BY BRAD MARTELL, Peace and Justice Ministries

The 2010 Peace Colloquy will focus on how each of us is called to engage in peace and justice for children.

In places throughout the world, children suffer the atrocities of war, poverty, malnutrition, and slavery.  They lack access to clean water and air, shelter, education, and medical care. They suffer from bullies, abuse, and neglect. They experience depression, low-self esteem, and feeling unloved. Jesus said to his disciples:

Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.—Luke 18:16 NRSV

Come October 29–31 to the Temple in Independence, Missouri, to explore how all are called to make the world a safer, healing, and loving place for children. Register online at www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy/ by October 1 and save, or call 18008252806, ext. 1442. Email confreg@CofChrist.org.

Peace Award Keynote

Greg Mortenson, Community of Christ International Peace Award recipient, will receive his honor at the colloquy’s opening, Friday, October 29, at 7:30 p.m. The ceremony and his address, “Three Cups of Tea,” will be free to the public. The event will be webcast live at www.CofChrist.org.

Mortenson will share his experience of building schools, promoting education, and working toward peace. He is the cofounder and executive director of the Central Asia Institute. It seeks to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

As of 2010, Mortenson has established 131 schools in rural and often-volatile areas. More than 58,000 children, including 48,000 girls, received education where few opportunities existed before. In 2009, Mortenson received Pakistan’s highest civil award, Sitarae-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan) for his dedicated and humanitarian efforts.

He also is founder of Pennies for Peace, a program to inspire USA children to help children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He co-wrote the New York Times bestseller and TIME magazine’s Asia Book of the Year, Three Cups of Tea. He also wrote the bestseller, Stones into Schools.

Other Keynotes

Children, Bullying, and the Church’s Response

Carol Greta is the attorney for the Iowa Department of Education. She received the 2010 Courage in Education Award from the Iowa Safe Schools Task Force. Greta has given many presentations on bullying and harassment. These are growing concerns in our public schools, communities, and on the Internet.

Greta will share how schools respond, and she’ll talk about what the faith community can do. In addition to her keynote, Greta will lead workshops on how we can work to overcome violence toward children and youth.

State of the World’s Children

Dalal Al-Waheidi is executive director for Free The Children of Toronto, Canada. In 2006 the Women’s Executive Net work presented Al-Waheidi with Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award in the Future Leaders category.

She will share her experience and talk about the work of Free The Children. That group has built more than 500 schools around the world and has reached more than 1 million young people in North America. She will talk about the state of the world’s children and how we can respond.

Colloquy Opportunities

Begin your Peace Colloquy experience with the prayer retreat’s “Spiritual Lessons for Grownups: The Heart of a Child.” The event will be Friday, October 29, at Lake Doniphan in Excelsior Springs, Missouri.

On Saturday, experience several workshops. Over the weekend junior- and senior-high youth will join in a retreat with the theme, “Our Voices, We Respond!” On Saturday, children in grades one through six will enjoy their special program, “Stones, Wind, and Three Cups of Tea.”

Get more details about the Peace Colloquy and the Community of Christ International Peace Award at www.CofChrist.org/peacecolloquy/.