APPENDIX 1
Selected Published Articles on the IDP
(2003 World Peace Prayer Society Report)

The following will be printed in October in The Mosaic, a publication of Interfaith Ministries of Greater Houston. May Peace Prevail on Earth.

The Way to Peace
P.K. McCary

"There is no way to peace. Peace is the way."

Conference Room 4 within the walls of the United Nations building was filled to capacity. Many had come to see the famous. Michael Douglas. Muhammad Ali. Jane Goodall. Dr. Elie Weisel, to name a few. These messengers of peace have done the work, made the difference. They came to talk about their work, their visions, their hopes for a better world and they came to answer the young, many from the outer reaches of this world that we know as America.

But, the story alongside the question that stood out that morning was from a young woman from Rwanda. Jacqueline Murekatete is a poised and well-mannered 18-year old young woman from a country that broke her heart, but not her spirit. She talked directly to Dr. Weisel and told him that it was his book Night that inspired her to hold on when despair had threatened to overcome her. She told him about her life, a life once filled with friends and wonder. She played and went to school. She laughed. One day it ended. It ended abruptly. She had to flee and her family was scattered. She was luckier than her family, if one could call it luck. Many months later, a cousin informed her that her family - mother, father, three sisters, and four brothers - had been massacred with machetes on the river's edge.

With tears glistening in her eyes, she told the story with a steady voice because she wanted to get to the question that burned within her soul. She asked, "How do some become agents of peace while others seek revenge?" Clear and to the point. It was a question that infused the
room with a startling revelation. There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.

Yes, she had other questions and she said that. She had many of them, but this one was the most important. It was important because within that one question were the many questions that probably haunt her nights and infuse her days. How do I forgive my family's murderers? How do I believe again? How do I go on? Why did they have to die? I heard the one question. I felt the others.

Dr. Weisel is an incredible and gifted professor and writer. He is a survivor. His answer was full of wisdom and experience. As a survivor of Auschwitz, Dr. Weisel told her that there were perils in life that allow the tragedies they both experienced to happen. He told of the perils and consequences of indifference, but worse the perils of the seduction to seek revenge. Both are unacceptable behaviors that threaten our humanity daily: indifference to the suffering in the world, whether Israel, Palestine, Afghanistan, or Rwanda. Just a few whose suffering is multiplied over and over again because people fail to see or hear. He then told her that nothing can replace the testimonies. And he made this promise. "I will make sure that your story is told."

As Dr. Weisel told the audience, the 21st century was supposed to be the start of a new world, a world where war is obsolete. Instead, on this third year of bloodshed, we seem no closer to eradicating war. Rwanda, especially, is a place where our indifference resulted in the loss of
millions of lives. We stood by and did nothing.

But, we cannot lose faith. Because of individuals such as Dr. Elie Weisel and Jacqueline Murekatete, both survivors and truth tellers, we can learn from our mistakes. We can strengthen our faith as we seek a higher wisdom that allows us to believe that these testimonies do make a
difference. When Elie told his story, it reached over generations to touch the heart of an 18-year old who needed to know that there is life after death: here, on this earth.

Let us bear witness then. Earlier this year, the Rothko Chapel along with Interfaith Ministries, the Decade of a Non-Violence and a host of organizations through the Metropolitan Houston area forged relationships through an initiative called the "99 Days of Intentional Peace." These
relationships were forged in the hope that we can all be instruments of peace and that we can make a difference. We are not indifferent and we will continue the work, individually and as a community. God bless the peacemakers.

Perri Kathryn ("P.K.") McCary
Director of Special Programs
The Rothko Chapel

Houston, Texas, USA

This news item was carried by the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCANEWS):

PA4799.1255 September 24, 2003

Priest Calls For Government To Ratify Rights Accords, Forge Peace Treaties

MULTAN, Pakistan (UCAN) -- A Catholic priest has called for Pakistan's government to formally commit itself to justice and peace through international human rights accords and peace treaties with its neighbors.

Dominican Father James Channan, director of Pastoral Institute Multan, made the call Sept. 21 in a speech at the end of a march for peace in Multan, 420 kilometers southwest of Islamabad.

Riaz Hussain Qureshi, Multan district commissioner and another speaker at the Catholic-organized event held to mark International Day of Peace, also spoke on the need for regional and global peace.

The march, which drew the participation of about 230 Catholics, Muslims and Protestants, was organized by the institute, La Salle Parish and the Justice and Peace Commission of the Major Religious Superiors Leadership Conference.

Leading the march were Sister Norris Nawab, chairperson of the justice and peace commission, and Zuhra Zaidi, a council member of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, as well as Father Channan and Qureshi.

