Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Day resources

Idea exchange
August 2002

Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Day resources
"It is no longer a choice, my friends, between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence, and the alternative to disarmament, may well be a civilization plunged into the abyss of annihilation..."—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we approach the anniversaries of the Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) atomic bombings, and the U.S. Administration considers new uses for nuclear weapons, Pax Christi USA (PCUSA) asks you to consider focusing pressure for change on a lynchpin in U.S. nuclear policy: the last full-scale operating nuclear weapons production facility in the United States, called the "Y-12 Plant" in Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

The United States has escalated the global nuclear threat and Y-12 is deep in the thick of it. Y-12 is being rebuilt ($4 billion minimum) so that is will be prepared to "surge production" of nuclear weapons such as battlefield mini-nukes and "bunker-busters," also called the Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator (RNEP).

The Bush Administration wants to begin designing the RNEP. In theory, it would destroy hard and deeply buried targets such as underground bunkers. Its very development, let alone deployment, would destabilize efforts at non-proliferation and disarmament, sparking a new wave in the arms race.

Wherever you will be in early August, PCUSA invites you to engage in prayer, study, and action in a strategic way to say "NO!" to U.S. global domination and nuclear weapons.

For more information:
Frosted mini-nukes
Pax Christi USA resources for use on Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Day:
Reclamation of the Elements: Hiroshima/Nagasaki Memorial Service
Prayer-Study-Action Suggestions for Hiroshima/Nagasaki Remembrance Day

USCCB creates "novena" remembrance service for 9-11 anniversary
Nine Days to 9/11: Looking Back and Moving Forward is a collection of resources prepared by several departments of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to assist parishes, schools, diocesan staffs, and various communities throughout the country to respond in a faith-filled way to the first anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The resources will be updated on the Conference Web site throughout the summer.

"As Catholics, we draw on our faith to make this anniversary a time to remember, a time to deepen our commitment to discipleship, and a time to strengthen our active participation in efforts to build a more just and peaceful world," the document says.

The resources for Nine Days to 9/11 were coordinated by USCCB Publishing in cooperation with the USCCB Departments of Social Development and World Peace, Education, Catholic Campaign for Human Development, and the Secretariat for the Liturgy, as well as the National Catholic Educational Association.

The resource includes various suggestions on how to keep the Nine Days to 9/11. Most of the recommendations spring from the U.S. Bishops' pastoral message last November, Living With Faith and Hope After September 11, in which they called on Catholics to pray, fast, teach, dialogue, witness, do service, stand in solidarity, and be a people of hope.

Nine Days to 9/11 is a four-page brochure. It will be continually expanded with new resources added to USCCB Publishing's website (www.usccb.org/publising/9-11/index.htm) throughout the summer, as the first anniversary of September 11 comes closer. In addition, a list of those groups that are "walking" the nine-day journey on the site will be posted.

The Church uses nine days as the traditional period of time for the devotional activity called a "novena." A novena is repeated nine successive times for special intentions, often focusing on hopeful mourning, yearning, and prayer. Novenas often end on the ninth day with a special feast of joy and hope. This is the rationale for using the concept of the novena as a framework to prepare for and commemorate the anniversary of September 11.

For more information, and to order resources, please contact USCCB Publishing toll-free at 800-235-8722 between 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time. In the Washington metropolitan area or from outside the United States, call 202-722-8716. Orders and inquiries may be sent by fax to 202-722-8709. Visit the USCCB Web site to get more information on this or on other publications of the Conference.

The four-page resource which is the kick-off piece of the effort is available in downloadable PDF format.

Join the Pax Christi Weavers (No singing required)
The Pax Christi Weavers is a multicultural conflict resolution program rooted in the spirituality of nonviolence. The program provides participants with the tools to respond appropriately to new challenges that arise as a result of the increased diversity and cultural influences within our communities. It is our mission to assist groups in discovering how to "weave" the people and issues of their local environment together.

The Weavers Team is a multicultural and geographically diverse group of individuals, who share expertise in the areas of nonviolence, interpersonal communication skills, transformative conflict resolution skills and multiculturalism. The team's mission is to accompany communities in the process of identifying their specific needs and then tailoring the program to meet those needs. It is our mission "to contribute to the building of a culture of peace in communities that seek to transform conflicts which have a racial or multicultural component."

Find out more about the Pax Christi's Weavers Program.

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