Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute

Veterans for Peace (Chapter 27) Unveils the Legacy of Armistice Day

11/10/2023

Chapter 27 of Veterans for Peace is a dynamic and dedicated group of people in pursuit of lasting peace and social justice. As a part of the larger Veterans for Peace network, the Minneapolis chapter serves as a beacon of hope and activism within the local community. This organization is composed of veterans from diverse military backgrounds, alongside compassionate individuals who share their vision for a better world. They passionately advocate for non-violence, equity, and a more harmonious global society. Their dedication to peace and justice is deeply rooted in the collective experiences and profound insights gained through their service in the armed forces.

We invited Dave Logsdon, President of Veterans for Peace – Chapter 27, to share about why Veterans for Peace calls Nov. 11th, “Armistice Day.”

“After the horrific “Great War” in Europe, there was a tremendous peace movement in the US. This movement resulted in the creation and near unanimous passage of the Kellogg-Briand Pact in 1928, signed on by 85 nations. This pact outlawed war! The naming November 11th as Armistice Day came in the wake of this treaty in the 30’s. This was a day set aside to honor all who died in World War I, combatants and Non-combatants, by reflecting on the horror of war and committing to world peace.

In the 50’s, there was a push to change the name to Veterans Day, because purportedly, many WWII veterans thought of Armistice Day as a WWI remembrance only. With the name change came a gradual change in the nature of the day with an emphasis on anthems, patriotism, and growing glorification of war. Peace has been placed on the sidelines in present day remembrances.

In the early 90’s, our local chapter initiated a national movement to reclaim Armistice. One of our founding members, Steve McKeown, felt ringing bells 11 times instead of the 21 gun salute was a solemn way to honor the dead and reflect on the horrors of war. Remember that the Armistice in WWI was declared to begin at 11 AM on the 11th month and day in 1918.

Bell ringing has been a powerful tradition both in our local chapter and nationally. We ring our bells, some made by our members, not only at our annual Armistice Day ceremony at the wonderful Memorial on Victory Park Drive, but on Memorial Day and at the wakes of VFP members and fellow peacemakers. Many churches have also started and continued ringing church bells in remembrance.”

On Saturday, November 11th, 2023, Veterans For Peace will conduct its yearly Armistice Day remembrance service by ringing bells at 11:00 am honoring the Armistice which was signed on November 11, 1918 which was to be the war to end all wars.

This year they will gather at the World War 1 Victory Memorial Monument on Victory Memorial Drive (45th Ave N & Victory Memorial Drive-where Xerxes crosses) at 10:30 am.
All are welcome.

We invite you to explore and learn more about the Veterans for Peace - Chapter 27 by visiting their official website.

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Update from Crixell, ED: October 2023

10/31/2023

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As we say goodbye to October, it's time for an update from our Executive Director, Crixell, who will share how the month unfolded for Peacebuilding.

To begin, we'd like to share some data. So far this year, nearly 300 people have attended our 2-hour introductory trainings at no-cost. These numbers do not include attendees at our free monthly Peacebuilding Films, no-cost CTTT monthly gatherings, and numerous STAR-Lite and STAR scholarships granted this year. We are dedicated to making our trainings accessible to all and could not do this without our generous donors.

We have new Board Members! We'd like to welcome Lolita Davis Carter, Katey Pelican, Julie Rapacki, and Dawn Vogel as new members of the Peacebuilding board. We are honored that they have joined our organization to drive positive change in the Peacebuilding community.

Behind the scenes, we have been working on strategic planning for 2024, a website refresh, and so much more.

Lastly, we have an invite for you: our final 2-hour intro trainings of 2023 are just around the corner. We encourage you to sign up today so that you can learn about trauma awareness, restorative justice, self care for resilience , and talking circles before the year ends!

Thanks for your support!

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Update from Crixell, ED: September 2023

9/30/2023

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As September draws to a close, we'd like to provide a brief update on our organization.

📣 First and foremost, we are delighted to introduce Fran Balster, our new Administrative Assistant, who joined our team this past summer. We are thrilled to have her on board!

🌟 Additionally, this month marked the commencement of another session of our 38-hour, multi-day evidence-based program known as Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR). If you are interested in attending the next STAR session, please fill out this form.

