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Public witness for peaceToday there is a growing sense among the historicpeace churches that we are called to share our testimonymore boldly. Public witness is an intentionalway of offering a Christian peace perspective to thewider society. Some examples include: advocatingbefore elected officials, writing letters to politiciansor the local newspaper, participating in a publicprayer vigil or a peace walk, or wearing a peacebutton. Although not always easy or without risk,public witness can open dialogue and draw attentionto issues of peace and justice that may havebeen forgotten or misrepresented in the mainstream.Canadian churches have shown great creativity in organizing many such events. For example,our love of music was used as a witness in the “Sing for Peace” demonstrations inOttawa and provincial capitals across the country at the start of the war on Afghanistanand Iraq. Other congregations have posted signs and banners outside their churches, helddemonstrations at military air shows and joined email campaigns and petitions.Singingfor peace onParliament Hillin Ottawa.Right now, Ontario churches in the Windsor Essex school division are facing an unusualopportunity to resist war at a very basic level—their children’s education. There (and elsewherein Canada) the Army Reserve Training Program is introducing a paid co-opopportunity for high school students in which they receive military training over onesemester. While there is no obligation to continue employment, those who do complete thecourse are considered members of the Reserve. Other institutions that offer co-ops can givean honorarium, but it is against regulations that high school students be paid for co-opwork. Churches are concerned that this paid military option will unduly entice lowerincomestudents toward a military career.The response of the churches has been to come together and advocate against this initiativeby meeting with the school board. Part of their statement reads, “Our faith perspective ofpromoting peace . . . challenges us to confront the value of training youth in physicalaggression, violence, and the use of weapons. Since peace is not just the absence of war butof working for justice in our community, we are re-committing ourselves to the task ofteaching peace and justice to our youth for the well-being of the community.” In turn, theycall on the board to exercise their policy of promoting “a safe, stimulating, caring and welcomingenvironment, free of intimidation, aggression, violence and weapons.”What opportunities for resistance are open to your church community?For more ideas on how to organize a public witness, see the MCC Public Witness forPeace Toolkit. mcc.org/canada/peace/resources/toolkit.pdfBlessed are the peacemakers. Mt 5:9Stories and reflections14