With all the change inside and outside the OEP community, one thing that has held consistent is OEP’s Read Aloud Project for children. Throughout the last year, the Children’s Peace Formation Organizer, Priscilla Weddle, has brought wonderful content to OEP for the community to take comfort in during these strange times.

For the month of December, OEP highlighted some of the best multicultural Christmas books of the season, of which you can read about here. You can also watch the new Read Alouds, as well as catch up on some of our older favorites here. 

The Read Aloud Project will be highlighting books about new beginnings for January. If you are interested in reading a book for the project, please contact Priscilla at [email protected].

Written by Jessia Avila, OEP’s Migrant Justice Organizer

My name is Jessia Avila, and I am the new On Earth Peace Migrant Justice Organizer Intern. I am studying Political Science, Marketing, and Spanish at McDaniel College, Westminster MD, to prepare for a future career in public service. It is my hope to foster support for marginalized and underrepresented peoples, promote educational advancement, and cultivate solidarity within diverse communities. As the daughter of immigrants from Colombia and Mexico, I strive to use my individual potential and global consciousness to advance the rights and human dignity of all people. For this reason, I am grateful to learn and act with an altruistic community in pursuit of migrant justice. Through productive dialogue, inter-organizational initiatives, and informed actions, we can stand in solidarity with immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons both domestically and abroad. I look forward to educating myself and serving with you as we advocate for migrant communities with love, compassion, and hope.

Before we continue this collaborative journey, I would like to pose the following question: what does migrant justice mean to you, and how can I facilitate your growth as an informed and active ally?

You can join Jessica and the Migrant Justice Group’s new adventures here.

On Monday, December 14, twenty-nine participants completed a four-month course as part of their certification as Level One Kingian Nonviolence trainers.  The group, which hailed from five continents, learned about the Kingian philosophy and methodology which provides individuals with values and skills to help resolve problems and conflicts peacefully and organize and mobilize for social change.

Reading holiday books on Christmas Eve was always a tradition that I enjoyed growing up. With Christmas right around the corner, I wanted to make a list of Christmas books that had characters from different backgrounds. Hopefully, this list will give people ideas on what books to read or buy next for the children in their lives. Here is the list: 

Miracle on 133rd Street by Sonia Manzano

"It’s Christmas Eve and Mami has bought a delicious roast for a Christmas feast. But, oh no! It’s too big to fit in the oven. Jose and Papa need to find an oven big enough to cook Mami’s roast. As they walk from door to door through their apartment building, no one seems to be in the Christmas spirit. So they head down the street to find someone willing to help, and only when they do, lo and behold, the scent—the magical smell—of dinner begins to spread, and holiday cheer manifests in ways most unexpected."

On November 18th, OEP distributed its bi-annual newsletter. This newsletter featured as a Kingian Nonviolence resource for the OEP community. Through curated articles, interviews, and book excerpts, OEP hoped to give a guide to the community on the meaning behind Kingian Nonviolence, and how to create a local beloved community at home. You can find blog versions of the newsletter as follows:

Introduction - KNV Origins: An Interview with David Jehnsen

Principle 1 - Nonviolence as a Way of Life for Courageous People

Principle 2 - The Beloved Community is a Framework for the Future

Principle 3 - Attack Forces of Evil, Not Persons Doing Evil

Principle 4 - Accept Suffering Without Retaliation

Principle 5 - Avoid Internal Violence of The Spirit

Principle 6 - The Universe is on The Side of Justice

You can also find the full PDF version of the OEP Fall Newsletter here.