Update: Lots of good news as Peace Overtures leave committees for plenary

By Jan Orr-Harter

The committees have all finished their deliberations and have forwarded their proposals to the GA plenary for final votes.

Big News: the Report in Committee 11 on Reducing Gun Violence passed the committee unanimously—and this one has some teeth in it in terms of specific congregational programs and direct action against the gun stores where weapons used in crimes tend to be sold. (View Report)

In Committee 14 on the Middle East, it's more complex. They approved the Iraq overture, calling for sticking with the announced troop withdrawals in 2010 and contractor withdrawals in 2011, with no permanent US bases in Iraq (View Overture). They approved the overture affirming the Goldstone Report and calling for investigation of the Israeli attack on Gaza in late 2008-2009. They passed the overture calling for the US to enforce its human rights stipulations on weapons sales uniformly, including with Israel (View Overture). That alone is a huge step, as it could imply the ending of US military sales to Israel, based on human rights abuses. They did not recommend divestment from Caterpillar or to name the occupation of Palestine as "apartheid." The Mission Responsibility Through Investment Report was approved, calling for the "denouncement" of Caterpillar (View Report). The Middle East Study Committee report was approved with changes (View Report). We know that a minority report will be coming to the plenary, likely giving the plenary another chance to vote on divestment and more. If you can, call or email your presbytery commissioners on divestment right away.

The biggest news is in Committee 13. After approving a strengthened version of the overtures calling for US withdrawal from Afghanistan (View Overture), they went on to pass the Colombia overture, calling the US to reverse its plan to add more military bases in Colombia and to assist in a peace negotiation process to end the war there (View Overture). The committee took positive action on overtures and commissioner's resolutions to support democracy, peacemaking partnerships and support for justice issues and peacemaking in Sudan, Haiti, Korea, Madagascar and Honduras.

THEN...Committee 13 went on to meld together the Nonviolence Overture (13-6) with various other proposals for study and strengthening peacemaking in the church. They not only called for a four year study of nonviolence, but stated outright that nonviolence is already the direction in which the church is called. They inserted a statement that it is the policy of the PC(USA) to love our enemies (View Overture). From observing this committee, it feels to me that the ground has shifted in the American mind on the utility and morality of modern warfare. As PPF Co-Moderator Roger Powers put it, "It was like the holy spirit blew through the room. We in the Peace Fellowship were awestruck." Not a bad 2 days. Stay tuned.