Father Channan, in his speech, urged the government to ratify three United Nations rights instruments: the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Speaking to UCA News later, he explained that "strict Islamic laws" in Muslim-majority Pakistan discriminate against religious minorities. He also pointed out that schoolchildren of all religions are forced to study books suitable only for Muslims, with proclamations such as "We are all Muslims."

He wants the government to ratify the three U.N. documents to guarantee the "political, religious and civil rights of all," he said, noting that the optional protocol goes back to 1966.

The Dominican priest added that "torture by the law-enforcement agencies is common in Pakistan," where prisoners and suspects have been "killed by the police in so-called 'police encounters.'"

In his speech, Father Channan said Pakistan must also sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. Several countries including India, North Korea and Pakistan have yet to sign and ratify the international treaty banning all kinds of nuclear weapons tests.

He appealed further to the government to sign peace treaties with all Pakistan's neighbors including India. All issues with India, including the Kashmir issue, must be resolved through dialogue and not war, he said.

Tensions between India and Pakistan over Muslim-majority Kashmir date back to the two

countries' simultaneous creation in 1947 out of British India. Both countries claim Kashmir, which is effectively divided between them. Wars and localized conflicts, as recently as 1999, have been fought over the territory.

Father Channan suggested that peace education should begin in primary school and that all children's toys resembling weapons should be banned. Such toys, he said, create a sense of hatred and violence among children.

Qureshi highlighted peace as critical for humanity's survival, and said people must unite against the challenge terrorism poses to peace.

He agreed that U.N. resolutions on peace need to be implemented strictly, so as to create peace in regions such as Kashmir.

The Multan commissioner also promised to safeguard the rights of people of all religions in Multan, and he congratulated Christians for organizing the event to mark the U.N.-designated day for peace.

The peace march that preceded the speeches started from outside the chapel of the pastoral institute and ended at the national office of the justice and peace commission two blocks away.

Marchers including children, youth and women chanted slogans for world peace and carried placards and posters with messages such as "Stop the Arms Race" and "Yes to peace, No to war." END

Interpellation ˆ la Paix par le Jeune TrŽsor Ami de la Paix,

Kinshasa, Congo

(by a child of the Congo)

INTERPELLATION

Au commencement, Dieu crŽa lÕhomme ˆ son image

Quand je vois lÕhomme noir, je vois lÕimage de Dieu

Quand je vois lÕhomme blanc, je vois lÕimage de Dieu

Quand je vois la peau rouge et jaune, je vois lÕimage de Dieu

La mŽdecine nous dit que nous avons tous la mme couleur de sang.

Alors, pourquoi le partage dans le monde ?

Pourquoi la guerre entre nous qui avons la mme couleur de sang ?

Pourquoi la haine au lieu dÕamour ? nous voulons la Paix dans le monde

Cesser avec les intŽrts Žgo•stes pour sÕentretuer entre frre et sÏur ˆ cause de lÕargent, ˆ cause des biens matŽriels qui sont pŽrissable.

Dieu nous dit, je vous donne les projets de paix et de prospŽritŽ

La bible nous dit chercher la paix avec tout le monde sans laquelle personne ne verra Dieu.

Pourquoi fabriquŽ des armes nuclŽaires ? cÕest pour tuer les btes ou tes ressemblances ?

Pourquoi fabriquŽ les armes bactŽriologiques ? CÕest pour tuer les tres humains ou les animaux ?

Pourquoi fabriquŽ les armes chimiques ? cÕest pour construire ou dŽtruire lÕhumanitŽ ?

Pourquoi fabriquŽ les obus ? cÕest pour dŽtruire lÕhomme ou les maisons ?

Pourquoi les armes ? Pourquoi les bombes ? Pourquoi les missiles ? Pourquoi le terrorisme ? Pourquoi les Kamikaze ?

Pourquoi enterrŽ ton semblable vivant ? Couper un tre humain en morceau comme dans lÕabattoir !

Pourquoi utiliser lÕintelligence humaine pour dŽtruire lÕhumanitŽ au lieu de construire un monde paisible !

Les enfants meurent de faim ˆ cause de la guerre

Les nations sont dŽtruites ˆ cause de la haine

Ne savez Ð vous pas que les tres que vous tuez matin et soir sont les temples de Dieu, et que lÕesprit de Dieu habite en eux ?

Si quelquÕun dŽtruit le temple de Dieu, Dieu le dŽtruira car le temple de Dieu est saint.

