The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015 - (Page 17)

sTorIes oF peaCemakers These are some of the actions that the Christian community in Mexico has taken to protest peacefully: * On November 2, members of the social organization "Land and Liberty" and a number of evangelical Christians marched in Iguala, demanding tranquility for the municipality and the safe return of the 43 missing of Ayotzinapa. Before their departure, participants performed a prayer for peace in the town. * On November 5, organizations of different religious denominations joined in the Ecumenical Day of Solidarity with Ayotzinapa with 43 hours of fasting and prayer for the 43, held in Zócalo, the capital city's main square. * On December 16, members of religious organizations representing Catholic, Evangelical and Baptist churches organized a "Tree of Truth, Justice and Peace for Ayotzinapa" at the Juárez Chamber. They demanded that the 42 remaining students be returned alive. They also demanded justice for Alexander Mora, whose death had been confirmed by that time.1 several religious organizations began 43 hours of fasting in Zócalo. In the "Ecumenical Day of Solidarity, Prayer and Fasting with Ayotzinapa 43 × 43," the names of the missing were called at every hour. Other activities involved the general population. Various churches and religious organizations have also issued statements condemning the alarming increase of violence in Mexico. The case of Ayotzinapa is considered the tip of the iceberg of a failed Mexican state consumed in its own lawlessness. Mexican Christians are awakening and realizing that they have a commitment to truth and that they cannot remain unmoved by the devastating reality that surrounds them. Where there is injustice, silence is the voice of complicity. Isaiah 61: 1 says: The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound... Please see "Ayotzinapa" on page 21. * On November 29, dozens of families of Baptist churches in Xalapa, Veracruz, organized a march. In an interview, Pastor Aurelio Chavez Mancilla said the march was a silent prayer mobilization to demand justice for the acts of violence that occurred in recent months across the country. Protesters carried white balloons as a sign of peace. * On November 29, several Catholic Churches in Saltillo, Coahuila, celebrated an outdoor mass as an expression of solidarity with the parents of the students. Masses were celebrated in at least six churches, all of which joined a silent procession of hundreds of people from Southern Saltillo. * On January 26, churches and individuals who make up the Communities for Justice and Peace (COJUPAZ) called for a celebration at the monument known as the Pillar of Light in Mexico City. This event consisted of prayers and songs that recognized and honored the victims of Ayotzinapa. In addition, relatives and friends of the 43 shared stories. Afterwards, many took part in a march from the Pillar of Light to Zócalo, the Main Square. * On February 26, the Global Action Movement "We Continue Being Ayotzinapa" organized a march at the Mexican President's official residence, Los Pinos, and concluded with a meeting in Zócalo. Along with this, BPFNA Members Attend 2014 SOA Watch Vigil Above: Members of the BPFNA ~ Bautistas por la Paz hold crosses at the 2014 School of the Americas (SOA) Watch vigil at Fort Benning, GA. These crosses name six of the tens of thousands of murdered and disappeared innocents in Latin America, killed over the years by people trained at the School of the Americas (now named WHINSEC, or Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation). "God knows each of these people by name," Richard Myers wrote. Several hundred names were called during the vigil. After each name was called, the crowd lifted their crosses and sang, "Presente!" The BPFNA has had a presence at the annual November SOA Watch for many years. Photo courtesy of Richard Myers. n APR-JUN 2015 Baptist Peacemaker 17

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015

Crossing Borders in 2015
BPFNA Welcomes New Office Manager
Unsettled By Truth: A Border Awareness Experience
What Nagaland Needs: Report from a Conflict Transformation Training
Songs of Victory in Uganda: Report from a Conflict Transformation Training
It Was a Large Day: Reflections on the US-Cuba Policy Change Announcement
My Vocation as a Peacemaker
Christians & Commitment To Truth & Justice: How Churches Are Responding to the Ayotzinapa Kidnapping
Report from the SOA Watch Vigil
BPFNA World Peace Network to Fund Five African Peace Projects
In the Land of the Willing: A Review of Ken Sehested's New Book
Prayer & Politiks: A Review of Ken Sehested's Online Journal
Resources & Opportunities
2014 BPFNA Highlights
Contributors
Rags of Weariness

The Journal of the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North America April-June 2015