The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Interfaith Resource Center for Peace and Justice

Website: www.peacewb.org

Friends from North Branch Meeting have been active in this organization since its beginning over 10 years ago. Some of the activities that they undertake, and working committees that exist include:

Annual Dinner: in the past three years the keynote speakers at this inspiring event have been, Marietta Jaeger of the Committee of 50 to Abolish the Death Penalty; Rev. John Dear, S.J., who was at the time the head of the Fellowship of Reconciliation and more recently has organized the chaplaincy at Ground Zero in New York, to counsel victems and family members; Fr. Roy Bourjois, founder of the School of the Americas Project.

On April 14, at the Peace Center's Annual Dinner, over 200 people gathered. This year Friends swept the annual awards presented by the Center. Jean Warrington, of North Branch Meeting won the Constance Kozol Award for her work in organizing the shipment of over 16oo blankets to Afghani refugees. Greg Elliot, of Sterling Worship Group was awarded the Student for Peace Award for his with with Youth Organized Against Racism. The Curtis family was given the Service for Peace Award for their long term efforts to teach peace to young people at the Journey's End Farm Camp.

The Keynote Speaker for this year's dinner, was Coleman McCarthy, syndicated columnist, editorial page writer for The Washington Post and founder of the Center for Teaching Peace. His talk was entitled, "Teaching Peace in a Time of War," was quite inspiriing, and suggested that three things are needed: prayer, service and a commitment to nonviolence.

Committee to Abolish the Death Penalty: holds public forums on the death penalty and does other work to support this cause. A public forum will be held at the Sheehy/Farmer Student Center at King's College on Tuesday, March 19 at 7 PM. Members of the King's College debate team will begin the evening with a debate on the issue. Following the debate, several invited guests, some of whom support capital punishment, and others who are opposed, will offer their comments. There will be time for questions from the audience.

Conflict Resolution Committee: works in many arenas to teach baisic conflict resolution skills. A course, "Chicken Soup for Relationships" was being taught at Boscov's Department Store on Tuesday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 in February. The course deals with approaches to conflict, listening skills, and the do's and don'ts of resolving conflict. The coures also introduces the Peace Center's conflict mediation program and is the first step toward certification in the neighborhood dispute settlement program.

Youth Organized Against Hate is the youth group of the Peace Center. It does lots of stuff. It is setting up information table at the Wyoming Valley Mall, works with the Dismantling Racism Committee to distribute information to increase the awareness of social issues and injustices. It has planned a Contra Dance, a three-day music festival, and meets twice a month.

Peace Camp Committee is puts on a summer camp devoted to the study of peace for children from K-5th grade. The camp is designed to foster interfaith understanding and teach basic lessons in peacemaking.

Genesis: A Living Conversation is a series inspired by Bill Moyer's Genesis PBS series. A panel of eight local participants from different faith traditions will gather for conversation on the call of Abraham, a story shared by Jewish, Islamic and Christian traditions. It is hoped it will be a model of how people of diverse perspectives can engage in a lively, yet civil discourse on a foundation text of our culture.

Working from Poverty to Promise is the title of a free workshop to be conducted by members of the Bread for the World, an ecumenical organization that seeks justice for the world's hungry people through legislative advocacy.

The Steering Committee and Finance Committee keep the organization going.

To find out more information, make a financial donation and subscribe to the Peace Center's newletter, write 71 N Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701, or call 570-823-9977.