PEACE

PEACE = (P)eople (E)ngaged in (A)ctive (C)ommunity (E)fforts
P.E.A.C.E.

P.E.A.C.E.

Check out the Website: www.peacepbc.org/
The largest grassroots organization in Palm Beach County addressing issues of social justice, this interfaith group has member congregations as far west as The Glades, as far north as Jupiter, and as far south as UUFBR. Members of UUFBR serve on the Criminal Justice Steering Committee, participate on committees with active justice campaigns, and attend public actions to create positive change in Palm Beach County. The largest action of the group takes place in the spring. UUFBR runs a free bus from the Fellowship and back.

PEACE – People Engaged in Active Community Efforts is an organization made up of over 20 congregations in Palm Beach County and our Fellowship is one of them. As your interim minister and as one who has worked for justice with a sister organization in Volusia County, I want to invite the members and friends of UUFBR to become more involved in the continuing work of PEACE which seeks solutions to problems in the county that affect us all because as Dr. King said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” But I don’t extend this invitation for myself – in other words, don’t do this for me, do it for YOU. I promise if you get involved in the work of PEACE, you will be well rewarded with your choice of attending events, researching solutions, speaking with civic officials, and gaining a deeper understanding of why community problems exist, what can be done to solve them, and how being involved in these processes can add meaning and awareness to your life as a UU and a citizen of Palm Beach County.
What follows is a schedule that describes the arc of the work PEACE does each year. In sum, PEACE perennially engages the arc of:

  • The Listening Process –August to October
  • The Community Problems Assembly –October
  • Research-to-Action Process –November to February
  • Nehemiah Action Assembly, and the Celebratory Dinner – March to May

On October 15, after the worship service, UUFBR will engage in the Listening Process by having a one-time, all invited House Meeting. Lunch will be served, and you will break out into small groups to discuss the current and unresolved problems PEACE is working on: Affordable Housing (Homelessness), Police Community Relations, and Mental Health and Addiction. At House Meetings, commitments to become Justice Ministry Network Members are confirmed.
The House Meetings in all congregations of PEACE will culminate in the Community Problems Assembly (CPA). This year’s CPA promises to be an exciting one with a conversation with the Palm Beach County Sheriff planned and candidates for upcoming local elections will be present to speak on our ongoing issues.
If you find you have an interest or passion for an issue, you can join one of the Research teams where you will research on the issue, interview experts on the subject, and through this process begin to discern possible solutions. For example, Mental Health and Addiction is a broad problem and topic. Part of the research process requires the solution to be specific and winnable.At times this can be quite challenging!
Research to Action leads to solutions that will be put before civic officials at the Action Assembly. Thus, much of the work of PEACE is ongoing and more than a bus ride to the convention center once a year for the Nehemiah Action Assembly, this year on April 8, 2024. The work of PEACE is ongoing, rewarding, and results in effective,permanent solutions to unjust and inequitable conditions for Palm Beach County citizens. When we work for justice, equity, and compassion for our neighbors, we work for a healthy vibrant community that benefits us all.We are PEACE, we are neighbors!