Peace Advocacy Research Articles

Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ecumenical Quest by Keith Clements

Reviewed by: Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ecumenical Quest by Keith Clements Thomas K. Johnson Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ecumenical Quest. By Keith Clements. Geneva: World Council of Churches Publications, 2015. 328 pp. Did Bonhoeffer have an explicit commitment to an ecumenical mission for the community of Christ? How did Bonhoeffer engage in the ecumenical movement and what role did he play in its development? These are Clement’s primary foci and after a thorough examination he concludes that Bonhoeffer demonstrated a deep passion for an ecumenical vision, but always did it his own way. Clements maintains that a broad variety of engagements, theological, pastoral, and political, as well as the relationships that he held dear, broadened Bonhoeffer’s understanding of what it means to be church. He demonstrates this through a chronological documentation of Bonhoeffer’s participation in ecumenical activities, beginning in 1927 and continuing with an appointment in Barcelona, a scholarship at Union Seminary (New York), and involvement in conferences. In the spirit of the ecumenical cause Bonhoeffer helped draft a new catechism in 1931, which addressed the key issues of the day: science and faith, war and peace, and the unity of the church. Bonhoeffer drew heavily upon his doctoral thesis Sanctorum Communio, to define the church as “being-with-one-another” as we bear mutual responsibility in the body of Christ. For Bonhoeffer, the movement was not about fostering more dialogue or finding common ground so as to resist the divisive powers in Germany, rather the ecumenical priority was the affirmation that the church of Christ exists for the whole inhabited earth and is given in and through God’s grace. Clements argues that since Bonhoeffer is better known for his social justice pursuits, we can miss his role as an ecumenist. The reader will find his case compelling as a closer look is provided of Bonhoeffer’s input at various ecumenical councils, including his [End Page 120] substantial contribution, The Confessing Church and the Ecumenical Movement (1934). Still it remains uncertain whether Bonhoeffer saw himself in this role or simply viewed the ecumenical stage as a place where his prophetic voice could be heard. Bonhoeffer was not always about promoting unity and collaboration both nationally and internationally. Instead, his primary concern was making grace real and being an advocate for peace and justice, and Clements admits that at times there was not a connection between these priorities and church unity. Even though Clements’ book is a valuable resource to understand Bonhoeffer’s contributions to numerous ecumenical conferences and to navigate through the complex issues involved, it still seems problematic to ascertain what his specific hopes and influences were for ecumenism as an enduring goal. Yet it is clear that Bonhoeffer has an ecumenical appeal today. His priorities on putting one’s faith into practice, being authentic and committed to justice, challenging nationalism and idolatry have influenced a wide array of Christian and non-Christian traditions. At my school, Claremont School of Theology, these common values enhance relationship building and a profound sense of community. It is clear that interdenominational, inter-cultural, and even interreligious experiences influenced Bonhoeffer’s vision of living out a broader practice of faith that was inclusive as well as grounded in Christ. As Bonhoeffer attempted to serve as the vital link between the Confessing Church and other church bodies, he voiced the concern that “the ecumenical movement lacked a theology” (7). Was it simply an endless array of conferences and talk, or was it embedded in and could launch an effective witness to the body of Christ, alive and active in every arena of life? Bonhoeffer struggled to discover and implement a foundation for the movement when he wrote On the Theological Foundation for the Work of the World Alliance (1932). Bonhoeffer ebbed and flowed with hope and frustration with his ecumenical experience. Yet ironically it was Bonhoeffer’s work, Clements believes, that served as the inspiration for the organization of the World Council of Churches. Clements sees Bonhoeffer as a resource for clarifying tensions we face today such as those involving the individual and the [End Page 121] community, freedom and responsibility, nationalism and dignity for all. Bonhoeffer’s honest evaluation of these...

