wfn.org | Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence Continues

[News News <NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

August 6, 2002

DECADE FOR A CULTURE OF NONVIOLENCE CONTINUES
02-188-AW*

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) is now more than two years into the "Decade for a Culture
of Nonviolence" work.  The decade theme originated from an appeal
for peace to the United Nations by 20 Nobel Peace Prize laureates,
including Nelson Mandela, former president of South Africa, the
late Mother Theresa and the Dalai Lama.
     On Nov. 10, 1998, the U.N. General Assembly voted
unanimously to designate 2000-2010 the "Decade for a Culture of
Peace and Nonviolence for all the Children of the World."  The
1999 ELCA Churchwide Assembly resolved that the ELCA will join
other church denominations and organizations in recognizing the
Decade as well, only under a slightly modified name -- the Decade
for a Culture of Nonviolence.  The assembly designated the ELCA
Division for Church in Society as the lead unit.
     "The Decade is basically a call to retain a focus on the
high values we are called to search for," said Michael Nisbet,
ELCA coordinator, Decade for a Culture for Nonviolence.
     The ELCA Decade "promotes and models the practice of
nonviolence and advances the understanding and incorporation of
nonviolence in its members' lives and in service to our
communities, the nation and the world," according to its mission
statement.
     The ELCA Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence task force,
consisting of 20 members from different ELCA units, works to
generate ideas for raising awareness of the violence that
dominates society today.  For example, movie previews usually
contain one violent scene after another, said Nisbet.
     "There is a tendency [in society] to engage in a cycle of
violence," said Nisbet.  "Christians are called to break that
cycle."
     The task force organizes educational retreats and initiates
programs and training events where participants can learn about
the biblical basis of peacemaking, the meaning of nonviolence and
the effects of violence in communities, according to the mission
statement.
     Training events took place this past month at the ELCA
Global Mission Events in Hickory, N.C., and Minneapolis July.  The
Decade task force had a display on the topic of domestic abuse at
the Women of the ELCA's Triennial Gathering in Philadelphia July
8-14.
     Making sure that the Decade's theme and goals are "visible"
to others is a challenge for the task force, said Nisbet.  Another
challenge he identified is the topic of globalization.
     "With globalization, we have to ask, 'How do we integrate
ourselves into the world, yet retain a sense of American-ness?'"
said Nisbet.  "Many people [in the United States] used to live in
small towns that were virtually untouched, but now they are
dealing with a growing nationalism and internationalism."
     Globalization relates to peace and nonviolence in that
learning about other cultures "strengthen[s] the understanding of
enemy-making behavior," according to the Decade's mission
statement.
     Many of the 65 ELCA synods have passed resolutions
supporting nonviolence and the Decade for a Culture of
Nonviolence.
     The task force recently published a list of accomplishments
from the past two and a half years.  They include:
+ a Web page that was constructed to outline the Decade's
background, goals and other peace-related resources.
 + a $35,000 grant for multicultural moral deliberation to further
address the issue of conflict.
+ an online database of peacemakers that will allow networking
between advocates.
-- -- --
     Information on the Decade for a Culture of Nonviolence
is maintained at
http://www.elca.org/dcs/socialjustice.html on the Web.

*Amy Wineinger is a junior at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.
This summer she is an intern with ELCA News and Media Production.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html