Dear John,

Summer is a time when people connect. The sun is out, the air is warm, and neighbors see each other more often. But what if we were more than just "neighbors"—what if we were a community? What would this take, and what might it look like?

These are the kinds of questions we explore during our bi-weekly Local Peace Economy Community Calls. During these gatherings, we learn from and support one another in our journeys to cultivate community where we live. We hope you'll join us for our next call on Wednesday, June 5th at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET.

During this call, we’ll be talking about pivoting from individualism to self-responsibility—a common roadblock we see on people's local peace economy journeys.

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: From Individualism to Self-Responsibility

During our last Local Peace Economy Community Call, community organizer Calandra Davis shared with us about the challenge individualism poses to cultivating community—and how commonly it arises in organizing efforts. Individualism is the disease (and dis-ease) of the war economy. It takes us away from the truth, which is that we are all connected. In order for our local peace economies to flourish, we must come to know the way individualism lives within us and pivot instead to self-responsibility, which allows us to take responsibility for our needs, our values, and our contributions to the world.

Where do you notice individualism showing up in your thoughts and actions? Where are you acting for yourself, separated from others, your community, and the planet? What's one thing you can do in your current context to take responsibility for your contribution to your community?

We'll explore these questions and more as we learn together during the call. In the meantime, you can read more about individualism and self-responsibility on page 87 of The Local Peace Economy Workbook. We look forward to being with you on Wednesday, June 5th!

Pivot to Peace

Reactionary to Investigative

As you consider your relationship to individualism and self-responsibility, feelings may arise about how you've acted individualistically in your life. This process can be supported by another pivot: reactionary to investigative. The war economy trains us to react mindlessly to whatever we are feeling, seeing, reading, etc. This allows the war economy to capture our hearts and minds to support its goals. But we have a choice; rather than immediately reacting, we can bring awareness and curiosity to our experience. 

When do you notice yourself being reactionary throughout your day? Are there certain topics or experiences that easily trigger you? How might you bring an investigative orientation to your exploration of the ways individualism lives inside you? How does that shift the process of pivoting away from individualism, if at all?

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 this podcast, host Kelly Hayes talks with Cara Page and Erica Woodland, authors of Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care, and Safety about the need to pivot from individualized self-care to a way of caring that takes care of all of us.

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 collectives empower people to understand the financial side of life.

Resources

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
• Read why the local peace economy is an antidote to the weaponized confusion of war

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, June 5th!

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!