Understanding Peace and Nonviolence in Islam with Maulānā Wahīduddīn Khān

Islam is the religion of peace; rather it is the very embodiment of it. The very name ‘Islam’ is derived from the Arabic trilateral root s.l.m, which primarily denotes peace. The related term ‘Īmān’ signifies ‘giving peace to others.’ One of the beautiful names of Allah is Al-Salām which means ‘The Absolute Peace.’ The Islamic greetings ‘Assalāmu Alikum’ is also but the ‘prayer of peace’ for the fellow human beings. There is a great emphasis in Islam for establishing, maintaining and promoting peace. Likewise, violence is all the more condemned in Islam and nonviolence is hailed by equal measure. One of the reports in Bukhari reports fromProphet of Islam, Muhammad (SAW), “A Muslim is he whose neighbors are safe from the evils of his hands and tongue.” Likewise, the Qur’ān discourages violence in sura Baqara’s verse (205), waAllahu lā yuhibbu-al-fasād (And Allah does not love mischief). Moreover, the Qur’ān asks its adherents to repel evil with goodnessto turn an enemy into a bosom friend. Maulana Wahiddudin Khan of India, an influential Muslim personality in the modern period, is a staunch advocate of peace from an Islamic perspective. His ideas on peace and non-violence in Islam can be gleaned from his works like Aman-i-Aalam (Global Peace), Islam and Peace, TheAge of Peace, The Prophet of Peace (SAW), different issues of the monthly magazine al-Risālah, etc. which are reflective of his strong emphasis on peace and nonviolence in the contemporary world. The present paper attempts to undertake a study of his views on peace and non-violence in Islam which has become the pressing need of present times owing to the escalation of extremism and terrorism in the world and unfortunately its attribution to Islam.

Appreciative Inquiry Approach on Environmental Stewardship on the Issues of the West Philippine Sea

Background: Though the issue of our claims on the West Philippine Sea is a matter of state concern, the role of the youth to spread awareness and civic consciousness on the inevitable effect on the marine environment and marine life in Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) is vital. Other claimants and their actions on reclaiming the islands and allegedly constructing buildings within will have great impact on our security and economic survival in the coming years.Method: This is a qualitative research using the Appreciative Inquiry Tool in facilitating focus-group discussions with thematic foci, with some 530 youth reflections gathered from the four foras conducted. Result: Youth reflections were initially coded and four themes were identified: 1) Support Action, 2) Protection of the Natural Resources and Marine Life, 3) Peace and Conflict Resolution Advocacy, and 4) Social Awareness and People's Initiatives.Conclusion: The foras concluded with provocative statements as final output. Participating youth organizations believed that youth can play a significant role in decision making in the community; provided they are given opportunities to come together, share and learn from each other. The youth can help identify points of engagement and develop projects that support and encourage good practices on environmental stewardship.

Sir Edward Grey, Germany, and the Outbreak of the First World War: A Re-Evaluation

ABSTRACTHistorians have variously condemned British Foreign Secretary Sir Edward Grey for contributing to the escalation of the July Crisis of 1914, and praised him as an heroic advocate of peace. Addressing this conundrum, this article first assesses historiographical debates around the significance of Grey's policy towards Germany in the events that led to the outbreak of the First World War. It then traces Grey's foreign policy vis-à-vis Germany on the one hand, and the Entente on the other. Finally, it provides an innovative analysis of Grey's policy from the vantage point of Berlin, arguing that in July 1914 decisions taken by the governments of other countries escalated the crisis and were taken regardless of Grey's position. The article concludes that current historiography overestimates British agency in July 1914 and that Grey was not as important to the outcome of the crisis as both his critics and his defenders have claimed. His actions could not change the minds of those on the continent who were bent on war.

Service and Advocacy: Matters of Faith?

Service and Advocacy: Matters of Faith?

Exploring military social work from a social justice perspective

Calls to enhance military social work content in social work education present unique challenges for a discipline historically associated with social justice and advocacy for peace. The consequences of war demand intervention along multiple psychosocial domains. However, the question remains as to how social workers can address the discrepancies between social work values and military culture. This article argues that the context-bound nature of social work highlights the reciprocal relationship between macro and micro factors intrinsic to military issues. This provides a holistic understanding of the military system and can enhance educational content on military issues to include international perspectives.

Climate change, conflict and health.

Future climate change is predicted to diminish essential natural resource availability in many regions and perhaps globally. The resulting scarcity of water, food and livelihoods could lead to increasingly desperate populations that challenge governments, enhancing the risk of intra- and interstate conflict. Defence establishments and some political scientists view climate change as a potential threat to peace. While the medical literature increasingly recognises climate change as a fundamental health risk, the dimension of climate change-associated conflict has so far received little attention, despite its profound health implications. Many analysts link climate change with a heightened risk of conflict via causal pathways which involve diminishing or changing resource availability. Plausible consequences include: increased frequency of civil conflict in developing countries; terrorism, asymmetric warfare, state failure; and major regional conflicts. The medical understanding of these threats is inadequate, given the scale of health implications. The medical and public health communities have often been reluctant to interpret conflict as a health issue. However, at times, medical workers have proven powerful and effective peace advocates, most notably with regard to nuclear disarmament. The public is more motivated to mitigate climate change when it is framed as a health issue. Improved medical understanding of the association between climate change and conflict could strengthen mitigation efforts and increase cooperation to cope with the climate change that is now inevitable.

