• Leader Resource 4, Statement of Conscience on Creating Peace

• Review and make copies of Leader Resource 4, Statement of Conscience on Creating Peace.

The story of the battle of Jericho is a morally ambiguous story, which challenges us to reaffirm our Unitarian Universalist commitment to peace. Distribute Leader Resource 4, Statement of Conscience on Creating Peace, and invite participants to read it. While adults read, explain what is in the statement in simple terms so that all participants can understand, saying: "Unitarian Universalists promise to work for peace in the family, in the community, and in the world in three ways. We will work to make sure people are treated fairly (peacebuilding); provide ways for people to talk to one another and reach agreements (peacemaking); and take action to help stop conflicts, wars, and violence if it starts (peacekeeping)."

As a group, take on a project to raise awareness of the Statement of Conscience in your congregation and local community. One possible project is the installation of a peace pole near your congregation's meeting house. The website of The Peace Pole Project has this to say:

A Peace Pole is an internationally-recognized symbol of the hopes and dreams of the entire human family, standing vigil in silent prayer for peace on earth. Each Peace Pole bears the message May Peace Prevail on Earth in different languages on each of its four or six sides. There are tens of thousands of Peace Poles in nearly every country in the world dedicated as monuments to peace.

Your organization is invited to plant a Peace Pole at each of your centers to highlight the important work you do in many countries to bring about world peace through inner peace. Your Peace Poles would symbolize your mission and simultaneously link your work with that of people of all faiths and nationalities worldwide who are striving for a better world. Won't you join this great network of peace?

Join with people of all ages to move a proposal for such a pole through the congregation's decision-making and fundraising processes, inviting children, youth, and adults to explain what peace means to them and why the installation of the pole will serve as a visible reminder of the Unitarian Universalist Statement of Conscience on Creating Peace. Engage people of all ages in designing an appropriate dedication ceremony for the pole, and invite local media to the event.