Olive Branch Interfaith Peace Partnership

On April 9th, 1968, thousands gathered at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, GA to bid farewell to the American prophet, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. A teaming sea of folks from every hue and class came to bear witness to the non-violent preacher killed by an assassin's bullet. In our archives at the Fellowship of Reconciliation, we have the membership card of Dr. King.

Yes, Dr. King was a card carrying member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. FOR supported the work of the civil rights movement. FOR staffer and organizer par excellence Bayard Rustin was dispatched to Montgomery in 1955 to assist in the development of a movement that would combine Gandhian Nonviolence and Black Social Protest. This combination was for Rustin like jazz.

Here are some photos from last Thursday and Friday. Most are by me, but other folks can tag their pictures OBIPP in Flickr to be added to thhis slideshow. You can also browse the images here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/obipp/

Here are some articles about last week's events in DC:

• South Bend Tribune: Local peace witnesses headed to Washington
  
• Examiner.com: Baltimoreans go to D.C. to call for end to Iraq war
  
• Richmond Times-Dispatch: Activists fighting for peace
  
• Tennesseean: Vigil calls for prayers to end war in Iraq

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PEACE ACTIVISTS WORSHIP, PRAY, GET ARRESTED

Forty-Two Arrested for Civil Disobedience in Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC, March 7, 2008 -- More than forty religious leaders and faith-based peace activists were arrested in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill late Friday afternoon for their non-violent witness to end the war in Iraq. Hundreds of people assembled earlier in the afternoon for a public demonstration against the U.S. war and occupation of Iraq, and thousands of worshippers gathered at noon Friday for services calling for peace and an end to the war in Iraq.

You can add to our community updates page by using any of the following social media tools and tagging your entries OBIPP.

• Technorati  (blog entries)
  
• Flickr  (photos)
  
• YouTube  (video)
  
• blip.tv  (video)
  
• Twitter/hashtags  (text messages)

If you would like to suggest another media source to be added to our aggregator, let us know!

Whether you are attending this week's activities in DC or a local peace vigil in your own community, you can help lift up your voice for peace by posting photos and blog entries online, and tagging them "OBIPP." (Learn more about tagging.)  We are aggregating your photos, text updates, and blog entries on our Community Updates page.

If you are looking for other ways to promote the events and spread the message of peace, please visit our outreach section for more resources and ideas: www.olivebranchinterfaith.org/sections/outreach

Attched is a full-page flyer I've made to promote the many wonderful events going on to stop the war in March. Please download the PDF and post it where people will see it!

What: People of faith from a variety of religious traditions, including Christian, Jewish, and Muslim, will hold a day of worship and witness in Washington, D.C. and across the nation on March 7, 2008. It is our obligation to be the moral conscience and compass of our nation.

Why: Ending the tragedy of the war, which most of our religious bodies advised against five years ago, will be the greatest political challenge of our time. In launching a month of action on the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq, we commit to be relentless in our common effort to end the war, to honor the service of our soldiers, and to help all of those who have been affected – in the U.S. and in Iraq – to rebuild their lives.

When: At midday on Friday, March 7th, there will be religious services held in a variety of traditions in different houses of worship in the nation’s capitol, all focused on our common commitment for peace

Where: Following worship, at 2:30 p.m., people of all faith traditions will gather in Upper Senate Park for a positive, nonviolent witness to end the war in Iraq.

We hope to post more tools, content, and suggestions for outreach here soon, but for now you can support us by joining the Olive branch Interfaith Peace Partnership on Facebook. By vising this page and becoming a "fan" you will be able to easily spread the wrod to your friends and colleagues about our faith-based work for peace.