Presbyterian Peace Fellowship E-News - New Action Circles + Atwood Institute Save the Date

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship E-News These are heavy and uncertain times for many of us. When the world feels overwhelming, it can help to stay connected with others who are committed to building a more just and peaceful future. At Presbyterian Peace Fellowship we believe faithful action grows from community, reflection, and shared commitment. Below are several ways to stay engaged, learn together, and take part in the work of peace in the weeks ahead.   Save the Date: James Atwood Institute for Congregational Courage  Kansas City, MO  Tuesday–Friday, September 15–18, 2026 The James Atwood Institute for Congregational Courage will gather clergy and lay leaders from across the country for training, community building, and practical tools for gun violence prevention ministry. The Institute equips congregations to respond faithfully to the epidemic of gun violence through theological grounding, organizing strategies, and community partnerships. Registration will open soon! In the mean time, mark your calendars and stay tuned for more details. Learn More Here Preparing for General Assembly 2026  Milwaukee, WI  June 2026 Presbyterian Peace Fellowship will be active at the 2026 General Assembly, gathering with Presbyterians from across the church to build relationships, advocate for peace and justice, and support key overtures before the Assembly. Peace Breakfast Friday, June 26 | 6:30–8:30 PM Immanuel Presbyterian Church 1100 N. Astor St., Milwaukee, WI Join us for an evening of fellowship, food, and inspiration for the work ahead. Together we’ll honor our Presbyterian Peaceseekers, discuss key issues being considered at the Assembly, and learn more about the ongoing work of Presbyterian Peace Fellowship. Keynote Speaker: Dr. Osamah Khalil, Professor of History at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and author of America’s Dream Palace and A World of Enemies.  Tickets available May 1 at presbypeacefellowship.org Community Day of Action Saturday, June 27 As part of the Presbyterian Decade to End Gun Violence, Presbyterians will gather for a Community Day of Action on gun violence prevention. Activities may include a Guns to Gardens demonstration, public art using dismantled gun parts, and resources to help congregations take action in their own communities. Planning Our GA Witness Will you be attending General Assembly as a commissioner, delegate, corresponding member, or overture advocate? Would you like to volunteer with PPF or help with pre-GA advocacy outreach? Contact: info@presbypeacefellowship.org   Faith Leaders Speak on Asylum: Stated Clerk Signs Amicus Brief The Rev. Jihyun Oh, Stated Clerk of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), has signed onto an amicus brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case addressing the rights of asylum seekers. The case, Department of Homeland Security v. Al Otro Lado, challenges the legality of the “turn back” policy that previously allowed U.S. agents to turn away people seeking asylum at the U.S.–Mexico border. The brief reflects ongoing faith-based advocacy for migrants and refugees and raises questions about due process and the ability of asylum seekers to pursue protection under U.S. law. The Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments in the case after a long legal process that began in 2017.  Read the article: “Stated Clerk of the PC(USA)’s General Assembly signs on to amicus brief in Supreme Court case about asylum seekers.” Videos Highlight Palestine Solidarity Overtures to General Assembly The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship blog recently highlighted two videos produced by the Palestine Justice Network that explore key Palestine solidarity overtures coming before the upcoming General Assembly. In “Why Support the PC(USA) Genocide Overture,” Ruling Elder Noushin Framke reflects on the overture On Recognizing that Israel Has Violated the International Law Prohibiting Genocide, bringing together personal experience and legal analysis. A second video, “Why Support the PC(USA) Overture to Embargo Israel,” features Dr. Bob Ross, who draws on decades of work related to Palestine and lessons from the sanctions movement against apartheid South Africa to explain the call for an embargo as a nonviolent strategy for justice.  Watch the videos and read more on the PPF blog. Rev. Tricia Lloyd Sidle shared this prayer from the Sabeel Ecumenical Liberation Theology Center in Palestine with the Palestine Solidarity Working Group. We’re sharing it as a moment for reflection and prayer.  "Good God, protect all the people of this land as they face more uncertainty and oppression. We feel unable to do anything in the face of an empire that discards all the pretenses of human rights and international law. Answer our feeling of powerlessness with the courage of the Holy Spirit which reminds us that if only we have faith the size of a mustard seed, we can do much." — Matthew 17:20   Winter Issue of Briefly Now Available The Winter issue of Briefly is now available. This issue includes reflections, updates, and writing from across the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship community.  Download the Spring Briefly Protecting Children Action Circles Earlier this year the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group hosted a Protecting Children from Gun Violence Action Circle, and the response was incredible. Participants gathered to learn, share stories, and explore faithful responses to the reality that gun violence is the #1 cause of death for children in the United States. They are excited to offer a new spring Action Circle and invite you to join us. Gather a group from your congregation or community and take part in these conversations about practical steps congregations can take to help protect young lives.  5 Wednesdays on Zoom April 15 – May 13, 2026  12 PM ET | 11 AM CT | 10 AM MT | 9 AM PT  Register: https://ppf.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ppf/event.jsp?event=450&  Learn more: https://presbypeacefellowship.org/gun-violence-prevention#protecting-children-action-circles Upcoming Working Group Meetings Our working groups continue to meet regularly and welcome new participants. If you’re interested in getting involved, we invite you to join a meeting. Upcoming gatherings include: Gun Violence Prevention Working Group Peace Church Working Group Presbyterians for Abolition Palestine Solidarity Working Group  Visit our calendar for meeting dates and registration details.

