Dear John,

This moment of student protests are making one thing clear: local peace economies are possible. Student encampments across the country are living the local peace economy—taking care of each other, gifting food and camping supplies, skillsharing, making spaces for art and celebration... it's all right there.

And this moment is making another thing clear: the U.S. war machine attacks local peace economies. In the same way that the U.S. attacks peace economies abroad, it's attacking them at home—on college campuses.

This is a time to deepen our commitment to growing local peace economies in our communities. Not sure how to do this? Join us for our next Local Peace Economy Community Call on Wednesday, May 8th at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET.

During this call, we’ll be talking about The Offers and Needs Market—a project that grew out of local peace economy work with CODEPINK.

If you weren't able to be with us during our last meeting, we hope you can join us this time. You can catch up on our last call here. You can also watch the recording of our introduction to the Local Peace Economy Workbook during our first meeting here.

Local Peace Economy Community Calls take place every other Wednesday at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET. Newcomers are always welcome. Stay up to date on all of CODEPINK’s events here.

Next Community Call Topic: Offers and Needs Market

The Offers and Needs Market isn't just an online event—it's something you can bring into your communities to get your needs met collectively. As Jodie often says, what you need is in the room.

What do we really need, and how have our needs been co-opted by the war economy? What gifts do we each have to offer to our community? How can we bring an "offers and needs" orientation to our relationships?

We'll explore these questions and more as we learn together during the call. We look forward to being with you on Wednesday, May 8th!

Pivot to Peace

Scarcity to Abundance

The war economy tries to make us believe that we live in scarcity—that there is not enough (food, water, love, care, time) for all of us. When we live from scarcity, we think we have to be in competition with one another and hustle to get what we need. But the truth is that we live in abundance—that there is enough for everyone to have what they need when we live in community.

Where do you notice a sense of scarcity show up for you? Is there a need that always feels out of reach for you? What might it feel like in your body if you felt that you lived in a field of abundance and generosity? Can you root one action this week in a trust in the reality of abundance? Notice what happens when you do.

Read more about the pivots to peace here.

The Cycle of (Re)connection

Grief, care, joy, and celebration—these experiences are some of the key entry points for (re)connecting with ourselves and each other as we divest from the war economy. We call this the Cycle of (Re)connection, and it's important work to attend to as we cultivate local peace economies. In her article The Serviceberry: An Economy of Abundance, Robin Wall Kimmerer reflects on what an economy rooted in abundance and care look like, and what we can learn from the earth about how to care for each other.

Inspiration for the Journey

The local peace economy is all around us. Stories of the local peace economy inspire us and teach us how we can create a culture of peace together. On the Local Peace Economy Wiki, we’ve been gathering stories of local peace economy projects. Check out this story about how a mother and daughter experiencing homelessness grew a people's movement for a new economy based in care.

Resources

CODEPINK's latest radio show episode about the student encampments across the country is full of wisdom about local peace economies. Listen to the episode here!

You can always find more resources for your local peace economy journey on CODEPINK’s website. Here are some helpful links:

• Lean into supported reflection by downloading or purchasing The Local Peace Economy Workbook
• Tend to yourself with The Cycle of (Re)connection
• Find a community of practice with The Local Peace Economy Ecosystem
• Get inspired by The Local Peace Economy Wiki
• Listen to CODEPINK Radio's episode all about local peace economies

Don't forget to follow us on social media!

Please email Emily at [email protected] with any questions. We look forward to being with you on Wednesday, May 8th!

With care, 

Jodie and Emily

PS: Spread the word about local peace economies in your community—buy CODEPINK's new Local Peace Economy t-shirts and totes!