Outright fun marked the PeaceWorks KC Annual Meeting on March 9 at Simpson House. “Read this!” was said a few times. Plus “y’all come!” The meeting was so jam-packed it won’t fit in one story. So we offer you a few (see links below, and a photo gallery).
Among the meeting’s high points: Debora Demeter led us in singing “Let There Be Peace on Earth.”
And Ira Harritt, who for about 20 years led the local American Friends Service Committee, taught us a Sufi dance and song, with a guitarist’s accompaniment:
Those who love
Loving, pour forth radiance.
These are sons and daughters of God. (repeat)
In my lifetime, love in every heart.
In my lifetime, peace on Earth.
Dave Pack, who was voted the chair of the Board of Directors, thanked the out-going interim chair, Cris Mann, for her “dedicated efforts” in planning the Annual Meeting. A former chair, Henry Stoever, commented afterwards, “PeaceWorks KC brings essential peace and justice elements to our community, and that’s essential for saving us from annihilation.”
Henry encouraged us to read two books. How To Stand Up to A Dictator: The Fight for Our Future, from 2022, is by Maria Ressa, who co-founded Rappler, the Philippines’ top digital-only news site. Her book opposes former President Rodrigo Duterte and corruption; she received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to safeguard freedom of expression in the Philippines. Henry also promoted the 2024 book Resist: How a Century of Young Black Activists Shaped America, by Rita Omokha, a Nigerian immigrant.
Others at the Annual Meeting mentioned Timothy Snyder, a Yale history professor, author of the 2017 book On Tyranny: 20 lessons from the Twentieth Century, on how history can instruct our response to the rise of tyranny around the world today. Timothy Synder’s 2024 book On Freedom is a call to rethink the essence of freedom.
Among announcements at the Annual Meeting were the following.
- Ann Suellentrop (annsuellen@gmail.com) asked us to join her at DC Days, 6/8-13, an annual lobbying trek with the Alliance for Nuclear Accountability. Ann also announced that an anti-nuke film will be shown at 7 pm most likely at Shawnee Mission Unitarian Universalist Church, 9400 Pflumm, in Lenexa.
- Henry asked people to contact him (henrystoever@sbcglobal.net) if they’re interested in civil resistance at the National Security Campus (a nuclear weapons plant) on Memorial Day weekend.
Below are links to other Annual Meeting stories, and then a photo gallery:
Cross Border Network’s award acceptance speech
Haskell persists despite firings
Enjoy this photo gallery!
One Response
What a great event! I’m so happy I was in town to meet so many great people and learn so many important things. Thank you for all the work you are doing to keep the message of peace alive!