DŽposons les armes, unissons Ð nous, b‰tissons un monde paisible

- ONU prier pour la Paix de toutes les nations

- UA ( union africaine ) prier pour la Paix en Afrique

^-SPPM ( sociŽtŽ de prire pour la paix mondiale ) prier pour la Paix dans le monde

- UNESCO prier pour lÕŽducation de nos enfants

- OMS ( organisation mondiale de la santŽ )prier pour la SantŽ mondiale

- UNICEF prier pour les enfants orphelins abandonnŽs dans la rue

- CHR ( haut commissariat de rŽfugiŽs ) prier pour les rŽfugiŽs politiques .

- MONUC ( mission dÕ observation de nations unis au Congo ) . prier pour le maintien de paix dans des territoires occupŽes .

- PNUD ( programme des nations unis pour le dŽveloppement ) prier pour le dŽveloppement de la plante terre.

- OIT ( organisation internationale de travail ) prier pour les ch™meurs du monde

- OCHA ( bureau de coordination des affaires humanitaires ) prier pour la sŽcuritŽ de lÕhumanitŽ.

- PAM ( programme alimentaire mondial ) prier pour les populations male nourrit

- HCDH ( haut commissariat aux droits de lÕhomme ) prier pour le droit de lÕhomme

- ONUSIDA, ne vous fatiguez pas pour la sensibilisation sur le VIH / SIDA. NÕabandonnez pas les personnes atteintes du sida, car ils sont nos frres et nos soeurs.

- UNFPA ( fonds des nations unis pour la population ) multiplier les efforts pour combattre les avortements

- ChrŽtiens, musulman, bouddhiste et autres. Prions tous ensemble pour que la paix puisse rŽgner dans le monde et ˆ jamais.

- Interpellation de la SociŽtŽ de Prire pour la Paix mondiale ˆ tous les organismes internationaux de Nations Unis.

Ç PUISSE LA PAIX REGNER DANS LE MONDE È.

Prions tous ensemble pour que la Paix rŽgner dans le monde et ˆ jamais.

PUISSE LA PAIX REGNER DANS LE MONDE

4. UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST (UCC) WITNESS FOR JUSTICE #0130

September 22, 2003

JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE

by Bernice Powell Jackson

Most Americans have never heard of it. The Congress doesnÕt seem to celebrate it. The President doesnÕt seem to declare it a special day. Even if you go to the United Nations website there is no immediate mention of it. Yet it could be the most important day in the year for all citizens of the world. IÕm talking about September 21, The International Day of Peace.

In 1981, more than two decades ago, the United Nations declared the third Tuesday of September to be International Day of Peace, a day for the whole world to focus on the end of violence and conflict around the globe. It is a day when we, the citizens of the world, call for a global cease fire, a day of non-violence and a cessation of hostilities. A day when we imagine the world which Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Nobel peace laureates have challenged us to make a reality for generations.

We need the International Day of Peace, perhaps like never before. We need just one day where there are no shootings in war zones or in our cities. We need just one day where there are no suicide bombings or retaliatory attacks. We need just one day when soldiers and militias and police officers fire not one shot. We need just one day when war has taken a vacation and the war talk ceases. We need just one day when homes know no violence and children can sleep in peace.

This year there will be vigils for peace around the world. People bound together in prayers for peace, meditation for peace and other sacred spiritual practices for peace. This vigil is a grassroots 24-hour vigil for peace by people who have come to understand that war is never the answer and who want to pray together for an end to it.

This year there will be an annual World Peace Festival in Amenia, NY. It will be a multi-cultural gathering with dance, music, activities for children and flags of all nations. There will also be a Peace Youth Summit with 100 international youth who are committed to peace as an organizing principle for the world. They will gather for leadership training organized by the United Nations and will also attend the World Peace Festival.

This year people around the world will be planting new Peace Poles and re-dedicating old ones. These poles say ÒMay Peace Prevail on EarthÓ in several languages. Others will participate in community service projects. At least one U.S. Congressman and Presidential candidate, Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), is holding Peace Day House Parties. Kucinich has called for the establishment of a Department of Peace by the federal government.

My own personal dream is that our government would build a Peace Memorial in Washington, D.C. dedicated to those Americans who have lost their lives on behalf of peace and justice and non-violence. In a city filled with war monuments this would call the nationsÕ attention to another calling we each have as Americans to be peacemakers.

We can create a peaceful, just and sustainable world. In fact, it is the only vision which guarantees there will be a world in the future. Let's all join the International Day of Peace.

(Note: For more information on the International Day of Peace you can visit

the web-site, <www.worldpeace.org/peaceday.html>.)

2003 World Peace Prayer Society Compilation

May Peace Prevail On Earth