Happy Holidays to Beyond War Friends,
The Beyond War Board of Directors wishes you all a season of peace, joy and love. We appreciate your efforts to bring about a world that works for all, and to respond to every situation with love, not war.
We want to thank you for all your support in this past year, and to acknowledge that it has been a challenging year of transition for the organization. As most of you know, we successfully completed a great matching fundraising campaign about this time last year, which was devoted to creating a new website look and capacity for our national organization. That project has been completed, giving us the capacity to provide an interconnected website for chapters or local groups all over the country. We are still working to refine content and increase the usage of the site, and we plan to improve and update functions as funding allows.
At the same time, we moved our international office to Portland, Oregon, USA and added staff members, only to realize in a very short time that such expansion plans were much too aggressive for the state of our organization. Over the course of the year, we eliminated all paid staff, and moved to a virtual office staffed by volunteers.
While we recognize an ever increasing need in the world for embracing the principles of Beyond War in order to address the critical issues of our time, we are also evaluating the role of the international membership based organization of Beyond War. We celebrate the work of numerous local chapters, groups and individuals who continue to educate others and work together in their communities. We are excited to see more and more organizations joining the overarching movement of which we are part to bring about a world that is environmentally sustainable, socially just and spiritually fulfilling—a world that lives and works without war. Each organization focuses on the piece it does the best. All the pieces are needed, and no one can do them all.
We are currently assessing whether what is most needed in this time is to have the Beyond War principles practiced within EVERY organization rather than to build a separate Beyond War international membership organization. Most of our affiliated local groups are indeed working with and within other existing organizations. They focus on actions relevant and needed in their communities, and they work together with a spirit of good will, resolving conflicts and making no one an enemy. They recognize that we are all part of one integrated whole, and polarizing and warring does not help the whole.
As we further assess the organization’s role and get feedback from all of you, we will keep you informed of what we are learning. For now, we will continue to provide the vehicle for those working locally to LIVE and BE beyond war to exchange information, ideas and materials via the website and our YouTube Channel. We will continue to make available the tools we’ve produced, including the Living Beyond War book http://www.beyondwar.org/living-beyond-war-book , course materials http://www.beyondwar.org/become-everyday-peacebuilder , and the introductory video, Building a World Beyond War: A Roadmap for Citizens, which is available in DVD format or on our YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyFoeocz2nM&list=UU9ojjd8tJ0Ww2l7KEl9Q9tA....
We will let the change that is emerging around us take shape from the bottom up, and will encourage each of us to nurture it where we live and work. We will further explore partnerships and synergies for bringing about the change we know is needed in the world. Through sharing the practices of beyond war that we see taking hold, we can recognize that each one of us is part of a “Great Turning” that is occurring on the planet.
Because we are letting go of building a bigger organization and international effort until we know what is most needed, we are not doing our traditional year-end fundraising mailing campaign or asking for significant donations for a particular project or effort. Of course, we will continue to need financial support to utilize the systems of communication and interconnection we have in place and to improve their effectiveness. We appreciate those of you who support this through your continuing monthly and annual donations, and encourage others to support the ongoing effort. We will also accept donations to support the activities of specific local groups who are working to “pay forward” the principles and practices of living beyond war. If you would like to make a year-end or an ongoing donation, you may donate electronically by clicking the “Donate to Beyond War” button at www.beyondwar.org, or you may send a check or information for credit card donations to Beyond War, 1616 SW Harbor Way, # 610, Portland, OR 97201. Please call or e-mail us if you have questions or prefer to have a donation form.
We look forward to evolving our future together. Please send us any thoughts and suggestions you have now or as they come to you. Early next year we may be sending you a request for specific feedback on what you see is most needed at this point in history. Thank you for your support and for being the change that is needed.
On behalf of the Board of Directors,
In peace,
Elaine Hallmark, President