The Campaign for Love & Forgiveness combines public television programming, community activities and events and on-line discussions to encourage contemplation and conversation about how love and forgiveness can effect meaningful change in individuals and society.
ACTIVITIES
WGVU Newsmakers - February 13, 2008
A discussion with Patrick Kamau, of Bethany Christian Services, and Ida Nagbe, a refugee from Liberia, on their participation in conversations about love and forgiveness. Bethany and several other organizations are partnering with WGVU in The Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, a project of the Fetzer Institute.
Conversations about Love & Forgiveness: November - December 2007
Bethany Christian Services, a partner in the local Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, has completed a series of four facilitated conversations about love and forgiveness with refugees from Burundi, Rwanda, Liberia and Somalia. Patrick Kamau, the key facilitator, is a pastor, Master level therapist, and a doctoral student in Supervisory Counseling. According to Patrick, a Kenyan who speaks Swahili, Kikuyu and English fluently, “our participants are in various stages of change in the process (in relation to love and forgiveness), including precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and a few are in the termination stage. These participants have different levels of need. In fact some are still struggling with the question, how can I forgive? My joy is that they are thinking and talking about love and forgiveness. My goal is to help them past the action stage.”
For more than thirty years, since the fall of Saigon, Bethany Christian Services has been a leader assisting refugees from around the world adjusting to a new culture, understanding and overcoming barriers to their new life, and helping them protect their cultures of origin while relieving their painful memories of horrors and atrocities suffered in their journey to their new homes.
Two other campaign partners, GVSU’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, and the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism in Battle Creek, will also hold facilitated conversations with students and a women’s coop group respectively starting in February 2008.
Forgiveness Sunday - September 30, 2007 - Battle Creek & Ypsilanti
Fourteen churches located in Battle Creek and one church in Ypsilanti participated in "Forgiveness Sunday" when each used their sermon to address the topic of forgiveness. Following the service, campaign flyers were available promoting the website, loveandforgive.org. These flyers were smaller versions of our approved campagin poster. A press release was sent out in advance to local media, including the Battle Creek Enquierer newspaper. Participating churches included: (1) Trinity United Methodist Church- Rev. Diane Gordon, (2) United First Salem Missionary Baptist Church Ministerial Alliance- Rev. Creighton Mabry, (3) Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church- Pastor Timothy Troxler, (4) St. Elias Eastern Orthodox Church- Rev. Father Lawrence Bacik, (5) Life Empowerment Ministries- Pastor Ricky Jones, (6) Immanuel Church of God- Pastor Hugh Smith, (7) First Salem Missionary Baptist Church- Pastor Craig Tatum, (8) Second Missionary Baptist Church- Rev. William Wyne, (9) Washington Heights UMC- Pastor James Richie, (10) Emmanuel Covenant Church- Bishop Hugh A. Smith, (11) Central Christian Church- Pastor Gordon Pippen, (12) Trinity Lutheran Church- Pastor Nelson, (13) Chapel Hill United Methodist Church- Rev. Dave Morton, (14) St. Peter Lutheran Church- Rev. Patricia Mohr, (15) Restoration Life Church- Pastor Alan Gegnell.
Kickoff Event August 27, 2007
Held in Battle Creek at the Burnham Brook Center, this served as the final event for year one and a kickoff event to introduce year two. It was hosted by the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism, and WGVU Public Broadcasting. The evening activities included a dinner, presentations, a screening of both documentaries, and entertainment provided by area violinist Roland Sunkins.
The purpose of this event was to celebrate the successes and activities that occurred during year one and to introduce the activities and goals for year two. This evening did a good job of illustrating the relationship of love to forgiveness by bringing together participates from year one conversations with people who will be involved during year two through conversations facilitated by one of the partners, the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism. Both The Mystery of Love and Power of Forgiveness were screened in order to provide a context of the overall project.
Between 80 to 100 people were in attendance representing several different organizations, including: The City of Battle Creek, The Battle Creek Enquirer, Battle Creek Public Schools, Bethany Christian Services, The Fetzer Institute, ISAAC (Interfaith Strategy for Advocacy & Action in the Community), JONAH (Joint-Religious Organizing Network for Action & Hope), Kalamazoo Valley Habitat for Humanity, Kellogg, LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), Miller College, The National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism, NIBC (Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek), Olivet College, Planned Parenthood of South Central Michigan, the City of Springfield, Trinity Luthern Church, VAMC (VA Medical Center), Women's Coop, WGVU Public Broadcasting, and Willard Library. In addition, numerous individuals from the community were present.
Several people presented an overview of the CLF, including Ms. Mickey Olivanti, Program Officer of the Fetzer Institute, Ms. Dizzy Warren, Executive Director of the National Resource Center for the Healing of Racism, and Steve Chappell of WGVU Public Broadcasting.
The comments from attendees received at the conclusion of this event were overwhelmingly positive. Many expressed thanks for providing opportunities to dialouge about these important topics. One person suggested that our country needs more of this. Several people requested additional information and asked how they can get involved. This event was videotaped. Contact information, including e-mail addresses, was collected from attendees in order to spread the word about the CLF and as a means of providing information about future activities.
