Peace and Justice Update

Diane Nestlebush recently forwarded this article by Phebe Packer from the Peace and Justice Network, Presbytery of the Grand Canyon:

In this time of tumult and strident discourse, it is easy to feel left out and helpless to bring about change. It can also be difficult to cut through the rhetoric toward true understanding of important issues. At the Peace and Justice Network our area of focus for 2016 is Tolerance, including areas such as combating racism, welcoming strangers, and mass incarceration. We seek to bring awareness and offer resources for understanding and action. Here are some suggestions:

• Contact the Office of Public Witness. Once on their mailing list, they will periodically send you issues with links for contacting your congressional representatives and signing petitions.

• Visit the websites of the Southern Poverty Law Center and/or Sojourners for information and resources. 

•  Consider writing letters to detainees in Florence. Contact the Florence Project at www.firrp.org. 

Read to further your understanding:

• Islam and the Future of Tolerance, A Dialogue (Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz)

•  The New Jim Crow, Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness (Michelle Alexander) 

• The Righteous Mind, Why Good People are Divided by Polititcs and Religion (Jonathan Haidt)

• Just Mercy, A Story of Justice and Redemption (Bryan Stevanson)

• Tattoos on the Heart (Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries)

We are developing two workshops—more information on these soon!

• Tolerance (Becoming Models for Listening and Discussing) 

•  Toward Right Relationships (Native American Legacy)

We will add to this information on the Presbytery website during the year.

We hope you will consider joining us to bring forward your own areas of concern!