Let us transform this day into one of peace and community building.

Thursday, Sept. 11th, 5:30-7:30pm
James P. McEntee County Plaza, 70 West Hedding St., San Jose

The ability to make our country safe, secure, peaceful and harmonious lies in our own hands. 

Let us walk together the path Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. paved for us.  Together we can build a beloved, inclusive and peaceful world.

American Muslim Voice, Friends of Human Relations of Santa Clara County, multifaith groups including Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice, community organizations and County Supervisor Dave Cortese invite you to this annual Peace Picnic. 

Enjoy a multifaith service, children's performaces, a light dinner, peace dove release and candlelight vigil.  

There are now more than 20 local opportunities to participate in Campaign Nonviolence!  Click on each event for full information. Like us on Facebook by going to https://facebook.com/multifaithpeace.  Click here to learn more about how to get your congregation or organization involved.

Saturday, Sept. 20
International Day of Peace Vigil to launch week of Campaign Nonviolence, 6:30pm, Lytton Plaza, Palo Alto

Sunday, Sept. 21
CA Drought & Our Water Supply, Adult Forum, 9am, Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Poverty and Structural Violence, Adult Forum led by Joe Haletky, 9:15-10:15am, First Lutheran Church, Palo Alto

Nonviolence and Hebrew Sacred Texts, Adult Forum with Rabbi Sheldon Lewis, 11:15am, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto

Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises & a Revolution of Hope, Adult Spiritual Formation Class, 11:15am, First Baptist Church of Palo Alto

What if they gave a war and nobody came? Youth Workshop Exploring Conscientious Objection, 2 part series for ages 14-18, 12noon-2pm, First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto

Eco-Justice Class, Adult Forum with Rev. Dan Harper, 12:30pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, Palo Alto

"Climate Refugees" Film, 12:30pm, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Redwood City

"Peace in Our Streets" Sermon for the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, 9:30 & 11am worship service, Rev. Amy Zucker Morgenstern, preaching

Northern California People's Climate Rally, 2-5pm, Oakland Lake Merritt Park Amphitheater

Tuesday, Sept. 23
"Avoiding Needless Wars" Lecture by Dr. Martin Hellman, 7pm, Los Altos Library  Click here for flyer.

"John Brown's Body" at San Quentin Prison Film and Discussion with director and actors, 7pm, First Congregational Church. Click here to learn more about the film itself.

Guns and Violence in our Communities, Adult forum with East Palo Alto residents including their Chief of Police, a Seton school graduate and teacher, and a Catholic restorative justice representative - at St. Albert the Great Church, Palo Alto (click on event for updated details)

Wednesday, Sept. 24
Making a Safer Community for our Children, Adult Forum on gun safety with former mayor of Sunnyvale Tony Spitaleri, 7pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, Palo Alto

Friday, Sept. 26
Lockheed Martin Vigil Against WMD with peace activist Kathy Kelly, 12noon, Lockheed Martin, Sunnyvale

"Surviving Progress" Film, 7:30pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, Palo Alto

Saturday, Sept. 27
Harvest Festival, benefits Friends Committee on Legislation in CA with food, fun, and a veggie beauty contest! 9am-4pm, Friends Meeting House, Palo Alto

Sunday, Sept. 28
Poverty and Structural Violence, Adult Forum led by Joe Haletky, 9:15-10:15am, First Lutheran Church of Palo Alto

Worship with Peace Activist Kathy Kelly Preaching, 10:30am at First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto

Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises & a Revolution of Hope Adult Spiritual Formation Class, 11:15am, First Baptist Church of Palo Alto

Youth Workshop Exploring Conscientious Objection, second in 2 part series for ages 14-18, 12noon-2pm, First Presbyterian Church, Palo Alto

Eco-Justice for Kids, 11am, Unitarian Universalist Church, Palo Alto

"A Cubic Mile of Oil" Adult Forum, 12:15-2pm, Unitarian Universalist Church, Palo Alto

MVPJ Peace Potluck Picnic "Campaign Nonviolence: Another World Is Possible" - 4-6:30pm, First Congregational Church of Palo Alto. Featuring peace activist Kathy Kelly (just back from Afghanistan) as special speaker. We will share what we have learned and look to where we go next.

Since its founding in 2003, Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice has consisted of a small circle of clergy and laypeople who comprise its steering committee and plan peace events attended by a much larger audience.  Over time, members of the committee have felt the press of other obligations and reluctantly left the committee, and members of the audience have expressed interest in greater participation without serving on the steering committee.  So there exists a hitherto unrecognized circle of MVPJ supporters who feel themselves to be part of MVPJ despite no formal connection.

If you are one of these supporters, MVPJ invites you to acknowledge your relationship with us by joining The MVPJ Affiliates Circle. 

The primary requirements for membership in The MVPJ Affiliates Circle are a desire for closer involvement and a lack of time to become too involved.  This being the case, you may be assured that The MVPJ Affiliates Circle will have a yoke that is easy and a burden that is light (to use a scriptural phrase completely out of context).

