Dear John,

Thank you to all those who attended our first Local Peace Economy meeting last night!

We left buzzing with excitement for all the local peace economy projects already seeding thanks to connections made during the call.

We hope you did too! You can watch the recording of the call and view the chat here. The passcode is N2zs!5QF.

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, January 31st at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET. We will be focusing on the pivots to peace during this call. Until then, work with the pivots in your own life. Choose one to focus on, or one every day. Bring others into your exploration.

You can find more information about the pivots on page 28 of the workbook. If you haven’t already, you can download a digital version of The Local Peace Economy Workbook for free, or you can purchase a physical copy.

Other resources shared last night were the Local Peace Economy Ecosystem and the Local Peace Economy wiki. Dive in, get inspired, and track your reflections and questions.

And remember, be patient. This is a process. Divesting from war economy addictions takes time and intentionality. Give yourself nine months. We have each other to lean on for support.

For those of you who want to create a New York City community, reach out to me, and we can start to plan something at The People’s Forum. 

If you have any questions, please email Emily at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you on January 31st!

Onward to peace,

Jodie and Emily

Summons 

by Aurora Levins Morales

Last night I dreamed
ten thousand grandmothers
from the twelve hundred corners of the earth
walked out into the gap
one breath deep
between the bullet and the flesh
between the bomb and the family.

They told me we cannot wait for governments.
There are no peacekeepers boarding planes.
There are no leaders who dare to say
every life is precious, so it will have to be us.

They said we will cup our hands around each heart.
We will sing the earth’s song, the song of water,
a song so beautiful that vengeance will turn to weeping,
the mourners will embrace, and grief replace
every impulse toward harm.  

Ten thousand is not enough, they said,
so, we have sent this dream, like a flock of doves
into the sleep of the world. Wake up. Put on your shoes. 

You who are reading this, I am bringing bandages
and a bag of scented guavas from my trees. I think
I remember the tune. Meet me at the corner.
Let’s go.