✏ Lastly, we are welcoming three new "Upturns" from Wallin Education Partners this week. They will be joining our team for an 8-week period to lend their support to our marketing and communication endeavors.

We extend gratitude to our community for your dedication, support, commitment, and passion for peacebuilding. Your collective efforts are what propel our organization forward. Thank you!

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Third Places: Spaces to Connect and Create Memories

3/29/2023

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Strong social connection leads to a 50% increased chance of longevity. If we hope to lead a fulfilling life, we need to take care of our mental, physical and emotional wellbeing, and we need a space to do this. Not work, not home. A different place - A third place.

A Third Place refers to the social surroundings that are separate from the two usual social environments of home and work. Some examples of third places are parks, rec centers, libraries, gyms, churches, coffee shops, salons and restaurants. Third places can also exist online: chat rooms, online support groups, and social media – allowing us to connect with people from all over the world.

These spaces are not only for people to “get away”, but they are also locations where we can share ideas, make memories, build relationships and have a good time.

Post-pandemic, it was reported that 36% of Americans regularly experience serious loneliness. Human beings are social creatures by nature; we evolved to work and live together, to support one another and share ideas to survive and thrive.

While the need for meaningful connections with other members of our community is greater now than ever before, there are existing issues surrounding access to third places.

In some areas, such as the suburbs, Americans are required to be increasingly dependent on cars for everyday tasks. While malls and box stores have become more prevalent, small businesses and public gathering spots have been crowded out (while it’s worth noting sometimes malls, restaurants --including fast food spots-- and other commercial spaces are cherished third places).

For those who find themselves with little extra money after their living expenses, being able to use third places in the community that cost money can be a very real barrier.

In essence, it’s important that all communities have accessible, low cost or free safe and welcoming spaces where community members can make memories and develop bonds. Third places are more important than ever for connection, enjoyment and fun.

What is your third place and what do you love about it? Is it free or do you have to pay to use it? Please share in the comments, they deserve acknowledgement!

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How To Show Up For Someone Who is Experiencing Grief

2/15/2023

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A Peacebuilding community member shared these words after experiencing a loss:

"Twenty-five years after our teenage son died of cancer, we still remember the kind words and acts of family, friends, and acquaintances. Even the smallest gesture still resonates today. I share this to encourage you. You may fear saying the wrong thing, but saying something always beats saying nothing at all. Here are a few words of advice on what to say to someone who’s grieving:

Say something. Show up: A handwritten note. Dropping off an easy-to-prepare meal. Attending the memorial. Sharing a memory of the deceased. However expressed, your personal contribution will be felt.

Just listen: Give the mourner space to express their feelings openly. They may or may not feel comfortable doing this, and you may face an awkward silence or tears. It’s OK. It’s important to acknowledge their feelings and share, however briefly, in their pain.

Let grief be: Don’t try to make it go away with cliched phrases like “time will heal.” Nor is it time to offer suggestions like a good therapist or your favorite sleep aids. Your greatest gift is just being there to give emotional support.

Check in: In the immediate aftermath of a death, families receive a lot of attention. But the world around them soon moves on. You can make a difference by continuing to offer your support in the months and years to come."

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Sarah Augustine's Story

11/18/2022

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Sarah Augustine has been steeped in this work for her entire life. Growing up in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she is Indigenous of Tewa descent. Her father was removed from his family at birth and grew up in Denver, Colorado—300 miles away from his people. “Child removal was one of the most effective ways to remove Indigenous people from their lands”, she reminds us, and is a part of the lasting legacy of the Doctrine of Discovery. There were 100 million Indigenous people in North America when colonization began in the 15th century; there are now between 2 and 6 million Indigenous people here. Sarah became involved in this work because, in her words, her whole life story has been framed by the removal of her father. Her father, who was born into poverty, grew up in a Catholic boy’s home that was racially segregated and required manual labor. He endured physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse. Due to the impacts of intergenerational trauma, Sarah grew up in a poor, violent, and chaotic environment—a story that is regrettably not uncommon among her people. Purposeful policies and laws have created these realities for Indigenous folks across the United States.

