Upcoming event on Sunday 6-21-09

This weekend, I will have a house guest:

Circle of Peace NC Speaking Tour June 22-25, 2009 With Fr. Louie Vitale

How do we relate with individuals and countries that believe differently than we do? How do we deal with our so-called enemies? Is torture morally acceptable? How do we respond to terrorism?

Father Louie Vitale has been grappling with these and other related questions for nearly half a century since he began his journey as a young man when he had a conversion to nonviolence after he left the Air Force. A Franciscan priest and former provincial of the California Franciscan Friars, he co-founded the Nevada Desert Experience – a movement to end nuclear testing -- and Pace e Bene. He has also served as pastor of a Catholic church in a low-income neighborhood in San Francisco, CA for more than a decade. He is the Pax Christi 2009 Teacher of the Year. He and other Pace e Bene facilitators have led faith communities of many traditions in the practice and spirituality of peacemaking.

Fr. Louie has been active in anti-torture and faith-based human-rights advocacy in several paths. He served 3 and 6-month sentences for crossing the line twice at the School of Americas in Fort Benning, GA, where the U.S. trains Latin American soldiers in torture techniques. Then Louie served 5 months for crossing the line and praying at Fort Huachuca (the military installation in Arizona where the U.S. trains American Intelligence Officers in “Enhanced Interrogation” tactics such as the much- publicized water boarding, among other torture methods). Fr. Louie also recently traveled to Iran with the Fellowship of Reconciliation as part of an Iran Civilian Diplomacy Delegation to dialogue with the government and people of Iran.

Fr. Louie Vitale will be appearing at the following North Carolina venues

Asheville, Sunday, June 21, 6:00 pm
LOVE YOUR ENEMIES: Transforming Us vs. Them Thinking
Lecture Hall at Thomas A. Simpson Administration Building,
Asheville-Buncombe Technical College
340 Victoria Road, Asheville NC

Charlotte, Monday, June 22, 7:00 pm
Park Road Baptist Church, 3900 Park Rd , Charlotte

Raleigh, Tuesday, June 23, 7:00 pm
St. Francis Assisi, 11401 Leesville Rd. Raleigh

Greensboro (Stoneville), Wednesday, June 24, 7:30 pm
St. Francis Springs Prayer Center, 477 Grogan Rd. Stoneville
Complimentary supper (RSVP) 6:00pm, presentation at 7:30pm

Durham, Thursday, June 25, 12:00 Noon
Religious Coalition for a Nonviolent Durham monthly luncheon – guests welcome
Shepherd’s House Methodist Church, 107 N. Driver St, Durham

Chapel Hill, Thursday, June 25, 7:00 pm
Church of Reconciliation, 110 N. Elliot Rd. Chapel Hill

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Pace e Bene’s vision is Dignity, justice, and peace for all. Its mission is to foster a just and peaceful world through nonviolent education, community-building, and action. Formed by a small group of Franciscans and others in 1989, Pace e Bene is a growing community representing a diversity of spiritual traditions and cultural backgrounds that networks with nonviolence practitioners in many parts of the world.

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Asheville's event is sponsored by WNC Veterans for Peace, Asheville Friends Meeting and War Resisters League Asheville.