2008 Interfaith Peace Witness for Iraq - March 7th in Washington, D.C.
The Declaration of Peace encourages your participation in the March 7th Interfaith Peace Witness for Iraq in Washington, D.C., organized by the Interfaith Peace Partnership that grew out of the 2007 Christian Peace Witness for Iraq.
The Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership calls on people of all faiths to participate in the:
2008 Interfaith Peace Witness
March 7, 2008
Washington, D.C.
Communities and individuals of all faith traditions and spiritualities committed to ending the war in Iraq are planning an interfaith witness in Washington D.C. on March 7, 2008, to demonstrate our unwavering commitment to justice and to the sacredness of human life. The world cries out for a common voice for peace from across religious traditions and paths.
On Friday, March 7th, 2008, people of all faith traditions from across the United States will gather for worship at 12:00 noon in temples, mosques, synagogues, and churches in the U.S. Capital.
For a listing of worship services and other events associated with the March 7th Peace Witness, go to: http://olivebranchinterfaith.org/events
Following worship, participants will process to a jointly planned, interfaith event near the Capitol Building.
An interfaith service and inspirational speeches will begin at 2:30 pm in Upper Senate Park.
People, led by conscience, will then pray and remain in prayer on (or as near as possible to) the Capitol steps. We will do this to faithfully dramatize the moral urgency of ending the war and occupation of Iraq, of saying no to torture, and of supporting Peace with Iran.
By remaining in place in continuous prayer for Peace, people will make a conscientious decision to risk arrest.
Nonviolent civil disobedience, or “divine obedience”, is a powerful form of prayerful witness for peace and justice. “Divine obedience” has played a very important role in bringing about change in the United States and around the world, and is undertaken in a spirit of nonviolence, respect and a willingness to accept the consequences.
Click here to learn more about this powerful act of conscience.
Please register for the events (worship service and /or action at the Capitol) that you plan to participate in.
Those who are willing to risk arrest in “divine obedience” are encouraged to prepare themselves through prayer and study, and are required to participate in Nonviolent Action Training.
• For Resources for Study and Reflection on Nonviolent Action
• Nonviolent Action Trainings are offered in Washington, D.C., on March 6th and 7th at: New York Avenue Presbyterian Church ~ 313 New York Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20005
Thursday, March 6: 6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. (Includes Final Legal Briefing below)
Friday, March 7: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. (Includes Final Legal Briefing below)
Please plan to take one of the Nonviolent Action Trainings that will be offered in Washington, or participate in a training in your own community before traveling to Washington.
For listings of other organizations that offer trainings, click here
• Final Legal Briefing/Scenario To prepare and inform yourself about legal issues and consequences of participating in the civil disobedience action, please go to http://olivebranchinterfaith.org/book/legal-issues-and-consequences, and participate in a legal briefing.
As Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote in “The Trumpet of Conscience”:
“There is nothing wrong with a traffic law which says you have to stop for a red light. But when a fire is raging, the fire truck goes right through that red light… Civil disobedience is a strategy for social change which is at least as forceful as an ambulance with its siren on full.”
On March 7, 2008 people of faith and conscience will respond to the emergency of our time — the war on Iraq — by remaining in prayer at the U.S. Capitol.
JOIN US!