Committees

Morristown Unitarian Fellowship

M U F L I N K S

Seeds of Peace Seeds of Peace
A Social Responsibilities Program
of the Morristown Unitarian Fellowship

Upcoming Programs | Previous Programs | Mission and Activities Statement | What is Your Ministry “Personality Type” | Other Useful Links

If there is to be peace in the world, there must be peace in the nations. If there is to be peace in the nations, there must be peace in the cities. If there is to be peace in the cities, there must be peace between neighbors. If there is to be peace between neighbors, there must be peace in the home. If there is to be peace in the home, there must be peace in the heart.
-Lao-Tse
For meeting information, contact
Jo Sippie-Gora at josippie@optonline.net

Please come join us!

Mission

We believe all people share a moral responsibility to create peace. We seek to provide opportunities to learn peace building, peacemaking, and peacekeeping that will nurture relationship, including with those we disagree, and cultivate a wholesome interconnectedness with life.

Activities

Seeds of Peace plans and hosts a variety of activities that are consistent with the policies and principles of our faith and covenant. Our programs generally fall under one or more of the following categories:

1. To study choices that lead to peaceful solutions.

2. To educate the public and members about humane alternatives to war and conflict.

3. To join/form coalitions with others who aspire to the highest ideals of compassion, consciousness and caring.

4. To actively connect with the Religious Education Director and youth volunteers in order to help them to support children, youth, and young adults in the process of creating peace.

Goings On

Two Compassionate Communication practice groups are now meeting at MUF on a regular basis. These Peacemaking groups are focusing on developing very specific, personal skills called “nonviolent communication”. Using the works of Marshall Greenberg, they are learning how to increase awareness and compassion in relationship with oneself and others. If you want to cultivate more honesty, empathy and connection in your interactions with others, contact Jo Sippie-Gora for more information.

Come visit the Seeds of Peace display table , set up on most Sunday mornings, for timely announcements of peace and justice events in the area. Pick up information and learn what our committee is planning for the future. We’d love to hear YOUR passionate voice and ideas for creating peace, too. Also, we often make available a large selection of films and books for you to borrow.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Most programs are free (donations appreciated), provide for audience discussion, offer free refreshments and materials.

PREVIOUS PROGRAMS

What is Your Ministry “Personality Type”?

Members of any UU congregation have different styles and temperaments when it comes to doing social justice ministry. One person may feel comfortable doing hands on direct service while another may have the energy to change the system through advocacy and community organizing. There is room for all types of people in the peace-building work of the Seeds of Peace committee at MUF. Please read the five types of social action described below and think about what your social action personality is.

1. SERVICE: Meeting the needs of persons in distress.

Examples: becoming a “friend” to a detainee seeking asylum, buying shares in a micro-credit bank to enable an indigenous person to become self-sustaining, donating food or clothes to the needy, assisting children during the incarceration of a convicted parent.

2. EDUCATION: Teaching people about the importance of a social issue. Helping to raise people's consciousness. Informing people about the aspects of the issues and also interpreting the issue within the context of our liberal religious values.

Examples: participating in a Sunday service on non-violence, public meetings/forums, workshops, resolutions.

3. WITNESS: Making public by word or deed the convictions of an individual or organization regarding a particular issue.

Examples: participating in demonstrations, vigils and marches, writing letters to the editor, passing resolutions, communicating to the wider community through press releases and/or press conferences, organizing petition campaigns, book discussion and film discussion groups, changing your life style to reflect your conviction.

4. ADVOCACY: Working through the legislative process to impact on public policy.

Examples: visiting elected representatives in a delegation, writing letters to elected officials, giving testimony at public hearings.

5. COMMUNITY ORGANIZING: Participating in the peace-building process where decisions are made in places of power. This approach is based on the recognition that individuals have little power to change their situations without the strength of groups who know how to organize and influence power.

Examples: developing a strong organization, influencing policy and decision-makers, empowering people so they can achieve self-determination.

So, which is it? How do our UU Principles inform your Social Justice ministry? For more information, email the Seeds of Peace committee: Jo Sippie-Gora at seedsofpeacemuf@optonline.net.

OTHER USEFUL LINKS

Peace Action

UU Peacemakers

Support Dept of Peace Legislation