On Earth Peace (OEP) held its 2022 Spring Board Meeting virtually on Zoom, April 7-9, 2022.  Those attending included interns from as far away as Spain and Gaza.  Six current board members are people of color and an equal number are younger than 40, leaving older and white board members as a slight minority for the first time in the board’s history.  It was a delight to see co-chair Melisa Leiter Grandison holding her newborn daughter, Mikyla Soul, on her shoulder during the meetings. All current board members are members of the Church of the Brethren (COB) or persons with deep family roots in the Brethren tradition.  With young adult interns and fellows providing skilled leadership for portions of the meetings, the benefit of including younger and more diverse leadership was evident, reflecting the OEP value of developing intergenerational leadership.  

Source included in image.

Caption: A person is looking through a microscope with the title of the show underneath. 

Written by Janell Ryan, Newsletter Editor

This month, I’m recommending the show ‘Getting Curious with Jonathan Van Ness’. The entire 6-episode series came out earlier this year, with bite-sized episodes that are easily digested while also giving a lot to think about. Jonathan explores multiple fields, from learning about bugs and all their intricacies to investigating the snack industry and the rise of sugar addiction. However, there were two episodes that really struck a chord in me; one focusing on the gender binary, and the other focusing on skyscrapers and how they’re built.

Caption: The cover of studio album It’s My Way! by Buffy Sainte-Marie.

Source included in image.

Written by Calum Clow, Environmental Justice Organizer

When I visited San Francisco this past November, I toured Alcatraz Prison. A highlight of that destination was an exhibit on the Native American occupation of the island. One of the displays in the museum showed Indigenous contributions to mainstream pop culture and art. I took a picture of an old album cover that caught my attention so I could listen to it when I came home. The folk album was the revolutionary debut record of Buffy Sainte-Marie entitled “It’s My Way!” released in 1964.

Caption: Allie holds up Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover. 

Written by Allie Dobson, Graphic Communications Organizer

Caption: Two tanks sit side by side on dry grass

Written by Matt Guynn, Director of Organizing 

On Earth Peace is a peace agency of the Church of the Brethren, a historic peace church, which has long stood against war and sought to heal or accompany those affected by it.  As we watch the news from Ukraine, please spend time with the recent statement of the Church of the Brethren Mission and Ministry Board and use tips for talking with children about war provided by the Church of the Brethren Childrens’ Disaster Services. You can also support on-the-ground material relief efforts for Ukraine through donations to Brethren Disaster Ministries.