OEP Gives Thanks

We would love to share things that some of us here at OEP are grateful for this year!

Marie Benner-Rhoades, Director of Youth & Young Adult Peace Formation

"I'm thankful for the variety of webinars that OEP offers in a given year.  From topical discussions like gender and race in the Olympics to multi-session series on talking with children about issue-based social justice to Kingian Nonviolence frameworks and book discussions, I appreciate learning from our interns and the participants that gather."

Grace Keller, Social Media Organizer

“I’m grateful to OEP for being a place of learning. Within, and out. The growth I’ve experienced here, in both professionalism and peace building, has been so rewarding. I am thankful for the continuance of this practice long after I and others are gone.”

Anna Rodriguez, Kingian Nonviolence Fellow

“This year, I am thankful for remaining part of the OEP family. I am grateful for the hours spent with interns, fellows and staff shaping training and webinars focused on Kingian Nonviolence, for the great discussions we engage in and for the great work we do to fight social injustice. I am grateful for the team we have and the passion and motivation each of us brings to the table.”

Kyana Chéry, OEP-Migrant Justice

“I am grateful for working closely with an organization that promotes peace and non-violence to the community and internationally. As a college student studying International Affairs, I believe that it is immensely important to understand the problems happening in our world and find ways to alleviate the pressures that people may face like discrimination. I am grateful for On Earth Peace creating an avenue of advocating where I can amplify my voice and create change along the way.”

Clara McGilly, Kingian Nonviolence Organizer

“I am grateful for all the OEP interns who are so warm and passionate, and the opportunity for all of us to organize and dream and laugh together. I am grateful for the training and accompaniment On Earth Peace has given me as I study Kingian Nonviolence and work to embody it in my own life. I am grateful to have this community to process and explore as we develop our nonviolent philosophies and dip our toes into organizing, and I look forward to more fun to come!”

Matt Guynn, Director of Organizing

“I'm grateful for the communities On Earth Peace has been blessed to join, support, and build with! Kingian Nonviolence comrades; Church of the Brethren friends and congregations; the Supportive Communities Network; OEP interns, staff, Anti Racism Transformation Team, and board; the cloud of witnesses who have passed through OEP in their season in these decades; and the expanding web we participate in along the way--stretching backward and forward through time. "The Beloved Community is the Framework for the Future!"”

Janell Ryan, Newsletter Editor

“I’m grateful I’ve been able to delve more into more positive activism through OEP, as well as seeing that pacifism is not the same as passivism. I’m also extremely honored and thankful to have heard people’s stories from across the world and been able to share a few of them in the hopes of inspiring or encouraging others. The growth I can see in myself, both as a peacemaker and as an editor, is blossoming, and I hope to continue this growth for the rest of my time here.”