culture. The MWC seeks to ensure that interchurch dialogue takes account of these differences.

For example, at the Peace Council, a brother reported that churches had been set on fire in Indonesia, Nigeria, Jamaica and the United States. Some people then drafted a declaration in protesting of these burnings, which was put to all members of the General Council for approval.

One point stirred up debate. The declaration said that Mennonites had been distressed to learn that churches and places of worship had been set on fire.

An American brother got up to say that he recommended using only the phrase "place of worship" because that expression was more general than "church", which concerned only Christians. He found it just as reprehensible to burn synagogues and mosques as churches. He felt that, as Christians, Mennonites must defend religious freedom. Arson of temples and mosques should not only be denounced, Mennonites should help in the reconstruction of the buildings.

Another brother, an Indian, got up and explained that he came from a Hindu family. He had converted to Christianity and became a Mennonite. He found the burning of Hindu temples a good thing; he was more inclined to take part in their destruction than their construction.

Irreconcilable points of view but nevertheless expressed calmly and listened to. Different experiences of life which fashion different individuals. Everyone spoke, everyone was heard. And this gave cause to reflect.

Within the Church and Peace network we no longer share one theology or one way of life. But it is not necessary or even desirable. To witness to listening, loving and working together is one of our reasons for being. It is a challenge and an enrichment to us, it's what makes our network real.

Anabaptist Global Network for Peace and Justice
The MWC Peace Council has decided to set up a global Anabaptist network for peace and justice. The idea came from the Columbian Mennonite church which initiated the Justapaz network in Columbia.
It is proposed to extend this network to create links between local churches throughout the world and provide moral and practical support on questions of peace and justice.
The objectives are to give Mennonite churches the possibility of developing a vision of work for peace and justice by means of communities, dialogue and common action. It is about sharing concerns and prayer, exchanging stories, experiences, ideas, information, gifts...and mobilising for common action when necessary.
The Peace Council functions as a sub council of the General Council of the MWC, the equivalent of the Church and Peace General Assembly.
translation: John Cockcroft

Hear what the Spirit is saying to the Churches. I have heard. I have heard that we are not united by all living or thinking alike; we are united because we are able to listen to one another, to hear things we do not like. We are united because we respect the diversity of one another's experience and we are capable of appreciating the justness of the other person's opinion, of shifting our own point of view somewhat. Above all, we are united because the other person remains a brother or sister.
translation: John Cockcroft