Mission Network relaunches "Stir Up Peace" video series

ELKHART, Ind., Jan. 13, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- (Mennonite Mission Network) — In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Mennonite Mission Network has relaunched "Stir Up Peace," a free nine-episode educational video mini-series that details how nonviolent direct action can be applied to create change. The relaunch includes the addition of a study guide to be used by individuals, churches, and groups.

The project is a collaboration between Mission Network and husband-and-wife team Jonathan and Sarah Nahar with the aim of empowering congregations and individuals to address social problems nonviolently. The Nahars have many years of experience in peacemaking work. They live in Syracuse, New York, where Sarah is working on her doctorate and Jonathan works in Palestinian advocacy and with the Dismantling the Doctrine of Discovery Coalition.

Nonviolent direct action is a strategic response to violence, racism, oppression, and injustice. These creative tactics reject physical force and the threat of violence, to achieve collective goals. It has been applied globally, including the United States, such as during the Southern Freedom Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Most recently it has been applied by leaders calling for police reform in protesting fatal cases of police brutality, particularly against people of color.

"Nonviolent direct action is an important way for Christians to respond to the world around them," Johnathan Nahar said.

Each of the nine episodes touches on a different aspect of what nonviolent direction action looks like and how it can be applied. For example, Episode 1 references Martin Luther King Jr., who reminded us that patience is necessary in that "the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice."

"We believe that participating in nonviolent direct action is a faithful way of following Jesus," Sarah Nahar said in the episode.

Explore the "Stir Up Peace" video series on MennoniteMission.net.

Mennonite Mission Network, the mission agency of Mennonite Church USA, exists to lead, mobilize, and equip the church to participate in holistic witness to Jesus Christ in the world. Mission Network envisions every congregation and all parts of the church being fully engaged in mission — across the street, all through the marketplace and around the world.

Media Contact: Wil LaVeist, senior executive for advancement, Mennonite Mission Network, [email protected], +1 (574) 523-3077

SOURCE Mennonite Mission Network