Membership in The MVPJ Affiliates Circle will afford you the following benefits:

• You will be the first to know (outside the steering committee) of upcoming MVPJ-sponsored events.
• You will NOT be asked to do fundraising. MVPJ intends to remain a small organization with only volunteer staff and minimal expenses paid by donations at its events.
• You may be asked to contribute your scarce time and energy to put on a MVPJ event, for example, by hosting a visiting speaker, serving as a participant in an interfaith event, circulating publicity, or baking cookies. You are under no obligation to do any of these things - but if you cannot do so once or twice a year, you may want to re-think your role in The MVPJ Affiliates Circle.
• You may choose to be publicly recognized as a member of The MVPJ Affiliates Circle in MVPJ's literature and website, or you may choose to remain anonymous.
• You may at any time suggest topics and speakers for MVPJ events, or ask the steering committee if MVPJ will co-sponsor a peace event you are involved in.
• You will be invited to an annual brainstorming session with the steering committee to plan activities for the coming year (assuming our country continues to be at war or suffers domestic injustice, both of which seem likely).
• You will be informed of regular MVPJ steering committee meetings and are welcome to attend, especially if an upcoming event is one you want to be more involved in planning.
• You are welcome to invite others to join The MVPJ Affiliates Circle.

To join The MVPJ Affiliates Circle, just fill out the form below and we will contact you.

"Living for 32" is a film about the 32 people murdered in the tragic Virginia Tech Shooting, and the 32 people killed by guns every day in America.  Watch this documentary and join in a discussion led by Christopher R. Moylan, Sunnyvale council member who was key in getting the controversial Gun Control Measure C on the ballot - and PASSED!  Learn how we can pass Gun Control in our cities, too.

Sunday, August 24, 4-6pm
Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto, Fireside Room
505 E. Charleston Road, Palo Alto, 94306
Click here to download a flyer.

Click here to download a flyer for the International Day of Peace Candlelight Vigil on Saturday, Sept. 20.

Click here to download the most up-to-date flyer (for legal-size paper) listing all local Sept. 20-28 events.

Click here to download the most up-to-date flyer (standard 8.5" x 11" size) listing all local Sept. 20-28 events -- good for enlarging to poster size for your bulletin boards!

Click here to download the "Avoiding Needless Wars" flyer for Tuesday, Sept. 23 lecture.

Click here to download a flyer for the Harvest Festival on Sept. 27.

Click here to download the Campaign Nonviolence brochure.

Campaign Nonviolence events are also being planned in San Francisco and San Jose (and all 50 states, too).  Watch here for forthcoming information.  Nonviolence IS traveling, and as Gandhi said, it WILL become a miracle.  Become a part of the miracle!

First Day of Rosh Hashanah Speaker Rae Abileah (Code Pink) on Palestine/Israel Conflict: Thursday, Sept. 25, 9am-1pm Morning Service with Torah Reading, Teaching, and  Shofar Blowing at Beyt Tikkun Synagogue in Berkeley. Click here for location and details.

Paths to Just Peace with Kathy Kelly and Stephen Zunes: Friday, Sept. 26, 6pm at Unitarian Universalist Center in San Francisco.  Click here to download flyer with details.

Join Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice in
CAMPAIGN NONVIOLENCE!

Campaign Nonviolence now has actions taking place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, American Samoa, AND Palo Alto!  Join us!

Sign the Campain Nonviolence Pledge!

Plan to join the Candlelight Vigil in Palo Alto on Friday, Sept 20 to launch our local week of events.

Invite your congregation, community or organization to participate during the week of Sept. 21-28 with a forum, worship, prayer or action or by flying a Campaign Nonviolence banner.  Contact Diana Gibson (diana@multifaithpeace.org) for more information.

Click here to download a Campaign Nonviolence brochure.  

Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice is excited to join Campaign Nonviolence (CNV), inviting people of faith, conscience and good will to build a movement for peace, justice, and environmental healing. Campaign Nonviolence is endorsed by Nobel Peace Prize winners Desmond Tutu and Mairead Maguire, and the late civil rights leader Vincent Harding.  Beginning on September 21, the International Day of Peace, CNV will launch a nationwide week of study, action, and peaceful public witness, calling for concrete changes toward reversing the climate crisis, ending poverty and abolishing war.

MVPJ is encouraging and coordinating local groups to participate in CNV, each in their own way. During the week of September 20-28, many Peninsula congregations will spotlight concerns about peace, justice or environmental healing through  worship, prayers, forums, youth and adult education, film nights, and service or advocacy projects.  Topics chosen already range from climate change to gun control.  MVPJ will help communities with ideas and resources (films, speakers, material), publicity and media coverage, and we will host a peaceful public witness event at the end of the week. 

Will you join us? Contact Diana Gibson at diana@multifaithpeace.org for more details or to let us know how your faith community will be participating.