Global Peace Blitz
The war makers
must be stopped before they end the human adventure. Throughout history love of power has caused wars in every
generation and every part of the world. We must now replace the love of power with the power of love and end
our war habits -- or face extinction.
Today the United States military spends billions of dollars for devilish weapons and for war making. Had even
half of the money spent on ways to make skeletons of our enemies been spent on ways to make them our friends --
through the proven methods of non-violence, we would have no more wars. We could then focus our efforts on
providing a sustainable future for people and planet.
PEACEMAKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE!!
The only hope for the future is an all-out Peace Blitz -- a moral equivalent of World War II, that will provide a
contagious spread of peacemaking words and actions. We must make effective use of all we know regarding the
power of positive thinking, of prayer and the faith that works by love.
A key factor will be our success in getting attention in mass media. Actions good or bad begin in the mind.
A Peace Blitz policy in major newspapers and TV news programs would assure a global change in thinking and
actions.
UNITING EFFORTS FOR PEACE
How can the many who seek peace, justice and a sustainable future through understanding and good will come together
and have a greater impact that those who use the power of their big money and military might to achieve their evil
ends?
America and other leading governments devote most of their wealth to military programs. They spend billions
for bombs and pennies for peace. Were the money spent on weapons to kill people spent on promoting
global understanding, peaceful resolution of conflict -- and on eliminating the causes of violence and hate,
there would be no more wars.
Scattered around the world are wonderful programs for peaceful resolution of conflict. (Franciscans, churches,
service clubs, Fellowship Of Reconciliation, World Neighbors, etc, etc,)
But most people do not appreciate this because mass media does not feature actions for peaceful progress. Media
is the source of most public opinion and they make more money by features and headlines for violence and conflict.
Public opinion is media made -- actions good or bad begin in the mind. Whether intentional or not, the
fact is that media accents the negative and gives more attention to hate, fear, greed and lust than to the many
actions of understanding and good will. As a result major nations are addicted to war.
The only way to avoid global catastrophe is for all who support the ways of peace to now come together in a moral
equivalent of war. United, we can change the global war mentality to a global state of mind dedicated to positive
actions for peaceful resolution of conflict.
Our problem is the "Dealers in Death" -- the corporate and White House leaders -- who make billions from
the production of weapons. Their lust for money and power blinds them to peaceful policies that would destroy
the causes of violence. Their only way is to "kill the killers."
The connections between the Bush administration and the oil industry are clear and pervasive. A remarkable 41
members of the administration have ties to the industry, and both the President and the Vice President are former
oil executives. National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice is a former director of Chevron. President Bush took more
than $1.8 million in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industries in the 2000 election. The Bush people
and the oil moguls do agree with one another in part because they are one another. With influence like that, it's no
surprise that big oil corporations like Exxon Mobil (with an annual lobbying budget of nearly $12 million) and
Halliburton (the Vice President's former employer) have had an unprecedented role in determining the nation's energy
policies.
If President Bush were a follower of Jesus, whom he claims to serve, he would know that love for your enemy will
bring understanding of the cause of hate, fear and violence and eliminate its source.
I invite people of faith to spread the word that war is evil, that you don't overcome evil with evil. Killing
is not the right way to stop killing.
There are cases in history where the most evil people have been converted. It was a converted slave trader who
wrote "Amazing Grace." We should act immediately, but at the same time pray with faith and love for
the conversion of Bush, Ben Laden and Saddam Hussein. We need a miracle and that would certainly be a miracle.
Instead of making skeletons of their enemies, they would make their enemies their friends.
Press, Radio, TV and Internet play a vital role. Actions, good or bad, begin in the mind. Those able to
command media attention have a special obligation to speak out -- not only about the crisis, but about its obvious
solution: replace violence with attitudes and actions that foster understanding and good will.
Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, the UN Secretary General and ALL peace-loving leaders should act now, urging that
everyone oppose violence with non-violence -- Martin Luther King's effective solution. Those who believe in
the power of prayer can prove the power of their faith by their vigorous efforts for peace, justice and a
sustainable future.
Mass media has a sacred obligation as the eyes and ears of the public to:
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Feature solutions
as well as problems
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Headline cases of
peaceful actions in the human adventure that reduce hate, fear, greed and lust.
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Give recognition
and attention to people and projects that eliminate pollution and poverty and foster peace, justice and the care
of Earth.
Every radio and TV
station should program a daily "Minute for Peace." A voice would state, "In this minute for
peace let us join our hearts and minds, each in our own way, with faith and commitment to peaceful actions today
and every day." This would be followed by appropriate music or sounds of nature.
In 1963 when President Kennedy was killed we ended the period of mourning for him on December 22 with a "Minute
For Peace" which was broadcast globally. It carried the voice of Kennedy with words he had spoken the
year before: "Never have the nations of the world had so much to lose, or so much to gain. Together we
can save our planet, or together perish in its flames. Save it we can, and save it we must."
"Minute for Peace" support at the United Nations led to efforts in 1966 that ended the war between India
and Pakistan.
On Earth Day at the United Nations there is a global "Minute for Peace," signaled by the ringing of the
Peace Bell at the moment Spring begins.
With the media's cooperation, each year's Earth Day -- on nature's historic annual event, the March Equinox, will
provide a great global holiday with world wide participation by people of every creed and culture. This will
inspire actions for Earth's rejuvenation -- with peace, justice and prosperity for all.
Spread the word. We can change this global crisis into a new beginning for Planet Earth.
John McConnell --
The man who started Earth Day
4924 E. Kentucky
Circle
Denver, CO 80246
Phone: 303/758-7687
www.earthsite.org
Background:
Springboard for Peace. Earth Day 1999
Group celebrates Earth Day at U.N. By John Zawadzinski
NEW YORK - Happy anniversary, Earth Day.
More than 40 people including Franciscans and lay people arrived at 2 a.m., Mar. 20 to commemorate the first day of
spring and the anniversary of the United Nations World Earth Day at the U.N. Headquarters here.
During the 30-minute ceremony, Ernst Suchairpa, the ambassador of Austria to the U.N., rang the Peace Bell at 2:35
a.m., the exact moment of the spring equinox. It was followed by two minutes of silence, a rededication as to the
significance of the event and the singing of "Let There Be Peace on Earth and Let it Begin With Me."
"It's nice to have a celebration where we can join together and celebrate and promote care for our Sister
Earth," said Ignatius Harding, who along with Franciscan Sister Kathleen Uhler is Co-director of Franciscans
International. "It was really exciting and a very positive celebration."
Last year, more than 300 people gathered at the U.N. to celebrate the equinox and witness Ignatius and Lama Ganchen,
a religious leader from Tibet, ring the Peace Bell.
"We've been participating in this for many years, but last year was the first time that they had a Catholic
ring the bell," Ignatius said. "The celebration (this year) went well, but I think more people would have
participated if it wasn't so early."
Ignatius stressed in addition to having respect for the planet, Earth Day is the only celebration all people can
participate in regardless of race or religion. The U.N. event was sponsored by Earth Society Foundation of New York.
"Since St. Francis was the patron saint of ecology, we promote care for the earth."
Ignatius said this year's celebration held special significance because John McConnell, the founder of Earth Day,
rang in the equinox at St. Francis Shrine in San Francisco, the city where both the U.N. and Earth Day began.
The Charter of the U.N. was adopted at the San Francisco Conference of 1945 and Earth Day was established in 1970.
"He (McConnell) is the heart behind the whole operation," Ignatius said. "He's a guy who decided to
bring together all people of all religions to celebrate and care for the earth."
Earth Day
www.earthsite.org
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