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A peace and justice community serving Tiffin and surrounding communities in Northwest Ohio.
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Art and Peggy Gish Visit Tiffin

Voices from Hebron and Baghdad: Stories of Non-Violence in the Midst of Conflict was the topic when Art and Peggy Gish, Christian Peacemaker Team members, spoke in Tiffin on May1 at St. Francis Convent. Peggy and Art Gish are peace, civil rights and human rights activists. Over the years they have been working to prevent injustice and violence from here to Hebron to Baghdad. Both are authors. They shared their experiences with Palestinians in the West Bank and with Iraqis in Baghdad and their efforts to remain non-violent in the midst of so much violence. Sponsors were St. Francis Spirituality Center, Tiffin Area Pax Christi, and the Sisters of St. Francis, Tiffin. Read about the work of Christian Peacemaker Teams at www.cpt.org.

A Gathering of Friends for Peace, March 16, 2007

Marking the 4th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq, Tiffin Area Pax Christi hosted a public gathering, called Friends for Peace in Iraq, on Friday evening, March 16, to remember the lives lost in war and to advance the cause of peace. The Friends for Peace observance began with an outdoor vigil at the corner of S. Washington and E. Market Sts. in front of the Seneca County Courthouse at 5:00 pm. At 6:00 pm participants processed to Old Trinity Episcopal Church, 125 E. Market St., for fellowship and refreshments, followed by a prayer service for peace at 7:00 pm in the church.

The 7 pm prayer service at Old Trinity Episcopal Church took place in solidarity with a service at the same hour at National Cathedral in Washington, DC, where thousands of people gathered to begin a Christian Peace Witness for Iraq culminating in a four-mile candlelight procession to the White House. The focus of this national peace witness, both in Washington and in cities around the country, included the following five points:

*End the U.S. occupation.
*Support our troops.
*Rebuild Iraq.
*Say NO to torture.
*Say YES to justice.

The national organizers believe, with Martin Luther King, Jr., that "the ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it."

The observance was sponsored by Tiffin Area Pax Christi.

Rachel Corrie theater production in Tiffin

Countndown to Zero Political Theater Collective performed My Name is Rachel Corrie at Heidelberg College, Tiffin, on Friday, April 25, 7 pm in Gundlach Theater. Read more about the production at the collective's website and learn how to bring it to your community.

Rachel Corrie (April 10, 1979 - March 16, 2003) was an American member of the International Solidarity Movement. (ISM) who traveled to the Gaza strip during the Al-Aqsa Intifada. She was killed when she tried to obstruct a Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozer operated by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

Where we've been and what we're about...

Tiffin Area Pax Christi was organized from a group of people who held peace vigils in front of the Seneca County Courthouse in downtown Tiffin from January through March 2003 during the run-up to the Iraq War. We held our first monthly meeting in May 2003, drawing 25 people from four counties and many different religious denominations. We chose to affiliate with Pax Christi USA, the national Catholic peace movement. However, our group is ecumenical and our members represent many denominations. After more than six months away from public vigiling, we returned to the sidewalk in front of the courthouse on January 15, 2004 to observe Martin Luther King Day, remembering King's courageous stand for peace. We then began organizing to host a rally on the first anniversary of the war, joining hundreds of other cities around the world for a Global Day of Action. After a series of daily vigils March 15-19, we culminated with a rally and march on March 20, drawing 175 people to listen to area speakers and process to the Veterans Memorial to remember those that had given their lives. We resumed regular vigils in April, 2004, following a three times per week schedule until November 2004, when we began vigiling weekly on Fridays, 4:30-5:30. We invite newcomers to join us. There are usually more than enough signs to go around. Other rallies we have sponsored include: Our group also sponsors a major speaking event each fall: During our monthly meetings we explore a wide range of topics related to our interests in fostering peace and social justice. We usually send several members to major peace rallies around the country, including the SOA Vigil at the gates of Fort Benning every November and rallies in Washington, Miami, and Oak Ridge. Members have also attended conferences held by Pax Christi USA, Catholic Peace Fellowship, and others.

Arlington Midwest, Toledo, March 2008

Tiffin Area Pax Christi is a cosponsor of the Toledo events marking 5 years of war in Iraq. Highlights of the observance are Arlington Midwest: The Human Cost of War and a March 22 rally. Click here for further details.





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