Dear John,

Join us Wednesday, September 25th at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET for our next Local Peace Economy Community Call!

We always deeply appreciate our time together during these calls and the opportunity to touch into what's present amidst the violence of the war economy. This week, as we witness the violence in Lebanon and approach the one-year anniversary of October 7th, we'll touch into our grief together.

If you weren't able to be with us during our last meeting, you can catch up on our last call here.

Touching Into Grief As a Practice of Resistance

As we continue to watch Israel's genocidal violence in Palestine and now its attacks in Lebanon, we return to grief and its role in cultivating the more beautiful future we want to live in. Allowing ourselves to feel the grief, pain, and broken-heartedness the war economy creates is part of our resistance to its violence. As Joanna Macy says, "unblocking our pain for the world reconnects us with the web of life."

The war economy attempts to control the ways we are supposed to express grief and for whom and what we are supposed to grieve. It tries to cut us off from the full expression of our grief because our grief is an expression of our humanity. Our grief reminds us what we care about and desire—peace, connection, love, and meaning.

How do you experience grief in your life? Do you have the time you need to grieve? Do you feel supported in your grieving process? How might you engage your community in a shared grieving process for what has been lost or stolen by the war economy? What is needed to co-create grieving spaces together? What have you learned from your grief?

We'll explore questions like these during our call together on Wednesday, September 25th. We hope you'll join us!

A Ritual for Grief: Grief Jar

Rituals can help us hold our grief. The war economy has tried to remove or warp rituals in our lives, but we can reconnect and remain tethered to our humanity through ritual. What rituals or practices do you engage in to connect with your grief?

Here's a simple practice from Tricia Hersey of The Nap Ministry you might use or adapt to connect with grief (excerpted from this blog post):

"An idea on creating a Grief Jar: Find a small/medium-sized jar or container around your home that can serve as your “Grief Jar.” Place in a prominent area of your living space so that it can become a symbol for the beauty of grief, lament, and mourning. I have a small mason jar on my desk in my home office. Next, cut up pieces of paper large enough to write text and small enough to fold up. Throughout your day and week, take a few moments to notice and allow for moments of grief. Yesterday, I wrote of my tenderness and sadness for my 12-year-old son who will not be able to celebrate his birthday this weekend with his annual sleepover with friends. He told me he is sad and we leaned into the grief together ...

After making space to notice these feelings of missing, write them down on a slip of paper and add it to the jar. Do this as many times as you need to. Skip some days if that feels right. Let the grief jar serve as a container for the particulars for the now and remembrance of your grief journey. Take a nap or daydream for a few minutes each day that you add to the Grief Jar. Be still."

Want to deepen your reflection on your relationship with grief and its role in cultivating a peace economy? Find more support on page 100 of The Local Peace Economy Workbook and on The Cycle of (Re)connection page of the peace economy website.

October 1st: Local Peace Economy Learning Hour: What Is A Co-op?

Want to learn more about the local peace economy? Perhaps the concepts resonate with you, but you're not sure what it looks like in practice. Or maybe you know there is another way to live together and you want to learn from people creating those ways. Join us for our first Local Peace Economy Learning Hour on October 1st at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET!

This month, we'll be learning about co-ops from Kate "Sassy" Sassoon, someone who describes herself as a "co-op native." What is a co-op? Why are co-ops part of the peace economy? How can I get involved in co-ops near me (or maybe even start my own)? Bring your questions and come learn with others who want to cultivate peace in their community through the local peace economy!

October 15th: Creating a New Culture: Peace Economy Writing Workshop

Calling all writers, artists, and culture workers! Join other creatives cultivating peace in their communities on October 15th at 5:00 PT/8:00 ET for our FIRST monthly peace economy writing workshop! We often talk about art and culture being at the center of our shift to a peace economy. This workshop is an opportunity to work on writing (poems, stories, songs, etc.) that cultivate the peace economy: a culture of empathy, solidarity, connection, and community. All skill levels welcome. Come connect with your creativity and other peacemakers—we hope to see you there!

Additional Resources

You can always find more resources for your local peace economy journey on the peace economy 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 episodes all about local peace economies - Ep. 242 and Ep. 256
• Read why the local peace economy is an antidote to the weaponized confusion of war
• Stay up to date on all of CODEPINK’s events here.

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 soon!

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!