Promoting peace

Michele Marr

Hoping to provide more than a bridge over troubled waters, leaders

and members of the Huntington Beach Church of Religious Science are

inviting people to join them at a 64-day international nonviolence

campaign that starts today.

The campaign, A Season for Nonviolence, was created in 1998 by

Arun Gandhi, co-founder of the Institute for Nonviolence and grandson

of Mohandas Gandhi, the Mahatma, to advance worldwide public

awareness of Gandhi’s principles of nonviolence and to promote their

practice as a way to heal and transform the global social landscape

through individual and grass-roots actions.

The dates for the first campaign were chosen to commemorate the

50th and 30th anniversaries of the assassinations of Gandhi and

Martin Luther King, Jr.

In recent years, The Assn. for Global New Thought, which shares

many of the teachings, principles and practices of Religious Science

and Unity churches, has increasingly embraced the cause of A Season

for Nonviolence.

“Our philosophy, as a general principle, teaches us to be for

something and against nothing,” said the Rev. Peggy Price, senior

minister of the Huntington Beach Church of Religious Science. “The

principles of nonviolence cross all spiritual lines, all religious

lines, all racial lines. All lines, period. All human lines.

“This year, given the circumstances all over the planet, we wanted

to really focus on [nonviolence] and bring it to the community,” she

said. The church has chosen the theme “Planet Peace, for Life,” for

its program this year.

Price will kick off the season for her own congregation on Feb. 2

with the first in a series of talks she will give on Mahatma Gandhi’s

principles of nonviolence -- six principles that teach: “Nonviolence

means choosing nonviolence as a way of life by practicing peace

daily.”

The Assn. for Global New Thought has developed an action list, “64

Ways in 64 Days” to practice peace, tolerance and nonviolence. The

list is available on the association’s Web site, www.agnt.org.

Price and a committee of others dedicated to finding peaceful

solutions to personal, community and global conflicts have organized

a full program of speakers and events for the 64-day tribute to

peace.

Activities have been planned to appeal to all ages.

“Our goal for the children during A Season of Nonviolence is [to]

have them to look for peaceful solutions in all areas of their

lives,” said Gary Bates, the church’s youth director.

Each Sunday morning, Price’s message, or that of a guest speaker,

will focus on an aspect of nonviolence. Each Wednesday evening, the

church will sponsor a guest speaker, a workshop or an event to

explore the importance of tolerance and peace.

“We want to provide a forum for people to learn about the many

ways that others are practicing peaceful ways of relating in their

daily lives,” said Joy Kolesky, a member of the Church of Religious

Science who has helped promote the events.

For Thursday, March 20, the church has organized a guided tour of

the Museum of Tolerance led by Rabbi Abraham Cooper who is curator

for the museum.

On Saturday, March 29, the church will host a Peace Fair, a

gathering of various peace organizations that will present

information, exhibits, demonstrations and experiential activities

related to their work.

* MICHELE MARR is a freelance writer, reach her at

[email protected].