The Fellowship of Reconciliation is composed of women and men who recognize the essential unity of all creation and have joined together to explore the power of love and truth for resolving human conflict. While it has always been vigorous in its opposition to war, the Fellowship has insisted equally that this effort must be based on a commitment to achieving a just and peaceful world community, with full dignity and freedom for every human being.
Workshop on Nonviolent Conflict Intervention
On Saturday, October 16, 2010, a workshop on Nonviolent Conflict Intervention will be held at the Riverside Quaker Center. Please invite students, colleagues, and friends. to join us for our nonviolence workshop that starts at 8:30am for 4 hours. This half day workshop is designed as an introduction to the service learning project beginning at UCR and other local colleges. Students and community members interested in nonviolent conflict intervention, who want to help prevent and decrease violence in conflict situations are welcome to check this out!
ICFOR and the Department of Peace are co-sponsering a Peace Walk. Join us on September 25, 2010 starting at 10:30 am at the Riverside Main Library, 3581 Mission Inn Ave.
The Other 9 / 11
We will join with members of the community in an interfaith commemoration of "The Other 9/11." September 11, 1906 Mahatma Gandhi began his nonviolent struggle for justice. It's time for the hope of active nonviolence to achieve justice and peace. Join us on September 11, 2010 starting at 1:00 pm at the Riverside Main Library, 3581 Mission Inn Ave.
7th Annual International Drum, Mask & Dance Festival
“We the People” Cultural Arts Group presents its 7th Annual International Drum, Mask & Dance Festival showcasing cultural artistic diversity for Riverside and the surrounding communities while playing an active role in Riverside’s vision as the “City of Arts & Culture.”
This year’s festival will take place on Saturday, May 22, 2010 from 12 pm until 7 pm. The location will be at White Park in Riverside, CA. “We the People” will feature professional and amateur performing artists, as well as, vendors of international arts, crafts, apparel, and foods.
Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony
On Sunday, May 16, 2010, at 12:00 pm all are welcome to a Peace Pole Dedication Ceremony at the Riverside Universalist Unitarian Church on the corner of Lemon and Mission Inn Ave in Riverside.
The Peace Pole Project began shortly after World War Two and is dedicated to uniting people across the globe with the prayer, "May Peace Prevail on Earth". Over 200,000 Peace Poles have been planted in over 200 countries around the world. Some of the extraordinary locations include the Pyramids of El Giza in Egypt, the Magnetic North Pole in Canada, Gorky Park in Russia, and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. They are promoting healing of conflict in places like Sarajevo, the Atomic Bomb Dome in Hiroshima, and the Allenby Bridge on the border between Israel and Jordan.
The Universalist Unitarian Church is the first organization to erect one in Riverside. "May Peace Prevail on Earth" will be shown on the pole in 12 languages, including those of Riverside's seven sister cities and in Braille. Paw prints are also included to remind us to care for the animals and our web of interdependence.
Nonviolent Conflict Intervention Workshops
ICFOR is sponsoring a Nonviolent Conflict Intervention 10-week workshop with students from La Sierra University, University of California at Riverside/UCR, and Riverside Community College/RCC. The training takes place on the campus of La Sierra University on Tuesday evenings. We are using the curriculum from the Nonviolent Peaceforce. The course is being taught by Madelyn MacKay, Rose Monge, and Marilyn Sequoia, all members of ICFOR. This time we are not only collaborating with these colleges, but also sharing the concept of nonviolence directly with students who are earning credit for their participation in the classes as well as for associated "service learning" projects that may result. ICFOR will be the facilitator of these projects by connecting students with community organizations.
The national FOR’s Colombia Program offers a powerfully informative and entertaining “Drug War Roadshow.” Last August the Olympia FOR produced it for a live audience in downtown Olympia WA and we produced it at the local community access TV station for which the Olympia FOR has also produced hundreds of programs for the past 23 years.
We are happy to announce that our 43-minute production of the “Drug War Roadshow” is now posted on the internet so people can view from anywhere in the world. Click to watch the Drug War Roadshow video.
