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Peace Stories

Peace stories that others shared with me around the world.

Arun Gandhi and James Lawson share lessons of nonviolence

At the 2018 Parliament of the World's Religions, I had the privilege of hearing Arun Gandhi speak of his grandfather, Mahatma Gandhi, who guided Arun in his formative years. Angry at racism in South Africa, Arun was sent to live with his grandfather in India to learn how to transform his anger into positive action. Two powerful practices was journalling about anger in order to find peaceful ways to address it, and reflecting on the overt and tacit violence he saw or committed as a 14 year old. What wonderful life lessons in peacebuilding for us today!

Responding Peacefully to Violence

They were humiliated and mistreated, and they couldn’t take it anymore. So they took a stand. They went into extensive training for the fight. They knew it would be hard and long. They had to be mentally, spiritually, and physically prepared. When the day of confrontation arrived, every hour of training was worth it. Although they were shouted at, pushed, spat upon, and beaten, they did not fight back with angry words or fists, but with love. They won, peacefully.

Empathy and acceptance bring peace to shooting victim Danielle Kane

On July 22. 2018, an ordinary summer's evening, Danielle Kane was celebrating a friend's birthday in one of the restaurants in Toronto's popular Greek Town. She hasn't gone home since. When she stepped outside to investigate what sounded like fireworks, she looked an ordinary looking stranger in the eye. Then he fired a gun at her. The bullet went through her spinal cord and stomach. Danielle was rushed to the hospital.

Finding Peace After Tragedy

I wish I didn't have to write this. I wish I was writing an Easter message about lent leading to resurrection, or videos and stories about meeting Martin Luther King, Jr.'s family in Atlanta this month, or news from the peace and justice conference I attended there. But a tragedy has struck my city, Toronto, and I am compelled to walk the long path back to peace with my fellow Torontonians, and the others around the world whose hearts are with us at this time.

Our Role in God's Peace Plan

Our peace series in Liguorian magazine, which began with Lighting the Way to Interfaith Peace in January, continues by examining one of the most darkest valleys humans encounter — acts of terrorism. How do we counteract hate in order to prevent as much violence as possible? And when acts of terrorism do occur, how to do we respond, forgive and heal its onslaught so it doesn't lead us into a cycle of even more violence? The surest way I know is by following God's peace plan.

Deepening Interfaith Peace in 2018

January 1 is designated World Peace Day by the Catholic church - a fitting day to reflect on the state of world peace, and ways that faith can guide us towards more a peaceful coexistence. It is also timely to reflect on how we can integrate peace more deeply into our souls and lives on New Year’s Day, a day traditionally devoted to personal reflection, renewal and resolutions. But peace in the modern world is not easy, intuitive, or inevitable. There are ways in which it appears to be ever more fragile, and challenging to build.

Mother of a Columbine school shooter analyses the cause (video)

Sue Klebold is the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the youth who committed murder/suicide in Cobumbine on April 20, 1999. In this transparent reflection, Sue shares, "It was appallingly easy for a 17-year-old boy to buy guns both legally and illegally without my permission or knowledge and somehow, 17 years and many school shootings later, it is still appallingly easy.”

I survived a terrorist attack. Here’s what I learned. - Gill Hicks

Gill Hicks, who survived a suicide bombing in London, used a tragedy that was meant to kill her to change her life. Gill says, “Throughout all the chaos my hand was held tightly. My face was stroked gently. What did I feel? I felt loved. What’s shaded me from hatred and wanting retribution, what’s given me the courage to say, ‘This ends with me,’ is love. I was loved. I believe the potential for widespread positive change is absolutely enormous because I know what we’re capable of. I know the brilliance of humanity.

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