Each Friday throughout the summer, a UUSC staff member will recommend books or articles about human rights. Today UUSC President and CEO William F. Schulz recommends the book The Honor Code: How Moral Revolutions Happen, by Kwame Anthony Appiah.

A superb description of the power of shaming. Appiah describes how dueling, foot-binding in China, and slavery were ended by collective action and how, in our own day, honor killings might be, too.

-- Bill Schulz

How one Denomination [UU] Developed, Debated in Local and National Forums, Revised, Approved and is Now Implementing a Peacemaking Statement of ConsciencePresented at 119th Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association at Washington, D.C., August 2011

Session Title:    Peacebuilding in Communities

Time/Day:    1:00 PM, Saturday, August 6

Adoption of a Creating Peace Statement of Conscience by the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) of Congregations is an instructive example of how one organization is creating peace in our own communities.  The example will address the impetus, the development of initiatives, and how the implementation is creating a sustaining program. A religious organization may be an apt example for our purposes. As Edward Chambers (2004), successor to Saul Alinksy, observes in Roots for Radicals people of faith can be counted on because they seek out and initiate opportunities to embody cherished values like living wages for all workers . . . " (p. 60).

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Does the following exchange sound familiar?

Mel – The way it's going, pretty soon the government will control everything and that will be the end of freedom in this country.

Sandy – That is totally ridiculous; it's corporations that are the problem.

Mel – What do you mean, ridiculous? You're one of those liberals that are leading this country to disaster.

Sandy – You're the people who are destroying this country!

Every new opinion poll seems to bring more evidence of the deep divide between liberals and conservatives in American politics. Many of us uncomfortably experience that gap within our own families, in getogethers punctuated with sarcastic asides if not verbal battles.

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One often hears that "Most terrorists today are Muslim".  This is not so as shown by this compilation of recent terrorist attacks.

Read this informative article

Check out the peace videos at Vision of Humanity.  Find out which states are the most peaceful.

A short, visually stunning video about the Structures and Attitudes of Peaceful Nations produced by Vision of Humanity.

My hope, along with the UU Peace Ministry Network, is that the tenth anniversary will honor a dream of peace for all humanity, not an observance of intolerance, of a narrow patriotism. As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, memories of last year’s 9/11/10 events beset me.  In New York City, hate filled voices condemned building a Sufi community center near Ground Zero. People I usually am in contact with, UU’s and other peace creators, were also.  Islamophobia intensified not only along the East Coast, but in the American Heartland and across the land of the free. A bullying nationalism took the place of a time to stop for remembrance and hope.

My memories of ten years ago were of leaders of the mosque that rented from the Chelmsford, MA, UU church, where I served, coming to join us that evening as a time of common sorrow. We planned a number of shared events after that, including an intercultural pot luck. Friends in my professional study group, Greenfield Group, shared their experiences. The minister of the Westport, CN, church, Frank Hall, told of loosing two brothers of the congregation at the Twin Towers.  Susan Sushocki-Brown, UU minister and fire department chaplain, was a first responder; Rosemary Bray McNatt was just beginning her ministry at the Fourth Universalist Church in the City.  Susan and Rosemary are active now in the UU Trauma Response Ministry as a result of their pastoral work following 9/11. The UUA and UUWorld did a great job telling us about the impact of 9/11 on our UU movement .You and I, we have memories of that day and of subsequent observances as well.

My hope, with many others including the UU Peace Ministry Network, is that the up-coming tenth anniversary will not be an observance of intolerance and disrespect, of a myopic patriotism, but the fullness of recollection, of a dream of peace for humanity. I believe we are called to this.  At the 2010 GA we passed the SOC, CREATING PEACE, in which we said, “we commit ourselves to a radically inclusive and transformative approach to peace.”

How shall we observe the tenth anniversary of 9/11?  Will we create peace?

As a minister, immediately I am aware that this year, September 11th is a Sunday.  And not just any Sunday, but the first Sunday of the congregational year for many.  Can we combine our “In Gatherings” with 9/11 observance? For me as a peace creator what comes to mind is asking ourselves, why do we gather as a community of faith?  Why do we sing “Here we have Gathered, gathered side by side?” [#360] Don’t we have a vision?  Is the Beloved Community within our vision?  Creating the Beloved Community, creating peace: on this 9/11 we may remember the past as we seek hope for tomorrow.

