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6 things wrong with war
6 things right with peace
6 Alternatives to war and armed conflict
10 ways to say NO to war and YES to peace
10 ways to say NO to war and YES to peace
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Join a peace church (or other faith group that is committed to peace)
The Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches (the churches which started MCC) are peace churches. They believe that following Jesus means living by his way of peace, nonviolence and loving resistance. A peace church can help you connect Christian faith with peacemaking.
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Be a person of peace
There are a lot of violent and arrogant peace activists out there. Don’t be one of them. They harm the cause. Get some training in nonviolent conflict resolution and nonviolent direct action. Learn to confront violence and injustice lovingly. Pray that you become a person of peace.
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Become informed
Don’t believe everything you read and hear in the media. Learn about the deeper issues behind a conflict. Learn about different worldviews, cultures and faiths. Learn world history and geography. Subscribe to alternative media. Ask questions, be curious.
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Resist “good guy-bad guy” thinking.
Media and government like to portray our side as the “good guys” and the other side as the “bad guys.” Life just ain’t that simple. We might think that our side is acting out of noble motives, it often doesn’t look that way from the other side. Besides, the “bad guys” usually have legitimate reasons for being upset. Resist any kind of language that considers other people less than human. Speak up when you hear someone talk about “the bad guys.”
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Put yourself in another’s shoes
Learn to listen to people who disagree with you and to see a difficult situation from a variety of perspectives. Try to understand why some people are driven to violence and terrorism. Understanding does not mean that you condone or even accept their behaviour. But listening and understanding do help to develop peaceful responses to terrorism.
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Speak out
Wear a peace T-shirt or peace button. Talk to your family, friends, fellow students or work colleagues about why you oppose war. Write a letter to the editor to your local newspaper. Contact the Prime Minister (Canada) or President (U.S.) and your elected representative, saying that you oppose war and preparations for war. Tell them you would like your country to contribute more to alleviating poverty and injustice and less for military purposes.
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Vote for peace
Make peace an election issue. Whether in local, provincial/state, or national/federal elections, vote for candidates who support the nonviolent resolution of conflict. Encourage your mayor and city council to designate your community as a city for peace.
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Don’t enlist
The military wants you to believe that that military service is about helping people, building security, and preserving freedom. But ultimately armies are for fighting wars, and fighting wars means killing other people. So don’t enlist. There are better ways to serve your country – and, more importantly, humanity!
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Become a CO (conscientious objector)
CO’s are people who, because of reasons of faith or conscience, refuse to perform military service. In many countries where there is a draft or conscription, it is possible to register as a CO and thereby avoid military service. Often, some form of non-military alternatives service is required. Some people become CO’s after they have been in the military and learned what military service is really about. Some people register as CO’s, even where there is no conscription or draft. Learn more at Conscientious objection Canada and Conscientious objection US.
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Join a peace group
Find other folks who are also committed to peace and peacemaking. Work together to advance the cause of peace.
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For more information, check out these resources, commissioned by MCC
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