Storify – an easy way to follow Olympic Truce events overseas. I’d like to embed this feed on the site – anyone know how to do that?
Monthly Archives: June 2012
Director’s Cut | Mat Norman | Build The Truce
Thoughtful piece from the person who directed the Build The Truce film currently showing at the Imperial War Museum (see Gallery for photos of our visit earlier this month).
Director’s Cut: guest blog by director Mat Norman | Build The Truce.
Stories that heal, stories that harm
Not free (£55) but a whole day (29th June) devoted to pooling learning from those working with personal and community narratives, building a more complete picture of the field and the cross-fertilisation of ideas.
At the London Inter Faith Centre, 125 Salusbury Rd, Queens Park, NW6 6RG.
Olympic Truce now on Facebook
A new Olympic Truce Facebook page launched today – hundreds of members from around the world in just a few hours! Join in and spread the word . .
We’ll try to get all the info on this page on there and any London peace-building news back onto the blog here.
Community Champions | news
HOPE not hate is launching a competition to find the champions of our communities – the unsung heroes who bring communities together and make life better for ordinary people.
These might be people who through their work – like a youth worker, teacher or doctor – help to break down barriers between communities. It might be people who give up their spare time through voluntary and community work to contribute to making their communities a better place. It might be someone who uses their position in a place of worship to reach out to people of other faiths and of none. It might be someone working with refugees or a teacher who helps children from different cultures to get along together; or it could be a parent who gives up their spare time to help young people from different backgrounds to play sport.
Every community has them and, now, HOPE not hate would like to acknowledge them too.
HOPE not hate is asking supporters to nominate the people in their community who they believe warrant the term of “community champion”.
The most inspiring will be invited to a HOPE not hate award night at a top London restaurant in early autumn.
Let’s say thank you to those who make life better for those around us. Nominate your Community Champion.
Havens allow young people to reclaim their streets
Havens allow young people to reclaim their streets | Society | The Guardian.
Story about a CitySafe Haven in Lee.
Photograph: Frank Baron for the Guardian
Peace Camp
“Eight murmuring, glowing encampments will appear simultaneously at some of our most beautiful and remote coastal locations, from County Antrim to the tip of Cornwall, from the Isle of Lewis to the Sussex cliffs.
Designed to be visited between dusk and dawn, Peace Camp is a poignant exploration of love poetry and a celebration of the extraordinary variety and beauty of our coastline.
Composer Mel Mercier is creating a soundscape that reflects the many voices and accents of the UK and we’re delighted that YOUR VOICE COULD BE PART OF IT”
What brings you peace?
What does peace mean for you and your community? Do you sometimes experience peace – if so, how? where? when?
Do you have hopes for peace? What needs to happen?
If violence isn’t the answer, how do we deal with our conflicts and injustices? What do we do instead?
Read the thoughts of other Londoners and add you own . .
‘In 2005 I copied out a poem by John Donne in response to the London Terrorist attacks of July 7th. “Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind.” It has stuck in my mind.’ Rachel Bond
Walking over Waterloo Bridge on a breezy afternoon. Silent meditation. Shared conversation in a city oasis with the rumble of traffic in the distance, sparking new thoughts on old subjects. Canon Giles Goddard
Feedback please!
The London Peace Network isn’t quite public yet . . . so we welcome all your comments – especially if noted here on the blog itself.
It would be great to hear from people in London from different religious traditions, and from none, so that we can add all the info we need to get involved – and in an easy-to-find way.
Already suggested is a smaller masthead (do you like the new one?) and some background info on the Olympic Truce.
Should we have a What’s On listed borough by borough – or just keep it London-wide?
What about food-related (eg Ramadan Festival, Britain Tastes Great), arts-related (eg Waterloo Festival) – or listed all together?
Should people be able to suggest peaceful places to go in London, peaceful poems, art, inspirational verses from scripture/philosophy or from literature or people we respect? Have you any suggestions?
Family-friendly peace-building? Any opportunities you know of?
What is your own community doing over the summer – anything which builds trust between local people?
And lastly, there’s a good chance of some multifaith/intercultural cricket during the summer in central London – anyone up for helping organise that?
Thank you for your comments and suggestions – perhaps we should have a prize for the best!
PS If you subscribe to London Peace Network, every post will come to you by email :)
Inter Faith Walks 14 – 15 July
One of the very best ways to meet local people from different religious traditions – or none – walking and talking together, discovering the unexpected.
South London Inter Faith Group has been encouraging local inter faith walks for years.
This year, all the south London boroughs and some in north London are organising inter faith walks on the weekend of 14th – 15th July.
Join in or organise your own!
Britain Tastes Great – now running
As the world looks at London this summer, HOPE not Hate encourages us to celebrate modern Britain – a kaleidoscope of colours and cultures. Get together with your neighbours, schools, places of worship, community organisations and plan a delicious meal. Britain Tastes Great is looking for dishes that define modern Britain – add your own!
