Supporters of Grassy Narrows in Toronto on Sept. 27. (Photo courtesy of CPT)
Through the weight of ongoing struggles over logging, mercury poisoning and, most recently, mining, the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation in northwestern Ontario continue to defend their interests and make their voices heard.
CPT's award depicts two hands, the smaller hand cradled by the larger, and both cradling a globe. (Supplied photo)
Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT) was awarded the International Peace Award by the Community of Christ Church and the Shaw Family Foundation on April 22 during the church’s international conference.
CPT Iraqi Kurdistan met with Kak Bapir and some of the villagers of Basta village from the Pishdar district on Feb. 2, 2022. Basta villagers have been partnering with CPT since 2008. Basta village is one of the hundreds of villages that have been targeted and bombed by both Turkey and Iran for a long time. CPT is working alongside the villagers to stop the Turkish and Iranian cross-border bombings. (Photo courtesy of CPT)
The organization formerly known as Christian Peacemaker Teams has changed its name, replacing the meaning of that first letter with “Community.” I have two reactions. First, the name change is good for the organization. Second, it shows that the broader church has not caught the vision of the peacemaker Jesus.
After 35 years of committing itself to the transforming power of nonviolence through activism grounded in partnerships with local peacemakers worldwide, Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) is now Community Peacemaker Teams. The organization chose the word “community” because it reflects the diversity of its membership. Everyone at CPT is encouraged to bring their expression of spirituality or faith, or what motivates them, to the work of peacebuilding while grounded in CPT’s shared values of equality, human dignity, justice and peace. “Community” also reflects the essence of its work.
