Though force can protect in an emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration, and cooperation can finally lead (people) to the dawn of eternal peace. — President Dwight Eisenhower

In Today's Workshop...

We talked about cooperation as a way to create more justice in the world. We heard a story about Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam/Oasis of Peace, a village in Israel where Jews and Palestinians live and learn together. We worked cooperatively on an art project and thought about the memory process.

Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam/Oasis of Peace

• To find out more, visit the village's website.
• Discuss the Oasis of Peace with your family and peers. Watch the ten-minute video about the village together. Did any of your family or friends know this village existed? Ask them to help you spread the word.
• Read the book Neve Shalom Wahat al-Salam: Oasis of Peace by Laurie Dolphin published by Scholastic Trade in 1993.

Religious Tolerance

• Religious tolerance can start one step at a time. Knowledge and a willingness to learn are two key steps. Talk to your friends. Ask about their religion and tell them about yours.
• ReligiousTolerance.org has a list of websites that support religious tolerance. Visit some of the websites and see how you can support these groups.
• One such group is the Interfaith Youth Core. Read about this group on their website. Watch some of the videos on their YouTube channel.
• The Interfaith Youth Core talks about "changing the conversation." The next time you hear someone speaking against another religion, speak up and say, "My Unitarian Universalist faith teaches me to respect other faith traditions, not put them down." Let the speaker know you do not approve and you do not want to hear it. Sound hard? Practice with family members and friends who share your opinion. Once you feel comfortable with them, try speaking up to family members and friends who do not share your opinion. This will make it easier to speak out to others.

Cooperation

• Play cooperative games with family and friends. PuzzleOnline has a free, downloadable cooperative puzzle. Other sites, like Learning For Life and Ultimate Camp Resource give instructions to many cooperative games.
• Host a cooperative game night at your congregation. Invite participants to lead their favorite cooperative game. Create a resource of such games for your congregation to use at retreats, conferences, or any time a game is needed.
• Do you ever work in pairs or teams at school? Do students get to pick their partners? The next time you need to pick a partner to work with in class, pick someone you do not know well. You will get to know them better and you might make a new friend.
• The next time you or your family work on a community service or justice project, invite a friend or another family to work on it with you. Many hands make light work!

Justicemakers Guide

• Remember to use the guide to note experiences you have this week with justice or injustice. What did you see? Were you able to help? If not this time, will you be able to help in the future? How will you prepare to help in the future? Do you need the help of others?