Making active nonviolence our way of life in the Church and the world

2022 was the third year of the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action (CNDA), celebrated between 21 September, the International Peace Day and 2 October, the International Day of Nonviolence and Gandhi’s birthday. This was a busy time for all of us, with the Season of Creation, Campaign Nonviolence, and the Week of Prayer for Peace in Palestine & Israel all taking place during the same period.  The theme for 2022 was: “Blessed is every step toward nonviolence.” Acknowledging that a life of nonviolence is a process that takes daily work, all were invited to take steps that broaden your understanding of its many facets, steps that deepen your faith in the nonviolent message of the Gospel, and steps that increase your engagement as we build a nonviolent world for all of God’s creation.

Individuals, parish groups, Pax Christi sections, and religious communities were encouraged to plan one or more actions between 21 September and 2 October that strengthen the Catholic Church’s understanding of nonviolence as an essential aspect of our faith.

We asked everyone to join us on 2 October to celebrate International Day of Nonviolence with the Vow of Nonviolence. Check out this leaflet for CNDA 2022 prepared by Pax Christi England & Wales: An invitation to see, judge, act.

Events in 2022

12 August-2 October: The Commission on Higher Education-University Mobility in Asia and the Pacific (CHED-UMAP), Pax Christi Asia-Pacific, and the Center for Peace Education-Miriam College, are launching the “Youth Speak for Peace” campaign. In this campaign, youth from CHED schools and Pax Christi Asia-Pacific member sections will take photos of themselves (4×3) with a message on what they do to prevent violence and promote respect for diversity. UMAP member schools will be invited to view submitted photos here. UMAP schools are also invited to use the Youth for Speak photos as a learning tool in teaching respect for diversity, nonviolence, and peace as instructed in CHED Memorandum Order (CMO) No. 42, series of 2021 – Suggested Guiding Principles and Practices on Peace Education/Studies for Higher Education Institutions. Additional events during Miriam College’s Peace Week and Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action

  • September 19-23: YouthSpeak4Peace Campaign to promote nonviolence and respect for diversity.* Photos posted here.
  • Peace crane activity  for grade school
  • Homeroom sessions on Advocating Peace, Truth, Justice & Integrity of Creation, high school
  • Pinwheels for Peace exhibit (Skills Development & Technical Education Center)
  • Peace Wall: What Does Peace Mean to Me? (Miriam College’s Campus in Nuvali, Laguna)
  • Sept. 23: Webinar with Dr. Maris Diokno: “Our Continuing Struggle for Truth and Justice” *
  • Sept. 26: Flash Mob Performance on Peace and Love (Skills Development & Technical Education Center)
  • Oct. 2-3: Prayer for nonviolence (MACs, MISMO, HEU-CMO & all units) – Co-organized with Pax Christi Philippines

CLICK ON THE DATE TO FIND MORE INFORMATION ON EACH EVENT

17-25 September: PAX (Netherlands) celebrates Peace Week with a number of events. Topics include the future of peace in Europe with a special concert, discussions on the current state of peace activism, and performances on the theme of gender and power relations. More information about the events, including how to reserve your spot are on the Peace Week website.

17-25 September: University of Waterloo (Ontario) hosts a Peace Week. Events include an art exhibit, film viewings, active nonviolent bystander training, and much more.

21 September: The Franciscan Renewal Center in Scottsdale, Arizona will host a “SolidarITea with the Border,” for conversation and storytelling on how to find peace and solidarity at the U.S.-Mexico border. Coffee, Fair Trade-certified tea, and light snacks will be provided. Discussion to follow. While there is no fee for this event, registration is requested to ensure an accurate headcount. A special Taizé Prayer for World Peace will follow at Our Lady of the Angels Church at 7:00 pm.

21 September: Pax Christi Australia joins partners in celebrating International Peace Day with an interfaith prayer centre. Religious leaders from Aboriginal, Bahai, Brahmakumaris, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Islamic, Jain, Jewish, Mandaean, Sikh, Sufi and Zoroastrian communities will offer prayers for peace. School children will provide musical performances.

19-26 September: Pax Christi USA holds its Bread Not Stones Days of Action, which will include legislative visits, a day of public action, and a parish outreach day. Bread Not Stones is Pax Christi USA’s campaign which aims to redirect the obscene amount of money the U.S. invests in military spending to the challenges presented by the pandemic, the climate crisis, racial oppression, and economic injustice.

