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Action For Peace And Justice

Summary History By Topic

When she retired as a member of Action for Peace And Justice in 1999, Lucile Rice put together the following History, arranged by topic, below, or by year (see: Detailed History).

Editor's note: each year, it's our intention to soon add topics and historical details, so that we may learn from our experiences.

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Committee	Starts as sub-committee of Outreach. Begun after Paul & Betty Gocker attend peace conference at riverside church (1982 or 1983). Peace & Justice becomes a committee of Session , rather than of Outreach, renamed as "ACTION for Peace & Justice" (1991).
Committee Leadership	Lu Richter (1983), Lee Edwards (1984 or 1985). Paul Gocker (1994). Paul Gocker & Jim Hammerton co-chairs (1995). Linc Spaulding (1996). Lea Theuer (1998).
Committee Staff	Pamela Harvey first staff person. Laura Collins. Committee activities hampered by lack of full-time staff (1995). John Cairns joins committee as staff (1996).
Peacemaking Conferences	Held at Third Church, 1982/1983, George Hill speaker, cold war theme. Meeting of National Peace institute Foundation held at TPC, 1989 (Paul Gocker given the ‘North Atlantic Peacemaker Award’).
Amnesty International	1982/1983 Presbytery committee formed. Letter writing started (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998). Youth group provides poster (1995).
Nuclear Freeze	Paul & Betty Gocker went to Washington, 1984. Supported comprehensive test ban (1985). Letter writing (1986). Letter writing to Al D’Amato (1988) supporting freeze. Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989).
Peacemaking Fund / Scholarships	Begun funding for individuals or projects (1986). "Adventures in Peacemaking" Scholarship proposed; Ms. Martha Maxwell of Christ Presbyterian Church receives first award for study at SUNY Brockport (1989). William Towler for international relations study in China (1990). No applications received for scholarship (1993). Beth Laidlaw-Johnson & family attend Montreat Peacemaking Conference (1994). Linc Spaulding & Eunice Jelsma attend Estes Park peacemaking conference (1996).
Local Organizations	General Assembly recognizes Presbytery of Genesee Valley for having 60 churches with peace committees (out of 75 national total). Joined local Peace Network (1987 or 1988). Attended Peace Network meetings (1989). Hosted Peace Network meetings (1990). Peace Tree planted on Meigs St. side of building by Genesee Valley Peace Network, as recognition for TPC support (1992).
Commitment to Peacemaking	Signed 1987 along with more than half the churches in Genesee Valley Presbytery.
Peace Child	Presented in Rochester (1985, 1989). Supported & served dinner to chorus (1991).
Political Action	Callers for Louise Slaughter campaign (1986, 1988). Stewardship in Public Life letter writing begun (1997).
Memorial Day Parade	1984, 1987. Thirty people walked (1990). Served breakfast before parade (1993).
Latin America	Support for Gomez family, El Salvador political refugees (1986). Opposition to contras (1987). Church school presentation by Christina Oddleifson & Cile Rice (1988). Collected school supplies for Nicaragua with help from Diana Lewis, Sunday School teacher (1988). Letters to Congress on Latin America (1990). Ecumenical fasts demanding end of U.S. aid to El Salvador (1990). Boycott of Folger’s Coffee for violating human rights in coffee production. Supported Pastors for Peace caravan, supplies to Cuba (1993). Dinner hosting Lois Kroehler from Cuba. Celebrated recognition of Eunice Jelsma with ROCLA award for 20 years’ advocacy (1998).
Conflict Resolution	Adult Education sessions held (1989). Jim Hammerton spoke at a PEG on conflict resolution (1990).
Middle East	Prayer services held for solution to crisis in Iraq (1990). Adult Ed programming on Christian responsibilities, held at time of U.S. bombing of Iraq (1991). Letters to Sen. Moynihan & Pres. Clinton for restraint in arms sales to Middle East; payment of UN dues.
Misc. Adult Education	Seven sessions held on various topics (1992). Four sessions held before & after church on various topics (1993). Medical Ethics (1994).
Africa / Eritirean Community	Session on Eritrea, with Tesfamicael Yohannes (1991). Committee members attend Eritrean dinner fund-raiser. Sunday school class project about Sudan (1991). Supported Eritrean referendum.
Violence	Meetings with United Church Ministries held re: UCM proposal. Anti-Violence Committee established with five task forces. Many TPC members involved. Violence becomes main thrust (1994). Dramatic violence reduction seen by end of 1994. Supported with leadership, volunteers, and sandwiches (1995).
Death Penalty	Letters to George Pataki protesting proposed return of death penalty (1995).
Other	Celebration for UN 50th birthday party. Multi-cultural pot luck.
Diversity & inclusiveness	Study begun (1996). An all-day workshop. "What Divides Us" presented at TPC (1996). Two members attend "Beyond Racism" project (1997). Linc Spaulding, Jim & Thelma Hammerton attend Montreat peacemaking conference on Racism (1997)

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