International Day for Prayer for Peace and Youth Network
an article by Beatrice Mukhtar Mamuzi

Greetings form the World Council of Churches (WCC). My name is Beatrice Mukhtar Mamuzi. I work at WCC in the area of Spirituality and Worship in an Ecumenical Context. I also work with the Decade to Overcome Violence (DOV).

I am writing to you because the DOV is currently preparing for the International Day for Prayer for Peace in September 21st The International Day for Prayer for Peace was and still is the United Nations Initiative. And the WCC joined this initiative to encourage churches to be in Spirit of prayer with those who face Violence in their daily life. Please visit our web-site which contains details of the Annual Focus and Resource for Worship.

We have churches who have committed themselves to pray on that day. As well as other Ecumenical Groups worldwide There is also a Peace Youth Network which was established few months ago to motivate young people to pray together with the others.

Therefore, the DOV would like to urge all of the network of CPNN to organize a prayer on that day and send us the names of the churches and other ecumenical gathering so we can put them on the WCC website. Thank you very much for your time and cooperation as I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Here is the famous prayer of St Francis of Assisi which is on this year's poster.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek
to be consoled as to console;
to be understood as to understand;
to be loved as to love.
For it is in giving that we receive;
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen

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How are you celebrating Peace Day?


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MAKING AN EFFECTIVE PEACE MOVEMENT

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Participants in the International Day of Prayer for Peace have received the following letter from the World Council of Churches:

The International Day of Prayer for Peace (IDPP) 2007 was a special day around the world. On the 21 alone, people from about 50 countries visited our web page to find information and probably prayers. You have contributed to this day by observing it in your community and we want to thank you for your efforts and commitment. Thank you to all of you who have gone through the trouble of letting us know what you and your church or community is doing! This is greatly appreciated and will encourage others next year.

There is evidence that an increasing number of people, communities, churches and networks around the world are observing the International Day of Peace (UN) and the International Day of Prayer for Peace (WCC) http://overcomingviolence.org/about-d....e.html As the people who believe that peace is possible get together and pray, as they work for peace and justice, the momentum grows so that leaders and political powers begin to pay attention. Always remember that it was the perseverance of people, not least in churches, who brought apartheid to end and the Berlin wall to tumble.

A sign, discovered last week by the Living Letters team to the US reads: When the people lead the leaders will follow. This is what the International Day of Peace is about.. . ...more.

This report was posted on August 24, 2007. The moderator is CPNN Administrator.

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