Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice -

About Multifaith Voices for Peace and Justice (MVPJ)

We come together from many diverse faith communities and spiritual traditions to put our convictions into action by saying NO to war and YES to peace and justice.

GATHER...

...to call upon our government to cease its focus on war, militarism and armaments, and to focus its energy and resources on peaceful resolution, diplomacy, international cooperation, and the well-being of all creation.

...to call upon our government to defend civil liberties and human rights at home and strengthen the values that our nation professes: equality, diversity, liberty, tolerance, human dignity, and justice for all.

...to insist that war is a moral, ethical and religious issue involving matters of life and death for children, youth and adults who all share our common humanity.

As people of faith we are compelled in this critical time to commit our spirits, voices, hearts and actions to the cause of justice and peace on earth.

ACT...

We are committed to nonviolent action for peace and justice. We will walk and talk, pray and act in the manner of love, for God is love.
We seek to win over our opponents in truth and love, never to humiliate or defeat them. Affirming that every human being has inherent worth and is a child of God, we refuse to hate or condemn any person or group of persons, even as we oppose and condemn forces and actions of violence and injustice.
We pray, speak and act for the well-being of all people. Members of our own armed forces and the armed forces of all nations will be respected. It is in part on their behalf and for their safety that we say NO to war.
We will stand in solidarity with individuals or groups whose civil rights or human rights are violated. We will not be silent.
We ground ourselves in the core teachings and practices of peace and justice in our own faith tradition. From these sources we gain strength, wisdom, courage and compassion for all.
We come from diverse faiths; therefore, our words and actions will be diverse. Our activities may range from meditation and prayer vigils to political action, and, if discerned necessary, include acts of civil disobedience. Each of us will participate according to our own conscience. We respect, celebrate and learn from this diversity.

We base all our thoughts and prayers, words and actions on the conviction that only love will overcome hatred, only justice will lead to peace, and as people of faith we are called to build a just and peaceful world.

Participating Congregations and Organizations*:

*What does “participating” mean? MVPJ, as a multifaith organization, is intrinsically diverse. Coming from different faiths and spiritual traditions, we will not all agree on everything! In response to a concern about justice or peace, some will feel called to pray, some to study, some to speak, some to act. Our programs and activities have ranged from prayer gatherings to protests, from meeting with elected officials to making public statements, from studies, panels and teach-ins to visible actions of solidarity. Some members have been called to engage in peaceful civil disobedience. We encourage “participating” congregations, organizations and individuals to participate when these programs align with their own values and sense of call, understanding and respecting that not all of our programs feel appropriate for everyone. We celebrate that diversity and learn from it how to live together in peace with justice, even when we disagree. Our programs and statements are offered only on behalf of our steering committee, and do not pretend to represent consensus from the rich, beautiful array of religious and spiritual traditions who join us in the larger, sacred journey of seeking peace and justice.

Muslim & Jewish Mothers' Prayer for Life and Peace

Prayer of Mothers for Life and Peace
by Sheikha Ibtisam and Rabbi Tamar Elad-Appelbaum

God of Life
Who heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds
May it be your will to hear the prayer of mothers
For you did not create us to kill each other
Nor to live in fear, anger or hatred in your world
But rather you have created us so we can grant permission to one another to sanctify
Your name of Life, your name of Peace in this world. ...

Click here to read the full prayer on a PDF with more information about the authors.

Click here to visit the Open Siddur Project webpage and read the prayer in Arabic, Hebrew and German.

Let Us Heal

Let Us Heal
by Naiel Chaudry

It is hard to unsee after having seen
Such a painful unforgettable scene

Families being separated and shaken
Children in their mothers arms, being taken

Hearing their calls for help and screams
Watching their teary eyes and broken dreams

They were left with no choice but to give in
This battle for freedom they could not win

I remember the day that led to today
We lost our American soul that day

With a vicious stroke of a powerful pen
Lives were changed of muslim women and men

That is what led to our nation's heartbreak
It was for sure not a trivial mistake

They were left with no choice but to give in
This battle for freedom they could not win

MLK's dream had long been shattered
As if his people had never really mattered

The departed souls leaving behind sadness
All because of someone's raging madness

I walked with hundreds at a rally and cried
For what happened has left us all horrified

They were left with no choice but to give in
This battle for freedom they could not win

As we stand here today, closing one door
We are left with the choice of peace or war

Let us start this new year hand in hand
As we heal ourselves and our beautiful land

MVPJ's History

Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice formed as an organization in early 2003 after a December 2002 Interfaith Peace Vigil in response to the then threat of war against Iraq. Click here to download a PDF of our 15 years of history.
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Resources for Challenging Times

We are collecting helpful resources from other organizations.

Here are some we have found so far:

Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Resource Guide - Great resource from Southern Poverty Law Center.

Do's and Don'ts for Bystander Intervention - A one page list of important guidelines from the American Friends Service Committee (a Quaker organization).

Contact Us!

Email:
info@multifaithpeace.org

Mailing Address:
Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice
c/o First Presbyterian Church
1140 Cowper St., Palo Alto, 94301

Donations:
Please make tax-deductible donations to First Presbyterian Church indicating "Multifaith Voices for Peace & Justice" in the memo line. Thank you!

Nuclear Prayer Day Aug 6: Reflection, Hope, Action

On August 6, 1945, at 8:15 AM, the first atomic bomb was dropped by the US Air Force on the people of Hiroshima, Japan. On August 9th at 11:15 AM the second atomic bomb was dropped on the people of Nagasaki. The magnitude of death and destruction made clear that nuclear weapons must never be used again.

Yet, since then, the potential for nuclear catastrophe has grown to an unimaginable scale. This August 6th, on the 79th anniversary of that horrific tragedy, people around the world will be joining in prayer for a future free from the threat of nuclear weapons. You and/or your faith community are encouraged to join this global community of prayer! Prayers and prayer gatherings are invited throughout the days before and after August 6th. Click here for more information.

One possible prayer for a world free of nuclear weapons is offered by the sponsoring organization VOICES, part of the United Religions Initiative. Click here to download. This prayer is also available in many different languages here on the URI website. (Use the "Select a Language" option in the top right side of the webpage.) Feel free to use another such prayer, perhaps one of your or your group's own designs, and share this prayer when you drop your pin on this interactive map.

This Nuclear Prayer Day is hosted by VOICES, a part of the United Religions Initative.
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