Sarah was the first person in her family to go to college and graduate school. She had a friend at church who began a job as an environmental advisor in South America, working with Indigenous people there who were impacted by gold mining. He felt uncomfortable with his work: he was extracting physical samples from the Indigenous people living there, but legally was not allowed to report any results back. He asked Sarah, who was trained in sociology, to come help him. During this process, an Indigenous elder told Sarah to either help, or to leave. Sarah described this interaction as one that has defined a large part of her life, and spurred her to continue building strong relationships with Indigenous peoples in South America and beyond.

Although the Doctrine of Discovery was created in 1823 as a legal framework for interpreting law, it has been an ongoing process that has defined realities for Indigenous peoples both historically and currently. As a doctrine created by the Catholic church, it has impacted Indigenous communities not only in the United States, but around the world. European countries wanted rules about who got to acquire a new territory, and the Doctrine of Discovery declared that the European state that first discovered a territory had a right to it—provided the land was “empty”, or not occupied by individuals who were ruled by a Christian monarch. In 2005, in City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation of New York, a Supreme Court case in which Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion, it was ruled that the Oneida peoples could not buy back land that had historically been taken from them because they had lost their sovereign right at the time of “discovery”. When the Doctrine of Discovery was defined in US precedent, it was stated that Indigenous people were fairly and adequately compensated for their land because they had gained access to civilization and Christianity.

On Wednesday, November 16, 2022 from 7:00-8:30pm CST, Sarah and her colleague Katerina Gea will discuss what the Doctrine of Discovery is, what the coalition and national campaigns are doing to dismantle it, and what the role of the Christian church has been in creating, emboldening, and strengthening it. Considering that the church was a driving force in developing the Doctrine of Discovery, Sarah states that they have an obligation to help undo its lasting impacts as well. We hope to see you there as we gather together to find opportunities to get involved in the movement and imagine a new way forward. Whether you are inside or outside of the organized church, working together to dismantle the Doctrine of Discovery is peacebuilding. Come be a part of the solution either in-person in Minneapolis or virtually.

The Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery: The Land is Not Empty with Sarah Augustine event was held on Wednesday, November 16th, 2022, in person at Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis, and virtually.

Sarah Augustine, Executive Director of the national Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition and author of The Land is Not Empty: Following Jesus in Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery went beyond identifying the problems of racism, colonialism, hate and discrimination, and shared strategies to take a decolonized approach to anti-racism.

The event was joyfully sponsored by Calvary Baptist Church, Faith Mennonite Church, Showing Up for Racial Justice Faith, and Minnesota Peacebuilding Leadership Institute.

You can find the recording of the event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxfxrnUDLH0

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The Importance of Self-Care During the Holiday Season: Strategies for Creating Peace Amidst Stress

11/9/2021

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If you’re feeling drained by everything that has happened in the past year and half, you’re not alone. A study done by the American Psychological Association showed that our sleep patterns are altered, our eating habits have changed, our mental health is impacted, and now--on top of all of that--we’ve been tasked with learning to adjust to living in a drastically changed society. There’s no denying it: we are living through a period of intense turmoil and it is causing unprecedented amounts of stress in our lives.

Now the holiday season is rapidly approaching, with all its joys and struggles. Although it may seem like a small issue in comparison to everything we’ve been through, holiday stress is nothing to brush off. Cooking, baking, shopping, cleaning, and decorating, although often fun activities, can put pressure on us. Not to mention all the visitors during the holiday season! Many of us may have complex or difficult family relationships that must be navigated during this time period as well.

Holiday stress with a backdrop of societal unrest and pandemic may seem like too much to manage, but that’s where self-care comes in. Using self-care tactics isn’t just a self-indulgent way to create warm and fuzzy feelings this holiday season. Self-care is an important and intentional way of creating space in our lives to rest, relax, and rejuvenate. And although that may seem like a difficult task in the midst of the holiday rush, it is in the best interest of all of us to take a moment to brush up on our skills for managing stress and maintaining inner peace during this season.

Join Peacebuilding in taking a Peacebuilding Pause and carving out some time to fill out the attached Holiday Self-Care and Resilience Worksheet. We hope it helps you brainstorm some ideas for getting the most out of the holiday season with the least amount of stress. Happy holidays!

