Metropolitan United Church

The United Church of Canada Launches a Two-Year Campaign for Peace

In many United Church congregations throughout Canada, November 4, 2007, will mark both Peace Sunday and the official launch of The United Church of Canada's two-year United for Peace Campaign. The campaign, which will focus on education, advocacy, and fundraising, has set a financial goal of $2 million.

Half of the monies raised will be designated to peacebuilding initiatives in Israel and Palestine, and the remainder will be used to support peace projects that are proposed by the United Church's partners in Canada and around the world. Thus far the United Church has received more than $20,000 in contributions, weeks in advance of the launch of the campaign. The United for Peace Campaign runs until December 31, 2009, and is intended to augment the peace work that is already made possible through the church's Mission and Service Fund.

In a special mailing this fall, congregations and church groups were
encouraged to support the campaign in a variety of ways, including
selling one-of-a-kind olivewood pins made in Bethlehem. The pins are
uniquely designed by a local artisan who was able to intricately carve
the olivewood to display the campaign's logo of a dove carrying an olive
branch.

For those who prefer to apply their fundraising skills in the kitchen,
churches are also being invited to raise funds by baking and selling
United for Peace cookies, also in the shape of a dove. Already more than
1,000 cookie cutters have been sold and a second shipment is on its way.

A complete range of resources in support of the campaign, including
brochures, gift bags, cookie cutters, offering envelopes, posters, and
thank-you cards are available through the United Church's resource
distribution service.

Issues to be addressed as part of the campaign's education component
include gender violence; children affected by violence, for example,
child soldiers; conflicts over resources, religion, and ethnicity; and
small arms and gun violence.

One advocacy initiative that is being promoted as part of the United for
Peace Campaign is to encourage individuals to write their Member of
Parliament to ask the Canadian government to create a federal Department
of Peace.

In a covering letter commending the campaign to the whole church, the
United Church's Moderator, the Right Rev. David Giuliano, says he is
encouraged that the church has initiated the United for Peace Campaign.
"The campaign is grounded in our understanding that there can be no
peace without justice, and represents our commitment to renew and
enliven the church's peacemaking ministry," says Giuliano.

For further information and updates on the campaign, please visit The
United Church of Canada's website at
www.united-church.ca/getinvolved/unitedforpeace.

For media interviews related to the United for Peace Campaign, please
contact:

Mary-Frances Denis
Communications Officer
The United Church of Canada
416-231-7680 ext. 2016 (office)