Susu Lassa
Standing Up for Peace on
Capitol Hill “It isn’t enough to talk about Peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.” -Eleacovert and drone warfare; and nor Roosevelt. unarmed civilian protection. In terms of foreign policy, as the Romans 12 articulates the call Church of the Brethren has a to be personally transformed vibrant history and large conand bear witness to the peace gregation in Nigeria, our office we have received. The Church of the Brethren Office of Peace- convenes the Nigeria Working building and Policy aligns with Group, creating a space through which the various organizations this verse, seeking to live the involved in providing humanpeace of Jesus publicly by aditarian assistance and actively vocating for Brethren values engaged in the country can like peace and simplicity with come together to educate and the context of U.S. policy. As advocate on issues in the norththe Church of the Brethren is east and middle-belt regions of a historic peace church with a moral aversion to war, the work Nigeria. The office also, through partnerships with groups like done by the office lives at the Churches for Middle East Peace nexus of peacebuilding and and Christian Peacemaker U.S. domestic and foreign polTeams, coordinates direct advoicy. Located on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, the office also cacy with Congress, meetings focuses on ecumenical interfaith with the State Department, and coalition sign-on letters. In relations on behalf of the denomination, working with other terms of domestic policy, last faith-based, non-governmental year the office’s racial justice associate worked to create the organization offices to address Native American Challenge and particular areas of concern within the scope of CoB’s annu- the Dikalos 2019 bus trip, which served to foster understanding al conference statements. and reckoning about indigeOPP works on issues relating nous issues for the Brethren. to: regional advocacy around Nigeria, Israel-Palestine, and There is much work to be done; the Middle East; racial justice and creation care; food security; the term peacebuilding alludes
to an organic process through which we must actively work towards building peace, and that is what the Office of Peacebuilding and Policy is doing. Serving as a public witness on the Hill, the office heeds the Biblical call to use our voices to speak out for justice.