Peacebuilding_Holiday_Self-Care_Worksheet.pdf
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Investing in a Larger Vision: Peacebuilding with Tabitha Montgomery of Powerhorn Park Neighborhood Association

7/2/2021

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In this Spotlight on Community Peacebuilding, we are happy to highlight Tabitha Montgomery, Executive Director of Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association (PPNA). Tabitha is a leader who brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the job. Although this is her first professional career in a nonprofit space, her passion for mission-centered work, focus on improving broadly defined community health, and emphasis on economic and community development make her an exemplary fit for the position. Her organization works on highlighting needs within the neighborhood—including issues such as housing concerns, livability and safety, and environmental justice—and then advocating and championing for resources for the community, including leveraging events and other services to build connection.

Tabitha sees Peacebuilding’s work as absolutely essential to the communities in her neighborhood. We focus on issues of trauma awareness, racial healing, resilience, and restorative justice through a lens that prioritizes concepts such as truth-telling, acknowledging people’s humanity and stories, and repairing harm and meeting needs in a way that creates authentic justice. She believes communities are craving new approaches that facilitate, establish, and maintain community health in a way that focuses on developing and strengthening relationships instead of being expedient. In her opinion, we need a redirection towards authentically meeting needs and putting in the work to create long-term solutions. Resilience, trauma healing, and restorative justice develop deeper muscles and skills to be in relationship with one another in ways that don’t rush. “It’s not a binary track,” Tabitha says, “but the idea of creating an ecosystem of people and tools and systems. It’s not just investing in one system, but investing in the larger vision.” This vision builds community at the speed of trust. This is Peacebuilding.

Tabitha’s vision for her neighborhood includes providing opportunities for people to think deeper about how they can contribute—what they can offer, what skills they have, and what they care about—in a sustainable way. She imagines a community in which it is not just one group of people or one organization, but a collaborating collective that gives part of themselves to create something larger. She wants to develop more pathways for people to do that, including giving people time and resources to contribute to the world in a way that does not take away from their ability to care for themselves or their loved ones.

Furthermore, Tabitha believes in the power of sharing—a simple act of giving something without being sure how the other person will use it. She seeks to meet each person on their path and does not believe that being dismissive or resigning to stay stuck in frustration are acceptable tactics. She says we must not allow our belief systems, indignation, or passion to preclude others in community from being seen and heard in a way that allows them to meet us on this journey. Nor does she believe that the end goal is homogeneity—instead, she believes in adapting and adjusting belief systems to practice deep listening and utilize informed, empathetic approaches towards the creation of genuine solutions that strengthen the whole neighborhood.

We are grateful for the peacebuilding leadership Tabitha shares and practices. We are glad to be on this journey with her, PPNA residents, and other Minneapolitans as together we transform trauma into nonviolent power to repair, restore, and renew Minneapolis peace by peace.

Join us at an upcoming training! Learn more here.

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Imagining a New Way of Being Through STAR: Community Spotlight on Sonja Fernandez-Quiñones

7/2/2021

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Sonja was born and raised in Puerto Rico. She has an undergraduate degree in political science as well as a law degree. After graduating from law school, she and her husband came to the Twin Cities for a couple months before moving here permanently in April 2017. She has worked on a variety of projects, including legal writing, research, and content creation. She is also involved in a digital magazine in Spanish for which she is the editor. As of November 2020, Sonja has been the Systems Change Advocate at the Sexual Violence Center. She coordinates with the Hennepin County Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Action Response Team. This team, which is made up of law enforcement, prosecutors, nurses, and victims’ services providers, comes together to figure out how to make a victim’s experience as smooth and painless as possible as they move through the system. She also works 1-1 with clients as an advocate, making referrals, providing counseling, and assisting survivors in navigating the system.
It was a long journey to STAR for Sonja. After meeting an individual at a protest in 2019, she reconnected with him after the murder of George Floyd in May 2020 and was invited into conversations around restorative justice and grassroots organizing. Several people in these conversations had attended STAR and spoke highly of the training. When Sonja started working at the Sexual Violence Center, she began having conversations with her coworkers and supervisors about the implementation of restorative justice. The Executive Director and program manager agreed to sponsor her to take STAR. They saw how many survivors don’t want to go through the regular retributive justice system and needed ways of healing beyond prosecution.
For Sonja, the most transformative part of STAR was embracing the process and allowing it to change her. Tapping into trauma, learning about the cycles of violence, and applying the strategies to break free were all relevant not only to her work with sexual assault survivors but also to her personal life. She learned her reactions are normal and that there is a “possibility of a life past trauma”. STAR gave her hope for herself and for other people—for communal and transgenerational healing.
She believes we are currently at a turning point. The systems are showing cracks and falling apart. In her view, the teachings of STAR are pivotal for this moment. What are we going to build after the system crumbles? How do we move forward? How do we find different ways of healing and coping that don’t rely on demonizing and punishing others? STAR offers a foundation for imagining a new way of being in relationship with each other that generates and creates healthy power for personal and structural transformation.
Sonja is excited to be on Peacebuilding’s board. She looks forward to helping promote STAR and spread the word about Peacebuilding through creating new relationships and building bridges.