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WCC News: Nuclear victims of Marshall Islands remembered in Geneva

The legacy of the 67 known nuclear weapons tests in the Marshall Islands between 1946 and 1958 caused long-lasting impacts to the environment and health of the population, and this year, the devastating tests were acknowledged and lamented at a ceremony in Geneva. Exhibition honouring the victims and survivors of nuclear testing done in 1950s in Marshall Islands, hosted at the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva by the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Mission of the Marshall Islands in Geneva on 8 March 2024. Photo: Albin Hillert/WCC 11 March 2026 Ambassador of the Republic of the Marshall Islands H.E. Doreen de Brum delivered a speech about the poignant moment of reflection and sacred space for remembrance. “We remember a time when our islands—once a place of peace, abundance, and ancestral belonging—became the testing ground for weapons of unimaginable destruction,” said de Brum. “Many lives were irreversibly shattered by decisions that were made far beyond our shores, and even further beyond our control, imposed upon us by global political forces and the drive to test the destructive power of nuclear weapons.” De Brum called for people to continue to build on each other's knowledge and experiences. “We are committed to equipping the next generation to carry this truth and responsibility forward with understanding and confidence, so that one day meaningful and lasting redress is realized,” she said.  This year, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Geneva, together with the Caux Initiatives of Change Foundation, co-hosted the commemoration. A lived reality  Jennifer Philpot-Nissen, World Council of Churches (WCC) programme executive for Human Rights and Disarmament, spoke at the National Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day for the Republic of the Marshall Islands held on 6 March at Geneva’s Maison de la Paix, co-sponsored by the WCC. “Through visits, consultations, and listening to survivors and their descendants, one message has become unmistakably clear: the nuclear legacy is not history—it is lived reality,” said Philpot-Nissen. “Over the last year, we have spoken particularly to our constituents and others who are members of the Marshallese diaspora living in the US. Many of these told us that they trace their migration directly to the impacts of nuclear testing, compounded by climate change and limited opportunities at home.” This year’s commemoration is significant as the world approaches 80 years since the US nuclear weapons testing programme began in the Marshall Islands, on 1 July 1946, Philpot-Nissen explained. Participants of the National Nuclear Victims Remembrance Day for the Republic of the Marshall Islands held on 6 March at Maison de la Paix, Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Peter Kenny/WCC The nuclear tests continue to challenge the right to life, right to health, right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, among other rights, for the Marshallese. In 2026, 1 March was the 72nd anniversary of the Castle Bravo Test, the largest nuclear weapon ever detonated by the United States, causing catastrophic human rights and humanitarian consequences for the Marshallese people. US immigration enforcement  “Changes in immigration enforcement have caused some Marshallese families—many of whom have lived in the United States for decades—to worry about deportation over minor infractions,” said Philpot-Nissen. “Some community members have even expressed fear of simply taking a morning walk. And yet, amid these challenges, there are also powerful stories of solidarity.” The theme of the 2026 event was “Añin Jitbon Mar – Spiritual Calling from our Islands.” Philpot-Nissen explained that church communities have walked alongside the Marshall Islanders in practical and spiritual ways, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, congregations provided financial assistance for food, rent, and medical bills. Churches opened their buildings so Marshallese congregations could worship and preserve their spiritual traditions. Declassification of records        Still, she insisted, “There must be recognition of and truth about the full harm done to the people, lands, and waters of the Marshall Islands, through full declassification of records.” The 2026 theme for the ceremony is inspired by the recognition that the Marshallese experience with nuclear weapons is an atrocity to humanity and calls for a universal response. Philpot-Nissen said the Marshallese people are appealing to the global community’s conscience to acknowledge, address, and seek justice for the lasting human rights violations caused by the nuclear legacy. Ignacio Packer, executive director of Caux Initiatives of Change said, “Between 1946 and 1958, 67 nuclear weapons were detonated in the Marshall Islands. “For many of us, those numbers belong to history books. For the Marshallese people, they belong to family stories — to illness, to lands that could never be returned to, and to a relationship with the ocean and the land that was deeply disrupted,” said Packer. “Today, we listened to those voices. And they were not speaking only about the past. They were warning the world.” The Marshall Islands is an island country in Oceania, and its official population in 2021 was 42,418. WCC member churches in the Marshall Islands WCC's work on the Arms control and disarmament See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 356 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa.  Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland