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Become a Spiritual Activist: End Prejudice, Demonstrate Peace
BY TRISH HALL The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the Unit - ed Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate September 21st as its annu - al commemoration — a 24-hour period of non-violence and cease-fire for groups in active combat. Through the years it has been realized that “active combat” is not lim - ited to war zones. Active combat is experienced in cities and country - sides aroused by fear, avarice, racism and other prejudices, politics, and contrasting ideologies. The origin of the World Day of Peace can be traced back to 1967 when Pope Paul VI established it as a feast day of the Catholic Church. It was designated as a day of universal peace devoted to commemorat - ing and strengthening the ideals of peace both within and among all nations and peoples. It has come to be a time to actualize those ideals — to promote and maintain peace. The United Nations also celebrates the International Day of Living Together in Peace, annually on May 16th, to stir individuals to mo - bilize efforts within the international community to promote peace, tolerance, inclusion, understanding and solidarity. Imagine people of all nations, cultures, religions, and backgrounds working side by side in harmony. The power of imagination has been the root of social change throughout the ages; however, if left solely in the imaginative realm, nothing happens. Change happens when our imagination inspires us to action — action that is uniquely our own — action that uproots us from our complacency and calls us each to use our Divinely imbued skills and abilities to support our world in rising out of violence into peace. Some people who describe themselves as peace advocates have dif- ficulty wrapping around the notion they can be both a powerful pres - ence for peace and be an activist. Jesus was a Love activist — He came to teach love, and He was an unwavering stand for what he believed. An activist is merely someone who is willing to stand by and for his/her values and beliefs. It is a willingness to engage on behalf of something that matters — equity, environment, health, welfare, edu- cation, to name just a few. Often that stand is taken vigorously, per- haps emphatically, and is the out-picturing of a passionate desire to do good. It can be extremely empowering. Why Spiritual Activism: Outward Expression of Inner Work Spiritual activism engages the power of spiritual consciousness and groundedness to guide individual actions. Spiritual activism takes myriad forms ranging from contemplative prayer to marching and picketing. How we each display our activism is as varied as humanity. Our shared common goal is to effect change based on spiritual princi - ples and values. The outward expression of our activism emerges from our inner work. Peace activists, generally, lean toward pacifism, choosing nonvio - lent methods to prevent or end violent conflicts, to end non-demo - cratic rule, and to dissolve prejudices such as racism, homophobia, and gender biases. Spiritual activists, many of whom are peace activ- ists, use peaceful means to achieve change. I am both. We express our views clearly, but succinctly and at a volume that doesn’t have others reaching for ear plugs. We avoid winding ourselves into a frenzy over things we can’t control. Instead, we draw on inner strength and guid - ance using attributes, such as our belief in the Oneness of all creation, Love as a universal principle, compassion and reciprocity, simplicity and optimism, harmony and humility, responsibility, and account- ability. We set the intention to be kind and considerate, and refrain from criticizing others. We join together to make the world a better place. We are drawn to like-minded people wherever we are and con- nect spontaneously. The question arises, why should I be an activist? Activism seeks to influence social and political outcomes by mobilizing citizens to take continued on page 38
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