Global Anabaptist Peace Network (GAPN)

12 October 2021 at 14:00 (UTC)

Within the framework of the Peace Sunday, the emerging Global Anabaptist Peace Network (GAPN) is promoting the two-hour webinar “¡Ubíquese! (Place yourself)” on 12 October 2021.

The title of the webinar – “Ubíquese” in Spanish, which can be roughly translated as  “place yourself” in English – suggests the importance of re-thinking and re-locating our witness to peace within “COVID times” and in contexts dealing with past or present injustice. This term also signals the need to root ourselves with the courage to stand as peace witnesses.

For this occasion, we invite voices active in peace witness in Canada and Colombia to reflect with us in what to means to be in solidarity; to walk with vulnerable people and communities in these two contexts.

• In the case of Canada, the focus will be on the discussions of past and present injustices committed against Indigenous peoples and communities.
• In the case of Colombia, the aim is to focus on the post-peace accord context, its implementation and the recent national protests which have highlighted cases of police brutality.

We hope this input (including the challenges, dilemmas, examples of peace witness and signs of hope) will invite each participant to reflect on and engage in the conversation from their own realities.

The goals of this webinar are:

1. to serve as a space for people and Anabaptist/Mennonite peace organizations to meet and exchange – one of the key aims of the emerging GAPN;
2. to offer a space in which we can reflect more deeply in what it means to walk in solidarity or companionship with communities and organizations in different contexts and realities – as we seek to build peace; and
3. to be an opportunity to know and share more about the GAPN, our next steps and our first GAPN gathering next year in Indonesia (2022), within the framework of the MWC Assembly 17.

If you would like your organization to be a GAPN member, please click below to fill out a form.