The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship calls for an immediate halt to the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a return to diplomatic talks. The Presbyterian Peace Fellowship (PPF) opposes all war. We maintain that the nonviolent realism of Jesus is more compelling than the so-called realism that attempts to justify war by any party.
Here are some commitments we are trying to hold in this moment, which we elaborate on in the rest of this statement:
- Putin needs to pull his troops out - we join with the world in raising our voices - join us on Sunday for a global day of solidarity
- The folly of nuclear stockpiles is - once again - obvious and inescapable in the face of Putin's threat
- We support war demonstrators, war resisters and conscientious objectors in Russia and in Ukraine as well
- This war highlights the direct link between the threat of war and fossil fuel dependence (this is why we united with Fossil Free PCUSA several years ago)
- For lasting peace, we must address imperialism and militarism in all its forms, including by the US and NATO
- This war is being covered differently in US media because Ukrainians are white and European; this is racism, and all victims of war and violence deserve the same level of coverage, outrage, and solidarity
- We are in prayer and discernment about how to "operationalize" our commitment to nonviolence in this moment
We are continuing to listen to Ukrainians and voices of those opposed to war to understand what is happening in Ukraine. As an organization with many layers of social advantage (Christian, predominantly white, Presbyterian, US-citizens, formally educated, and more) we are at a disadvantage for understanding nuance and too often seek simplistic answers and empathize more with people who “look like us” than others also experiencing the violence of war. We seek to approach this moment with humility and also with the courage to be in solidarity with victims of war and imperialism everywhere. That’s why we’re asking our network to participate in the March 6 Global Day of Solidarity with Ukraine as one such public action. Finally, we ask people to pray because prayer changes us, helps us face our own inclinations to violence and gives us the courage to seek accountability and the resilience to stay with tender hearts in struggles for justice. We also ask people to pray because it matters for people to hear and see that militarism and nationalism that celebrates violence and militarism is not faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
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