European Peace Advocates and the Great War: Prevention, Protest, Resignation, and Resistance

This article presents an overview of pre‐1914 efforts to avoid what was expected to be a huge conflagration that would destroy Europe, with particular focus on the development of differing gender approaches to preventing Armageddon.

The Dynamics of Transnational Activism: The International Peace Congresses, 1843–51

Between 1843 and 1851, ‘friends of peace’ - as they called themselves - organised five large-scale peace congresses to bring together the advocates of international peace in Europe and the United S...

A Peaceable Hope: Contesting Violent Eschatology in New Testament Narratives by David J. Neville

There is a discrepancy at the heart of the New Testament. Briefly stated the discrepancy is this: although the canonical Gospels present a fairly uniform picture of Jesus as an advocate of peace and practitioner of nonretaliation, certain texts within these same Gospels and in other parts of the New Testament apparently anticipate a future arrival, or parousia, of a violent avenger. The same Jesus who blesses peacemakers, teaches nonretaliation, and responds non-violently to violence directed against himself is nevertheless associated with end-time vengeance.

‘An extremely dangerous book’? James Hope Moulton's Religions and Religion (1913)

On 4 April 1917 the British steamship SS City of Paris was torpedoed by a German submarine in the Gulf of Lions, and sank with considerable loss of life. Among the passengers was the Wesleyan Methodist scholar James Hope Moulton.’ Paying tribute to his friend and colleague,Arthur Samuel Peake recorded the ‘tragic irony’ of the death under such circumstances of an eloquent advocate of peace and of a scholar whose international reputation in New Testament studies was signalled by plaudits from Harnack, a doctorate from the University of Berlin and a longstanding academic friendship with Adolf Deissmann. Moulton, however, was more than a New Testament scholar. His presence in the Mediterranean in the spring of 1917 came about through his expertise in the history and thought of Zoroastrianism, which had taken him to India for eighteen months’ work with the Parsee community under the auspices of the Indian YMCA.

Exploring the ethical dilemma of integrating social work values and military social work practice.

Social workers often encounter situations in which they are required to function in systems where competing philosophies coexist. One example is the divergent philosophies of social work and the military. Throughout its history, social work has advocated peace as an essential means to achieving social and economic justice. At the same time, professional social workers have been an integral part of the military system dating back to World War I, when social workers joined forces with the Red Cross to treat victims of “shell shock” (Council on Social Work Education [CSWE], 2010). Currently, the Veterans Administration is the nations' largest employer of professional social workers and provider of graduate internships (NASW, 2012). Defining an ethical dilemma as “a predicament in which the decision-maker must choose between two options of near or equal value,” Tallant and Ryberg (2000, para. 9) posited that military social workers may be forced to choose between the military mission and their client. This dilemma exemplifies the paradox of the social worker within the military system. In recent years, CSWE has called for enhancing content on military practice in social work curricula. Although cautioning that it is not endorsing “war or aggression,” CSWE has argued that increasing students' capacity to work with veterans will establish social workers as leaders in military care and secure future employment opportunities (CSWE, 2010, p. 2). However, discrepancies between the culture and philosophy of the military system and the social work profession warrant further discussion. The juxtaposition between the profession's advocacy for peace and the call for greater military content in social work education presents an ethical dilemma regarding how these disparate positions can be reconciled within social work pedagogy.

Strategic Planning Guidelines

The Arab Organization for mediation and conflict resolution was established two years ago, and it specialized in the mediation and conflict resolution through the intervention in ending conflicts and resolve or minimize the damage resulting from the conflict in the Middle East. It is an Arab committee of volunteer; it pops up from sub-committees of the Arab peace advocates of individuals and humanitarian institutions. This study will illustrate and demonstrate the strategic plan for the Arab Organization for Mediation and Conflict Resolution. Moreover, it will explain the mission of the organization, and how the strategic planning process that has been conducted to serve the organization's and the stakeholder's vision.

The voice of the innocent: propaganda and childhood testimonies of war

Childhood testimonies have become a familiar component of war reporting and peace advocacy through the publication of children’s drawings, oral descriptions of wartime trauma and wartime writing. While such practices have the merit of publicising children’s experiences, it is also the case that the selection and distribution of these materials is often done with political intent. The present paper examines the production conditions behind three cases of childhood testimony from the Algerian War of Independence. Based on interviews with actors from the war period and on-site archival research conducted in 2011–2012, this paper investigates several documents produced by children and published by networks affiliated or sympathetic to the National Liberation Front (FLN) during the war. As well as analysing the content of these documents, we look at how and where they were produced, through what conduits they were published, and the stated aims of political actors involved in their publication.

W. T. Stead: newspaper revolutionary

Book synopsis: When William T Stead died on the Titanic in 1912, he was the most famous Englishman on board. He was one of the inventors of the modern tabloid newspaper. His advocacy of 'government by journalism' helped launch military campaigns. His expose of child prostitution in the 'Modern Babylon' of London raised the age of consent in 1885, yet his investigation got him thrown into jail. A campaigner for women's rights, he was unnerved by the rise of the New Woman. An advocate of World Peace, he promoted huge hikes in defence spending. A political radical and Christian, Stead was also a Spiritualist who took dictation from the dead. A mass of contradictions, he was a crucial figure in the history of the British press. This book of essays, marking the centenary of his death, seeks to recover the story of an extraordinary figure in late Victorian and Edwardian culture.

Contours of Pacificism: Ramsden Balmforth’s Advocacy of Peace in the Union of South Africa and Beyond

Among the many dimensions of Christian pacifism in South Africa which remain underexplored is the ministry of the Unitarian minister Ramsden Balmforth (1861-1941). For approximately four decades beginning shortly after his arrival in Cape Town in 1897, this Christian socialist devoted part of his time to efforts to promote peace both in southern Africa and on a broader, almost global, scale. It is argued that Balmforth was not at any time an absolute pacifist, and that the distinction between “pacifism” and “pacificism” which was advanced by inter alia the British historians A.J.P. Taylor and Martin Ceadel is particularly useful for interpreting Balmforth and placing him on the spectrum of positions with regard to the ethical defensibility of taking up arms.

The Kurdish question in the context of Turkey and Middle East politics: an interview with Noam Chomsky

This interview was conducted by Dilan Yildirim on January 22nd, 2013. Dilan Yildirim is a Ph.D. student in Anthropology at Harvard University, also pursuing a secondary degree in Critical Media Practice at the same university. Geographically located in the Kurdish-Qizilbash region of Turkey, her research is concerned with questions of political violence, state formation, insurgent politics, politics of space, landscapes of memory, narrative theory and visual anthropology. Dr. Noam Chomsky is one of the preeminent intellectuals of the United States and a worldrenowned linguist. A tireless advocate for peace, he has been writing about and fighting against U.S. imperial polices across the globe for the past four decades. He has been an important critical voice on Kurdish, Palestinian, and other struggles in the Middle East. The Forum editor and Journal editors wish to acknowledge his invaluable contribution to this forum.

The Niger Delta crisis and advocacy for peace by the Nigerian press: A content analysis of three Nigerian newspapers

The Niger Delta region of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has been embroiled in a protracted crisis over a decade now. The crisis is hinged on infrastructural deprivation of the people of the region by the Federal Government of Nigeria. As a result of the crisis, oil output dropped to 1.4mbpd as against 2.3mbpd in 2006 with the people of the region suffering untold socio-economic hardship. It is expected that the press could drive for peace through advocacy. To this end, therefore, this study set out to examine the editorial, advertorial and features content of three Nigerian newspapers The Guardian , The Punch and the Niger Delta Standard – with a view to finding out if content was directed towards advocacy for peace in the region. The period of study was July 2008 to June 2009. Measurement of news space was done in centimeters. Analysis revealed that advocacy for peace in the Niger Delta by the newspapers studied was abysmally shrift. Analysis further revealed that the newspapers reported more of the macabre and drama of the crisis than advocacy for peace in the region. It was therefore recommended that Nigerian newspapers should embrace the ideology of advocacy and use its kit to point out problems and solutions in the socio-political milieu. Key words : Advertorial, Crisis, Editorial, Media advocacy, Niger Delta, Nigerian Press

Der Atomkrieg vor der Wohnungstur: Eine Politikgeschichte der neuen Friedensbewegung in der Bundesrepublik 1970-1985

Der Atomkrieg vor der Wohnungstür explores how peace activists developed a strategy of political localization to convey the immediacy of the threats posed by militarization and nuclear weapons during the 1980s. In striking contrast to German peace advocates of the early twentieth century, who sought to influence the political tides by advising national political leaders, peace activists of the early to mid-1980s embraced and developed locally-focused (nahräumliche) political strategies to inform average citizens about the possibilities and consequences of nuclear war. The turn to local arenas represents more than an attempt to mobilize grassroots constituencies; it demonstrates peace activists’ efforts to transform institutionalized spatial arrangements and propose alternative geographies of war and politics. Schregel rightly notes that there was nothing self-evident about their turn to locally-oriented activism. Her textual analysis of a wide array of peace-oriented literature and publications makes a convincing case for the rescaling of peace politics and the emergence of a localized political optic through which the nuclear threat appeared to be close at hand, tangible and imminent.

Lucretia Mott's Heresy: Abolition and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America (review)

Reviewed by: Lucretia Mott's Heresy: Abolition and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America Ellen M. Ross Lucretia Mott's Heresy: Abolition and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America. By Carol Faulkner. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2011. vii + 291 pp. Notes, illustrations, and indexes. $45. The radical activist Lucretia Mott (1793-1880) was "a follower of heresy," a prophetic voice, unshakeable in her resolve to bring to reality a society predicated on the equality of all persons. She challenged American "orthodoxies" in matters of religion, politics, and moral practice by championing a myriad of interrelated reforms including abolition, a commitment to the free produce movement, women's rights, Indian rights, prison reform, temperance, opposition to capital punishment, and peace advocacy. Carol Faulkner's biography of Mott is enthralling in its rendering of the power and scope of Mott's reforming vision. Mott, a renowned orator and self-proclaimed non-conformist and follower of Jesus, criticized the "close relationship between American religion and slavery" (109). Proffering moral suasion as the most potent source of personal and social transformation, she fought for the heart of religion, calling for Christianity to come out of "churches and seminaries into daily life in order to transform the morals of the country" (112). Faulkner argues that among white abolitionists, "Mott was perhaps the earliest and most consistent proponent of immediate abolition and racial equality" (217). Sparked by the British Quaker Elizabeth Heyrick's "Immediate, Not Gradual Emancipation" (published in Philadelphia in 1824), Mott's conversion to immediate abolition predated even William Lloyd Garrison's. Mott was, Faulkner argues, "in the interracial vanguard in the anti-slavery movement" (4); her "racial egalitarianism made her unusual even among fellow abolitionists" (218). Consideration of Mott, an original voice in the transatlantic women's rights movement, suggests that the history of early feminism is more complex and racially egalitarian than generally acknowledged (216). Histories of the women's movement too frequently document only the tensions between feminists and abolitionists, while overlooking the views of thinkers like Mott for whom advocacy for women's rights was inseparably linked to other social issues. For Mott, [End Page 37] "feminism must include racial equality" (4) and women's rights were "a logical extension of interconnected humanitarian concerns" (5). A multitude of fascinating subplots are skillfully woven throughout Lucretia Mott's Heresy including the narration of Mott's complicated relationship to the Society of Friends from her first public ministry in 1818 at 12th Street Monthly meeting through her last public appearance at the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting in 1880. Among other themes, Faulkner chronicles the thirty-six year history of the Philadelphia Female Anti-Slavery Society from its founding by Mott and others in 1833 as an organization focused on ending slavery and racial prejudice, to its post-Civil War identity as an organization advocating universal male suffrage and the integration of the Philadelphia railway lines. Faulkner delineates Lucretia Mott's significant role in local and national reform conventions from the late 1830s through the1870s. And she offers an intimate portrayal of the family connections and friendships that shaped and sustained Mott over the years. Faulkner's last chapter chronicles Mott's involvement with the Universal Peace Union and her role in founding the Pennsylvania Peace Society in 1866. Mott emerges as a visionary leader in American peace history. An eloquent orator and indefatigable activist, Mott worked with an astonishing number of organizations and individuals throughout her long life. Narrative encounter with a reformer as radical, influential, and multifaceted as Lucretia Mott may inspire some readers to reflect on their own activism. As this history of American radical social reform becomes part of public discourse, we expand our possibilities as individuals and as communities, to understand, and even to imagine and live out alternatives to our dominant cultural milieu. Carol Faulkner's meticulously researched and elegantly written book is a pleasure to read. It will be appreciated by subject area specialists, social activists, and by general readers, and is an excellent choice for undergraduate and graduate courses in history, peace and conflict studies, gender studies, and religion. [End Page 38] Ellen M. Ross Swarthmore College Copyright © 2012 Friends Historical Association