Buddhist Peace Delegation to “Stop the Surge”
The Buddhist Channel, January 17, 2007
Buddhist Peace Delegation to Travel to Washington, DC, as Part of Growing Movement to “Stop the Surge” and Withdraw US Troops from Iraq
Berkeley, CA (USA) -- On January 27, 2007, hundreds of Buddhists from across the United States will converge in Washington, D.C., to form a “Buddhist Peace Delegation” and call for an end to war in Iraq.
The delegation, organized by the Buddhist Peace Fellowship, is made up of members of diverse Buddhist communities, including the Community of Mindful Living, Shambhala International, the Diamond Sangha, and a representative from the California Men’s Colony Prison’s “Sanga
Inside.”
The Buddhist Peace Delegation will join with thousands of others in Washington for four days of events, including a march and interfaith service on Saturday, Jan. 27. The delegation will begin with a meditation and teach-in on Friday, Jan 26, at 7 pm at Foundry United Methodist Church (1500 16th St NW) and ends with a day of Congressional visits on Monday, Jan 29. The delegation will present leaders of the House and Senate with a letter offering a six-step process for peace in the U.S. and Iraq, signed by Buddhist leaders.
Members of the Buddhist Peace Delegation will include Bhante Suhita Dharma, one of the first African Americans to be ordained as a Buddhist monk in the U.S.; Maia Duerr, executive director of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship; and David Loy, Professor of Ethics, Religion, and Society at Xavier University in Cincinnati, OH, and author of The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory.
Anne-Marie Urban, of the Washington, D.C., Buddhist Peace Fellowship chapter, said, “This is a time for us to come together to manifest the change we are seeking in the world, peacefully and compassionately. Many of us have been inspired by the way of peace taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, H.H. the Dalai Lama, and many other teachers.”
The January 27 march and rally are being organized by United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ), a national antiwar coalition with more than 1,400 member groups, including the Buddhist Peace Fellowship. Car caravans, trains, and buses have been planned from more than 20 states and 72 cities.
For information on the Buddhist Peace Delegation, visit www.bpf.org.
For information on the January 27th march on Washington, visit
http://www.unitedforpeace.org.
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ABOUT THE BUDDHIST PEACE FELLOWSHIP
The mission of the Buddhist Peace Fellowship (BPF), founded in 1978, is to serve as a catalyst for socially engaged Buddhism. BPF's programs, publications, and practice groups link Buddhist teachings of wisdom and compassion with progressive social change. BPF is an affiliate of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and the International Network of Engaged Buddhists. More information is available at www.bpf.org.
