By Photo: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of
the messenger who announces peace”
Isaiah 52:7
Pope Francis has released the traditional message in celebration of the World Day of Peace, which is observed in the Catholic church on 1 January. The message for 2022 emphasises the importance of intergenerational connections for building a world of lasting and just peace, in particular, the importance of education and dialogue between generations. For a full text of the message in English, French, Spanish and and five other languages, please click here.
In the message, Pope Francis stresses the need for mutal understanding between generations and meangingful, transformative exchanges. He writes, “Dialogue entails listening to one another, sharing different views, coming to agreement and walking together . . . Great social challenges and peace processes necessarily call for dialogue between the keepers of memory – the elderly – and those who move history forward – the young.”
We welcome this timely and relevant message to start a new year. Education and capacity building for peace and nonviolence is integral to the mission of Pax Christi International. We work with partners in every region of the world to teach people the Gospel roots of nonviolence and how they can put it into practice in their lives, families, schools, and communities. We actively train communitiy leaders, provide important resources, and help cultivate skills to promote nonviolence through grassroots education.
Here are a few ways we are already putting the message of Pope Francis into action:
Digital Incubator Launches
We recently celebrated the launch of a new digital incubator programme with our member Africa Reconciled (Goma, DR Congo). The programme will teach tech skills, including app development and social media use, to young people in a collaborative way. The focus of this program is on using these tools for the promotion of active nonviolence and peacebuilding. A first cohort of 50 young people have already benefitted from this innovated educational programme. Click here for more.
A Policymaker’s Tool for Effective, Nonviolent Strategies for Sustainable Peace
We recently published a illustrative and practical guide for policymakers (and all those who want to make nonviolence a matter of policy!). We brought together experts and stories from around our movement to highlight the importance of nonviolence for policymakers as well as how easy and cost-effective it can be.
Click here for more.
Study Guide: Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace
This book is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding and promoting Catholic thinking on nonviolence. To help groups discuss and learn from the book, we have just added a study guide to our collection of resources. It’s perfect for use in small groups and parishes and provides an opportunity for interngenerational reflection on important theological topics. To download the study guide, please click here. To order your print or e-book copy of Advancing Nonviolence and Just Peace, please click here.
Water for Life
In June we launched a new educational and advocacy campaign highlighting the need for water justice throughout the Americas as a result of extractive industries. The campaign calls on the international community for solidarity and action. Violations of the right to water are an intergenerational concern and disproportionately impact vulnerable groups in rural areas, including Afrodescendants, farmers, and Indigenous communities. Click here for more.
Peace Sunday Resources
Our member Pax Christi England and Wales has shared many resources for celebrating World Day of Peace in your parishes and communities. These include prayers and other liturgical resources, posters, activities for children, videos, music and more. Take a look and find a small way to incorporate peace into your worship this week. Click here for more.