Last Updated: December 2023
Carrying forth the tradition, value, and promise of nonviolence, MW USA is collecting here a list of resources for making peace in our troubled world. Amidst overwhelming news of violent conflict, this is a dedicated space for responding. Let us join in prayer, advocacy and action.
These resources are intended to keep us up-to-date and offer a way to channel our concern for siblings in war zones, under oppression, and in threat of violence. In addition to familiarizing yourself with these efforts and following through with the actions you can take, please suggest additional peacemaking resources that you find worthwhile.
Our attention and action is especially drawn by the horrible and painful war in the historic land of Jesus’ birth right now at Christmastime. It is this conflict that moved us to create this document and around which the first resources added focus. However, we continue to be greatly concerned about the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, particularly as winter returns. We are just as concerned that violent conflict is occurring in many parts of the world not making headlines and that the home remains the most dangerous place for women and girls.
We commit here, not to overwhelming ourselves into inaction, but to educating ourselves into realistic and actionable compassion and justice. Reading a resources to learn one new thing and take one action in response, however small, is one more movement toward the healing, reconciling, and grace-filled power of peace.
>>> Current Mennonite Campaigns + Coalitions Responding to the War in Gaza
>Mennonite Action: Link
On Dec 19., Mennonites across Canada and the US will hold demonstrations at their representatives' offices to ask them to support a ceasefire. Over 200 Mennonites from 93 different congregations have already signed up to participate. Link
On January 16th, hundreds of Mennonites will gather in Washington, DC to peacefully demonstrate for a permanent ceasefire and deliver a petition to the US House of Representatives. Link
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Mennonite Action holds action hours to call our representatives together, as a Mennonite community. Link
Mennonites living in the United States are invited to sign our petition calling for a permanent ceasefire. Link
>MennoPIN: Link
MennoPIN encourages support for families in Gaza through the Middle East Children's Alliance. All proceeds will go to Youth Vision Society. MennoPIN has been in relationship with YVS through a Gaza Twinning Initiative for four years and affirm that both MECA and YVS are trustworthy organization who will make sure your donation will be 100% directed to families and children in dire need to food and medicines. Donate: Link
>Mennonite Jewish Relations Working Group: Link
>>> News Articles on the War in Gaza
>Israeli and Palestinian women ‘on same side’ says peace campaigner | BBC 12/11/23: Link
>No Christmas tree in Bethlehem as holiday pared down over Gaza war | Reuters 12/2/23: Link
> Bethlehem Bible College faculty arrive in DC, urge lawmakers to embrace cease-fire and peace plan | Anabaptist World, 11/28/23: Link
>Anabaptist groups react to war in Israel, Gaza | Anabaptist World, 10/13/23: Link
>>>Organizational Leaders in Peace Work
>Women of the Sun: Link
>Women Wage Peace: Link
>Jewish Voice for Peace: Link
>>>Organizational Leaders from the Historic Peace Churches
>Mennonite Central Committee: Link
>American Friends Service Committee: Link
>Church of the Brethren Office of Peacebuilding and Policy: Link
>On Earth Peace: Link
>Community Peacemaker Teams CPT: Link
>>> Secular Resources on War and Peace
>US Department of State fact sheet on the Leahy Law that prohibits US aid when there is credible reports of human rights violations: Link
>Amnesty International on armed conflict, it’s risks and effects and needed response: Link
> The United Nations describes the features of our world’s current conflict and violence: Link
>Council on Foreign Relations’ global conflict tracker: Link
>>> Women on War and Peace
> “Joining together with over 800 individuals/groups for a Call to Action is a sign of hope – hope that we can move beyond focusing on the binary of who is right and who is wrong, and acknowledge the interconnectedness of what the future with a comprehensive peace looks like.”
-Lorraine Stutzman Amstutz, MC USA denominational minister of Peace & Justice on the Mennonite Action campaign.
>” Political leaders and the media are so use to framing the situation as "Israelis vs Palestinians" that they can't see that the actual framing should be "Pro Democracy and Peace vs Endless War and Terror".
I don't know what it will take for people to figure out that the majority of Israelis and Palestinians genuinely want to live together with equal rights. The far right Jewish leaders calling for death to all Palestinians, and the far-right Hamas and militant leaders who call for death to Israel are the minority.
The people in the middle who think ethnicity or religion are the dividing lines make the mistake of supporting the extremists on both sides.”
-Dr. Lisa Schirch, Richard G. Starmann, Sr. Professor of the Practice of Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame
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Mennonite Women USA values what all women have to say and Women's Voices blog is a space to honor their words. Posts are reviewed for tolerance and respect but don't necessarily reflect MW USA's official position.
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