2020

Election reflection: Keep building peaceful communities

Election season is upon us, and the Democratic Party appears poised to take not only the presidency but also the Senate. Foreign-policy-wise, neither party has been able to reign in the bloated military budget that siphons so much taxpayer money into the pockets of the wealthy. ... PeaceWorks can help build a society in which respect and grace are given even in times of political turmoil.

Tuvalu is 47th nation to ratify UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons

The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons suggests the necessary 50 signatories may ratify the UN Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons this year, and 90 days after that, the treaty will “enter into force,” becoming international law. PeaceWorks-KC plans to celebrate the treaty’s entry into force, perhaps in February or March. Stay tuned!

A viral attack, a virtual response: PeaceWorks’ 30th art fair goes online

2020 was shaping up as a banner year for PeaceWorks-KC’s annual art show. The number of artists exhibiting last year was the highest ever, at 130, and the pool of artists was expected to continue to grow. ... Then came the pandemic. ... "How about a virtual, online art fair?" asked David Bayard.

Climate crisis calls us to action

The news is bleak. By mid-September, wildfires raged in 15 states, taking homes, lives, livelihoods and infrastructure. ... All the while we are living through the worst worldwide pandemic in over 100 years, coronavirus. Deforestation and mass extinction leave us much more vulnerable to epidemics like this.

Jay Coghlan in video: ‘Let us … rid this world of nuclear weapons’

Jay Coghlan, in a video for PeaceWorks-KC in early August, fired away at KC’s nuclear weapon production plant. He challenged, “let us unite in a moral and political effort to rid this world of nuclear weapons and to use the sad occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing to begin just that very work.”

Campaign Nonviolence Conference Aug. 6-8 requires preregistration

The Campaign Nonviolence Conference Aug. 6-8—online—marks the 75th anniversary of the US bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Among speakers at the meeting's free kickoff Aug. 6 is Ira Helfand, MD, a leader of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), winner of the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize.

Rosemarie Woods, we miss you!

Rosemarie Woods, a member of the PeaceWorks-KC Board of Directors in 2014, died May 24 at age 71. Farewell, friend! Highly political, Rosemarie was a long-time Democrat who resonated with the Green Party. She wrote a play for Women’s Equality Week several years ago, tracing women’s demand for the right to vote.

Videos give glimpse of Memorial Day action, ‘Human Care, Not Warfare’

CARE-a-vans and speakers combined on Memorial Day in Kansas City, Mo., with this focus: “Human Care, Not Warfare.” Videos share the impact of speaker after speaker calling for a pandemic pivot from war and weapons to care for humanity and our home, our planet.

‘Human Care, Not Warfare’ makes it to the media

KKFI Community Radio (90.1 FM) and NBC Action News (Channel 41) covered the May 25 “Human Care, Not Warfare” midtown rally. Among 12 speakers, Cris Mann urged, “We should cancel college debt and eliminate the warfare budgets.” She led a chant: “Books, not bombs!”

Online Art Auction a Success!

Thank you to all who participated in our first online auction! In total we brought in $1225 for the vital work of PeaceWorks KC. And a very special thank you to our Artists who donated their beautiful Art pieces to our online auction:

Newsletters

Community Organization Directory

Find our guide to local Kansas City-area peace, justice, environment, and human rights groups here.

PeaceWorks Kansas City