Learn more about Peacebuilding's 2-hour, 8-hour, and 38-hour STAR offerings here!

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The Origins of the Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) Training: A Conversation with Carolyn Yoder

7/2/2021

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Carolyn Yoder MA, LPC was one of the individuals who developed the Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience training (STAR). STAR was instigated at a time when the United States was still shocked and reeling from the attacks of September 11, 2001. Funded with a $2,000,000 grant from the Church World Service in New York City, they realized the needs were different with the 9/11 tragedy. As a nation that was deeply impacted by this horrific event on a large scale, we needed a transformative method of addressing psychological trauma, finding meaning, and working toward healing without demonizing others. Amidst the aftermath, STAR was initially created as a one-week training for community leaders and caregivers. People from around the world attended—community members, chaplains, mental health personnel, and medical staff. STAR’s aim was to equip these individuals with the knowledge and skills that would help heal their communities.

The vision for STAR from the very beginning was to expand our understanding of trauma’s harmful impact beyond the individual. STAR also looks at the effect of trauma on communities, groups, and nations. It includes historical, generational, cultural, and structural trauma. The goal was for trainees to learn a new, deeper understanding of psychological trauma. First, STAR offers an understanding that trauma is a normal physical response to frightening situations, and that it impacts the body as well as the mind. Second, STAR trainees learn that trauma is something each and every one of us can address—no special educational degrees are required. When we recognize the signs of trauma—us vs. them stories, redemptive violence narratives, good vs. evil language, etc.—we can step back and address the situation through a healing lens that builds resilience. And third, STAR tells us that there are tools and strategies that can make a difference right now. We can address root causes, learn self-regulation skills, and engage in restorative practices to address community as well as individual trauma. At the end of the first STAR training, trainees were hopeful and empowered. The results were not only gratifying, but extremely clear: what STAR offers could help people in new and different ways.

Right now, we are living in a time of collective trauma. There is not a single person who isn’t affected by what is happening with COVID-19 and racialized trauma, which means we have all the more reason to use a community-oriented approach. It is more important than ever to have restorative justice-focused strategies to address trauma and transform conflict. We need to go deeper than simply looking at our struggles as a mental health challenge; we need new ways of understanding each other and addressing the situations in which we find ourselves. The collective trauma we’re living through is creating polarization, isolation, and suffering. We can either add to the pain and wounds of the world, or we can be what Carolyn calls “agents of calm” to transform psychological trauma into nonviolent power with positive, productive alternatives to revenge within our spheres of influence. We have the opportunity to use STAR concepts and skills to calm ourselves to think creatively and clearly, accessing deep wisdom and healing as a collective for positive structural change.

Join us at an upcoming STAR training! Learn more here.

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<<Previous

Veterans for Peace (Chapter 27) Unveils the Legacy of Armistice Day

Update from Crixell, ED: October 2023

Update from Crixell, ED: September 2023

Third Places: Spaces to Connect and Create Memories

How To Show Up For Someone Who is Experiencing Grief

Sarah Augustine's Story

The Importance of Self-Care During the Holiday Season: Strategies for Creating Peace Amidst Stress

Investing in a Larger Vision: Peacebuilding with Tabitha Montgomery of Powerhorn Park Neighborhood Association

Imagining a New Way of Being Through STAR: Community Spotlight on Sonja Fernandez-Quiñones

The Origins of the Strategies for Trauma Awareness and Resilience (STAR) Training: A Conversation with Carolyn Yoder

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