25 September: “Witness to hope: Nonviolence in violent times.” Marie Dennis has led the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative since it was developed at the global conference in Rome in April 2016. The Initiative is a call to the Catholic Church to recognize the centrality of active nonviolence to the vision and mission of Jesus and to its long term vocation of healing and reconciling of both people and the planet. Pax Christi International (PCI) wants to honor Marie’s extraordinary work with a celebration and a fundraiser. PCI works at the global level coordinating and supporting approximately 120 country initiatives that promote nonviolent action toward just peace. PCI’s scope of work has increased exponentially in recent years and they are using this moment of celebration to ask for donations in Marie’s name. Please watch the event to hear Marie, plus special guests Sr. Simone Campbell and Rev. Jim Wallis, share their vision of hope and the power of nonviolence that, as Marie has said … “energetically promotes just peace, the new story, the beloved community, the New Creation.”

26 September: Pax Christi New York State will hold its annual Interfaith Prayer Service in observance of the UN International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons on at 12:30 PM near the United Nations. A short walk to the New York senators’ offices might be included, where participants will distribute a flier that combines the message of the TPNW with Bread Not Stones to passersby.

27 September: CNI executive committee members Marie Dennis and Ken Butigan will speak on “The Legacy — Jesus, Gandhi and King: Nonviolence Through the Ages,” part of the Humanity Rising summit. On Zoom and livestreamed on YouTube.

27 September: The Franciscans of the Holy Name Province are reading Choosing Peace: The Catholic Church returns to Gospel nonviolence; Marie Dennis will join them for a special discussion on Zoom.

28 September: The book group of St. Camillus Parish, Silver Spring, Maryland, is reading Choosing Peace: The Catholic Church returns to Gospel nonviolence; Marie Dennis will join them for a special discussion on Zoom.

30 September: The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, the JPIC Commission of USG-UISG, and LISTEN (Laudato Si’ International Scholars Tertiary Education Network) will hold a special prayer service on nonviolence and the environment, 14h00-16h00 Central European time. The service will be offered in English, French, Spanish and Italian. Use this link to join the service on Friday 30 September: bit.ly/SeasonOfCreation2022.

10 October: Join South African Anglican priest Michael Lapsley for a special event organized by the Franciscan Renewal Center, “A conversation on world peace and our role as peacemakers.” Fr. Lapsley, who has received numerous awards over the years for his work on peace and reconciliation, will present his perspective on world peace in light of the war in Ukraine and will facilitate a conversation about our roles as peacemakers. No fee for the program but registration is required.

Following are a range of tools and resources that can be adapted for use in your own community.

→Making active nonviolence our way of life in the Church and the world, a preparatory guide and questionnaire. This resource has been produced primarily as a tool and secondly as means of gathering information.
Also available in Spanish: Hacer de la no violencia activa nuestra forma de vida en la Iglesia y en el mundo, una guía preparatoria y un cuestionario and French: Faire de la nonviolence active notre mode de vie dans l’Église et dans le monde, un outil et une ressource documentaire

→Making the vow of nonviolence: We offer this as a focus for prayer and reflection to help individuals and communities affirm their intention and commitment to live a nonviolent life. It was created in the United States by Eileen Egan and Rev. John Dear. It can be used privately, with a local peace community, as part of a parish liturgy, or any other way that suits you. Many have used the prayer at the start of each year as part of their New Year observance. It is available here in English, French, Arabic, Italian, Korean, German, Spanish and Swahili. Le Vœu de Non-Violence نذر التعهد بالالعنف Voto di Nonviolenza 한국어 비폭력 서약 Eid zur Gewaltfreiheit Voto de Noviolencia Kiapo

→Framework to celebrate nonviolence: In our effort to encourage solidarity actions around the globe to promote and celebrate nonviolence, we offer this document which offers a range of approaches that can be adapted for use in your own context. Categories include prayer resources, suggestions for public witness, tools to make nonviolence a way of life, creating a nonviolent parish or community, and celebrating nonviolent heroes. Also available in Spanish: Un marco y recursos para celebrar la no violencia

→Cultivating a life of respect and nonviolence within creation, our common home is a 3-page resource offered by the Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission of UISG/USG.
Also available in French: Cultiver une Vie de Respect et de Nonviolence au sein de la Création, notre Maison commune (ressource de 3 pages pour la réflexion et l’action) and Spanish: Cultivar una vida de respeto y de no violencia dentro de la Creación, nuestra casa común (recurso de 3 páginas para la reflexión y la acción)

→Listen to the voice of Creation, a Catholic liturgical guide from the Laudato Si’ International Tertiary Education Network (LISTEN, listen.mn.co)

→An invitation to see, judge, act, a leaflet from Pax Christi England & Wales Many thanks to the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative’s People of God committee which has created and compiled the preparatory guide, the vow of nonviolence, and the framework