The Sixth Annual Silent Candlelight Vigil for Peace
On Sunday, December 13, 2009, we will meet for a quiet, respectful, multi-faith event creating a culture of peace and nonviolence, honoring victims of past and current warfare and honoring peacemakers everywhere! The Candlelight Vigil takes place on the front sidewalks of the downtown Riverside Public Library from 6:00 to 7:30pm.
On Saturday, November 14, 2009, a workshop on Nonviolent Conflict Intervention will be held at the Riverside Quaker Center. Please invite students, colleagues, and friends. to join us for our nonviolence workshop that starts at 8:30am for 4 hours. This half day workshop is designed as an introduction to the service learning project beginning at UCR and other local colleges. Students and community members interested in nonviolent conflict intervention, who want to help prevent and decrease violence in conflict situations are welcome to check this out!
On Wednesday, November 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm join us in embodying peace by Circle Dancing & Chanting together in the traditions of our many world religions. Everyone welcome. No dance experience needed.
By 10 am on Saturday, October 24, 2009 hundreds of people from Riverside and neighboring areas will hold signs along Indiana Avenue and Madison Street to signal their rejection of the Nazis of the "National Socialist Movement" and their racist ideas. A Nazi rally across the street will probably have more than the eight who showed up in September, but they will hardly have a mass presence. Organizers of the Rally Against Hate say their peaceful rally should have hundreds, for a massive rejection of racism and violence...
We are publishing the ICFOR’s Nonviolence and Peace Resource Directory for Riverside. Get your organization's statement of Peaceful and Nonviolent Intention and/or Actions for inclusion in the directory.
On Saturday, September 26, 2009, in response to a planned neo-Nazi demonstration at a day labor site in Casa Blanca, Riverside's historically Latino community, numerous community groups united to oppose racism in their city. Over 30 organizations endorsed the rally, which saw the participation of over 150 people who listened to and gave speeches, shared fruit and water, and enjoyed music and a strong sense of solidarity....
see article written by Ben Wood (one of the event’s organizers)
The Other 9 / 11
We will join with members of the community in an interfaith commemoration of "The Other 9/11." September 11, 1906 Mahatma Gandhi began his nonviolent struggle for justice. It's time for the hope of active nonviolence to achieve justice and peace. The service is on Sept. 11, 2009 starting at 7:00 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Riverside, 3657 Lemon St at Mission Inn Ave.
2009 Annual Juneteenth Celebration
ICFOR sponsored a craft booth at the 2009 Annual Juneteenth Celebration (celebrating the end of slavery in this country) for kids to make their own Peace Flags or Peace People out of cloth material and decorate them. The flags flying ON the booth are Peace Flags with the word/concept PEACE in 9 different languages. We also flew nearly 20 flags of the world's religions, as we are an interfaith organization.
Join us for a lecture and conversation with interfaith mediator, Dr. Asghar Ali Engineer. He is an advocate of a culture of peace and non-violence, and has worked to promote interfaith harmony among various religions in India. Members and leaders of all religions and spiritual paths are welcome to attend the free public event on April 16, 2008 at the Downtown Library Auditorium, 3581 Mission Inn Avenue, Riverside, CA from 6 - 8 pm.
Participants met at the Riverside Quaker Center on Saturday March 22, 2008 for a training session in Nonviolent Conflict Intervention (NCI).
We believe that basic training in Nonviolent Conflict Intervention Training should be as common as training in CPR. If someone has a heart attack, CPR can keep that person alive until the underlying cause of the attack can be addressed. NCI allows an individual, a relationship, or a community to survive without physical or emotional injury until the underlying cause of the conflict can be resolved.
The community met with special guest David Hartsough-- Co-Founder of Nonviolent Peaceforce, Sunday, December 2, 2007 from 4-7 pm at the home of Jane & Richard Block at 424 Two Trees Lane--at the foot of the Box Springs Mountain.
What can you say YES to when you say NO to war? Come hear of Gandhi’s Peace Army Today, a Conversation with David Hartsough, co-founder of NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE: Monday, December 3, 2007 3:30-5pm at UCR’s Humanities and Social Studies Room 1500.
On August 14, 2007, Linda Dunn and Marilyn Sequoia from the International Fellowship for Reconciliation on non-violent activism were interviewed by students from the MyGlobalVillage summer sessions at the California Museum of Photography an off-campus department of the University of California, Riverside, Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.