For the really adventurous, people can host their own event. This can be a house party, a picnic in the park or in the local community centre. We’ll be encouraging churches, mosques, temples and local sports centres to open their doors to the local community and share food.
The new website is now up – lots of recipes, map of event and much more – Britain Tastes Great.
Ramadan Festival 20 July – 19 August
The Ramadan Festival will bring together people from different faiths (and none). They will eat supper and break the fast together in a local mosque during the month of Ramadan. They will share the atmosphere that is created at such a special time of year for Muslims.
Ramadan is a time of giving, of charity, of sharing, of remembering those in need and reaching out.
These are all qualities embodied by the Olympics too and we are excited to be able to combine those at the same time this year.
All eyes will be on the UK and especially on London. It gives all of us the chance to showcase the fantastic diversity that we celebrate and hold so dearly in Great Britain.
This year Ramadan falls between 20th July and 19th August, although the exact dates depend on the sighting of the moon.
If your mosque would like to take part, please contact the Islamic Society of Britain. The Ramadan Festival is part of the 2012 Hours Against Hate coalition.
Knife amnesty bins
Thinking of installing a knife amnesty bin in your local area?
Contact people who have already done it – and your borough police: Barking and Dagenham Faith Forum and Word4Weapons.
Find your borough police here.
Peace One Day – Global Truce on 21st September
Mark the International Day of Peace by celebrating the peace-making which is taking place in your local community – in partnership with your local mosque, by raising awareness about violence against women and girls, or in any other way.
Over the last 10 years, Peace Day has been proved as an opportunity for life-saving activities and action by individuals worldwide.
For Peace Day 21 September 2012, Peace One Day is calling for and working towards a day of ceasefire and non-violence - the Global Truce 2012 campaign.
We hope that this will be the largest global reduction of violence ever recorded on one day – and the largest ever gathering of individuals in the name of peace.
London Week of Peace 2012
Do Something Kind – join thousands of Londoners in doing something small to make Something Big.
Our vision is that through simple acts of kindness in our schools, workplaces and our homes we can make a Big Difference in London.
As such we plan to have a Samaritan Weekend where Londoners of all ages and races can do kind gestures to someone that needs or deserves it.
2012 Hours Against Hate
We are asking people around the world to pledge their time to stop hate – to do something for someone who doesn’t look like you, pray like you, or live like you.
2012 Hours Against Hate is a campaign to stop bigotry and promote pluralism and respect across lines of culture, religion, tradition, class, and gender.
Find out more at https://www.facebook.com/2012HoursAgainstHate and get in touch with www.faithsforum4london.org for a unique experience of volunteering.
CitySafe Havens
A CitySafe Haven is a place to go (eg a shop) to seek refuge in a difficult situation.
Encourage local businesses and organisations in your neighbourhood to offer their premises as CitySafe Havens.
A Year of Service
A Year of Service highlights the voluntary service that people of faith carry out in their local communities, forging links between volunteers.
Throughout 2012 there are 12 Days of Volunteering, each coinciding with a religious festival or existing volunteering day, and each focusing on a particular social action theme.
Each faith community in turn is promoting its own day or days in neighbourhoods and businesses, and inviting people from other faiths or without religious beliefs to join in.
Youth Refusing Violence
Talk to the experts at St Ethelburga’s or use the resources online to enable the young people of your community to realise what valuable skills they have.
Lots of activities and ideas for encouraging 11-18 year olds to refuse the use of violence by harnessing the strength and wisdom within their faith – and by learning from other faiths too.
Vigil for Peace
The banner in St Martin’s during the night vigil. Each dove represented one of the competing nations coming to London for the 2012 Games.
Barry and Margaret Mizen of Release The Peace, Week of Peace‘s Pastor Nims Obunge and Helen Gilbert of St Ethelburga’s Centre for Peace and Reconciliation were amongst the speakers at the Peace Vigil at St Martin in the Fields on Friday night.
Download the London Peace Network insert in the service booklet here – the online version has all the links. Or visit the Events page for more information on all the items listed.
Release the Peace
Encouraging young people to be positive forces within their communities, including, on 28th of October, the fantastic Release the Peace concert, rewarding young people for their work promoting peace within their communities.
Build The Truce
This new interactive display at the Imperial War Museum looks at the concepts of truce, conflict and resolution and how they are relevant to us in the twenty-first century.
Watch and listen to a 10 minute compelling soundtrack of eyewitness interviews set against footage from the locations themselves, including Sierra Leone, Kosovo and Northern Ireland.
The stories offer different perspectives from medics, aid workers and civilians, revealing our sometimes unpredictable responses to conflict and challenging our preconceptions about truce.
Visit the Open Day on 21-22 September to celebrate World Peace Day.
London Peace Network 