You might expand this thought for Opening Sunday by bringing in the “Standing on the Side of Love Campaign.”  Dan Furmansky has brought together many resources, including Standing on the Side of Love with American Muslims;  Rev. Jan Carlsson-Bull at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Catskill in Kingston, NY, is including the Campaign in her planning

Many in our congregations may want, indeed, need an opportunity to reflect in small groups about the feelings over the past ten years.  The UU Trauma Response Ministry is developing resources.  One response might be to have small group discussions before worship. The UU Small Group Ministry Network developed a several sessions for discussion about 9/11.

Observing 9/11 is not something we best do just in house.  It’s also a time to reach out to others.  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Clemson, SC, and Co-chair of the Addictions Ministry Team is developing interfaith programming. Calling it 9/11 Peace Circles, his experience is that as many who attend worship on Sunday mornings and at other times of the week, the best time for an interfaith event is the afternoon of Sunday, Sept. 11th.  A principle concept of Alex’s vision is, given that we want to avoid any suggestion of Islamophobia, the first group to reach out to for planning is your local mosque.

Creating peace is about building a big tent, including as many.  So following up on Alex’s concept, think about partnering.  Who can you partner with?  The Council on American Islamic Relations, CAIR is a major group combating Islamophobia.  The Interfaith Alliance and the Islamic Society of North American are also networking for this September 11th.  Their campaign, “Shoulder To Shoulder,” has a FaceBook page.   If your have an observance for such events as Hiroshima day, it might provide a model for your planning. Many communities have a variety of ecumenical and interfaith groups active for peace and justice.  Connect with them!

Here in Cincinnati we have been planning for several months.  Our event is becoming a civic event, perhaps more than an interfaith event. One question that comes up which your local group will want to explore is what message do you want to give.  Calling for ‘world peace’ may seem too prosaic to some.  Demanding withdrawal from Afghanistan may seem too political for an event with great diversity or has a civic component.  Urging non-violence, an end to the brutal cycles of fear and violence may be educational.   Balancing all the interests in your community, (cat herding,) takes hard work, so I hope you will start planning soon, if you are not already underway.

For up-dates, visit us at our UU Peace Ministry Network booth at GA in Charlotte, and also, check out our SOC Implementation workshop on Friday.

See you there!

Rev. Frank W. Carpenter, D.Min.
Some Resources:  http://911peacecircles.wordpress.com/resources/

In May, the Huntington Fellowship on Long Island, New York, dedicated their Peace Pole with the Peace Prayer - “May Peace Prevail on Earth.” The dedication ceremony took place during their annual UU Heritage Day -  this year celebrating Unitarian and Universalist peacemaking.

Visible from the road for all to see, the six-sided Pole of warm Western Cedar is set on front lawn to the left of the main entrance. There it is a visual reminder for everyone of the congregation’s affirmation of the UU Statement of Conscience on “Creating Peace.” The Pole set in the center of this grassy area, people are encouraged to move around it to see it from all sides.

During the dedication ceremony, “May Peace Prevail on Earth” was spoken in each of the six languages:  English, Hebrew, Russian, Chinese, Arabic, and Spanish.  Each recitation was followed by a congregational response from the words of the Nobel Peace Laureates’ Commitments to a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence.

If your congregation has a peace pole, or is thinking of obtaining one, please let the UU Peace Ministry Network know. You can email Richard Kopp directly at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Of the many consequences of 9/11, one of the most tragic has been the identification of Islam with violence. The hijackers of the planes that infamous day claimed to be Muslim, although their practice of the faith raises questions. It was if all the achievements of Islamic civilization, -- such as development of the chemical processes of pure distillation and filtration, adding decimal point to notation of Arabic numerals, and establishment of the first medical schools -- all disappeared in the plumes of smoke that day.

The American equation of Islam with violence is the usual strategy of racism: identifying the ‘other’ with barbarism. To move out of this vicious circle of stereotyping and profiling, we need to create opportunities for conversations and to identify issues related to identity. In the process, individuals and groups explore some of these biases, learn more about themselves and others, and begin to think about next steps, such as further consultation, education, or training.

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A year ago we consecrated our beautiful Peace Pole on the grounds of our Fellowship. This September, as another International Day of Peace approaches, we dedicate this service to the idea that Peace can be attained and that indeed Peace begins with you - let this be the moment now!  Join us in celebrating Peace by remembering that it is a choice we can make daily. We will proceed outside to the Peace Pole at the end of our service. This service will be multigenerational and enjoyed by children of all ages. Presented by member Diane Dobitz and Kristi Schuck, Director of Religious Education