Opt out of military recruitment information made available to high schoolers
On Nov 6, 2006, ICFOR members handed out information on students' and
parents' legal right to "opt out" of having student names, addresses, phone numbers, birthdates automatically released to military recruiters as part of the No Child Left Behind law. We were able to make this information available at the Riverside County Dept of Mental Health's annual Anti-Stigma Conference at Raincross Square in Riverside, CA with eleven hundred students from the Inland Empire in attendance. Many seemed surprised to learn about their rights, even though it is required by law for school districts to make families aware of the "opt out" provision of the No Child Left Behind law. On Nov 11th the "opt out" material was dispersed at the Peace Festival at Riverside Plaza.
100 Year Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s Satyagraha: Peace Walk & Candlelight Commemoration
On Sept. 11, 2006 at 5:30 pm ICFOR sponsored a walk from Riverside's 10th street Martin Luther King statue to the Mahatma Ghandi statue. We commemorated the 100th year anniversary of Ghandi's creation of the nonviolent peace army that achieved massive social change employing nonviolent actions.
We were joined by performer April King (see bios) on Wednesday April 26th, 2006 at the Zacatecas Cafe in Riverside. This was an exciting opportunity for young activists to learn more about how to mobilize others for change on their campuses & in their communities
ICFOR sponsored Nonviolent Peaceforce's International Governance Counsel Member and Youth Coordinator, Hindolo Pokawa, on a four day speaking tour in Riverside, CA. Schools visited were Poly High School, North High School, Riverside City College, and University of California Riverside.
Read a summary of his visit as published in Nonviolent Peaceforce's newsletter Rumors of Peace, Volume VI, Issue 1, 2006.
Linda and Diane Dunn visited Sri Lanka as advocate team members for the Nonviolent Peaceforce presence there. Read an article about their visit written by Diane Dunn as published in the Nonviolent Peaceforce's newsletter Rumors of Peace, Volume VI, Issue 1, 2006.
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is a 90-year old international, interfaith movement with branches and groups in over 40 countries and on every continent. The F.O.R. focuses on campaigns advocating peace and disarmament, racial and economic justice and the training of youth and adults in active nonviolence. The membership of the F.O.R. includes Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and people of other faith traditions, as well as those with no formal religious affiliation.
Are you interested in becoming a member of F.O.R.? Click here to read about the principles we seek to apply to our lives and how to join the Fellowship of Reconcilition.
The Fellowship of Reconciliation is composed of women and men who recognize the essential unity of all creation and have joined together to explore the power of love and truth for resolving human conflict. While it has always been vigorous in its opposition to war, the Fellowship has insisted equally that this effort must be based on a commitment to achieving a just and peaceful world community, with full dignity and freedom for every human being.
On Saturday, October 16, 2010, a workshop on Nonviolent Conflict Intervention will be held at the Riverside Quaker Center. Please invite students, colleagues, and friends. to join us for our nonviolence workshop that starts at 8:30am for 4 hours. This half day workshop is designed as an introduction to the service learning project beginning at UCR and other local colleges. Students and community members interested in nonviolent conflict intervention, who want to help prevent and decrease violence in conflict situations are welcome to check this out!
We will join with members of the community in an interfaith commemoration of "The Other 9/11." September 11, 1906 Mahatma Gandhi began his nonviolent struggle for justice. It's time for the hope of active nonviolence to achieve justice and peace. Join us on September 11, 2010 starting at 1:00 pm at the Riverside Main Library, 3581 Mission Inn Ave.
On Sunday, December 13, 2009, we will meet for a quiet, respectful, multi-faith event creating a culture of peace and nonviolence, honoring victims of past and current warfare and honoring peacemakers everywhere! The Candlelight Vigil takes place on the front sidewalks of the downtown Riverside Public Library from 6:00 to 7:30pm.
ICFOR sponsored a craft booth at the 2009 Annual Juneteenth Celebration (celebrating the end of slavery in this country) for kids to make their own Peace Flags or Peace People out of cloth material and decorate them. The flags flying ON the booth are Peace Flags with the word/concept PEACE in 9 different languages. We also flew nearly 20 flags of the world's religions, as we are an interfaith organization.
