responses to ICPJ in 5 years
Recently we asked you and others in the ICPJ community to share your thoughts about where you’d like to see ICPJ in 5 years. Here is what you told us.
The themes I see in this are that, whatever the issue, how we approach our work is important. We must work to be a diverse, inclusive community. Our interfaith approach is important, and there we can continue to improve as an organization.
Thank you to everyone who participated! This helps us as we consider where and how we should move forward.
From Steering Committee Community Building Retreat
(remember, these were quick, top of the head thoughts)
in 5 years
- Reflective of a wider range of social and economic groups
- Young, old middle class, working, poor, etc.
- Very capable of providing principled leadership in the two areas mentioned in this title: Peace and justice.
- Regional (if not national) in scope
in 5 years
- Attract younger activists
- Be more flexible in areas of activists
- Be more visible in community
in 5 years
- Keep increasing own connection with influence on congregations from a range of traditions
- Organized people to be affective voice for peace and justice
- Keep loading our own understanding of how to resolve conflict where people differ from us are coming from.
in 5 years
- I am showing a blank
- I like ICPJ’s work currently
- Now I’m getting some ideas…
- In 5 years, I hope we have more partnerships with local businesses, and that the Dinner and movie nights could be even well-attended.
- Engagement, somehow with people (in or out of congregations) who are not yet peace and justice minded.
in 5 years
- ICPJ’s reach extends to people who don’t already agree with us.
- Everything we do is really and truly focused on making a difference; we don’t have boring lectures or tasks that are only attended by our members.
- We know when to say “no” to in effective things so we can say “yes!” to effective things.
in 5 years
- That ICPJ be more broadly interfaith, and that it’s moderating conversations on issues that engage more members of the larger community.
in 5 years
- More student aged people on a regular basis
in 5 years
- Congregational connections and support on peace and justice issues identified by congregations themselves. ICPJ as a local resource.
in 5 years
- I like the multi-disciplinary, interfaith/ non faith many subjects part of ICPJ. In 5 years I’d like to see us mostly the same, only maybe with 4 stay people (double in size) and bringing more fun (arts, laughter, humor) to all of our activities, even the serious ones.
in 5 years
- I hope in 5 years ICPJ will have a greater ability to work with more religious congregations on a two way relationship of learning and serving.
- ICPJ will be able to involve more people in dealing with more of the pressing problems – locally and globally
in 5 years
- I would like to see ICPJ in 5 years from now 08-2013
- Every year growing the news letter by 35% each year.
- New folks supporting our work by 30% each year.
- Having a working fundraising committee
- Good finances – extra money to be able to do more
in 5 years
- 3 full or 2 full staff people ( 2 part time)
- A better data base
- 1000 dues paying members (50 Muslims!)
- Quarterly, regularly scheduled lobbying trips to the capital
- 25 or more active members on every task force
- $50,000 a year in incoming grants
- 50% local congregations participating in congregational organizing meetings
in 5 years
- I would be: More diverse (racially, ethnically, by age, by spirituality or faith tradition)
- More focused on specific, high impact campaigns
- A big larger (more rooms, more staff)
- More collaborative with organizations and congregations throughout SE Michigan
- But still have the passion of those currently involved.
in 5 years
- A place where people (from all different places) come to work together to solve a problem, on conflicts
- ICPJ, a place where people from very different places come and work together to solve conflict
in 5 years
- Focused on a few (5?) current issues that we feel ICPJ and our greater community can make a measurable impact on.
From Web Form
- I would like to see ICPJ doing what it is now, pointing out big problems with justice all over the world. I would also like to see more instruction on how war is inconsistent with the essential teachings of all religious/spiritual traditions, and trying to develop a worldview based on this which can be a strong influence on all cultures and governments.
- Vision: I would like to see a more spiritual faith base, less secular. This is very nice in the newsletter. Can ministers/priests/rabbis/imams lead more, even if this requires changing input mechanisms? I would like to see great good will among the ICPJ members.Less the “aginners” – I would like to see more “pro,” what we are for, and less communications emphasis on “con.” I think outsiders pick up a “feel” of an organization and new people and high school students are less attracted by people always protesting.
- I’d like to see the ICPJ deeply networked throughout SE MI; and doing collaborative work.
- Follow the International Criminal Court and call for an end to Israeli occupation of Palestine, the destruction of the apartheid wall, and a two-state solution according to the 1973 border agreement.
- Hello and thank you for the invite. ICPJ is productive,motivated and wonderful. ” I am a fringe or periphery member: involvement is hit or miss. Please continue to keep the open and validating nature of this organization. Accommodating, welcoming and inclusive, whether the individual or group is well known or unknown. How refreshing to enter into an activity and be warmly received and welcomed like family. Trust and faith can be challenging, however saving humans, the environment, the planet and making our life lesson a more meaningful experience is accomplished by those greetings when I or anyone comes through the door looking to give and help in their own way.”
- ICPJ should go where no one else goes! While taking a part of the community with it, it should be left of center. It should check out the facts and tell us the truth! It is doing that already, but it needs to be told every once in a while. Keep up the good work.
- In five years I would like ICPJ to be an unneeded organization because world wide peace and justice have been achieved!Realistically, I would like to see more student involvement. So many of the groups on campus start over every year because long term goals aren’t made. I’m not expecting students to leave their organizations, but if they know more about ICPJ, there could be more collaboration between groups.
This would probably be carried out by word of mouth. Last month I had invited a friend to the dinner and movie, and he immediately asked what ICPJ is, and if they would be willing to work with his group, Children of Abraham.
Just in the past two years student involvement has risen, so we’re already well on our way to achieving this goal. The interested students are out there; it’s just a matter of finding them.
- I would like to see ICPJ freely and unapologetically employ faith language from across the spectrum — not simply legitimating or justifying actions of justice-&-peace social advocacy, but also and especially weaving these actions into tapestries of communal prayer and meditation. I would also like to see ICPJ frame its advocacy in both bread-breaking celebrations across the faith mosaic and tangible and constructive projects of sustainable community outreach (w/, e.g., Avalon, Ozone House).
- I would like to see ICPJ:
- -Have 50% more active members
- -Taking on more great local campaigns like Health Care for MI -Developing a youth program, like how Peaceworks reaches out to high schoolers, couldn’t we reach out to youth groups?
- -Keeping up the weekly newsletter
- -Finding more funding and resources that can save time organizing so we can have more time hanging out : )
- In 5 years I would like to see ICPJ be a strong reflection of the faith basis of such topics as the Israel-Palestine scriptural peace discussion listed. Maybe a new Administration will follow King Abdullah’s advice and put full force into peace between these countries. – then the ICPJ can work on getting believers to help make it a reality. I am trying to make my contribution to this goal - ”Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s.”Also, Russ Fuller showed us that meetings can be a blessing. I understand that the author of the last piece is exaggerating for humor. Russ always started by asking each person how they were, and listening so beautifully, and caring for the answer! By then the joint energy was flowing positively. I also like the way he diplomatically gets all important tasks onto someone’s to-do list, so priorities are set, even if something stays undone.
I probably like political campaigns because we know they are urgent. One can’t hold action over till the next year.
Grace’s and my Catholic faith counts by milennia, which is in God’s path but beyond us.
I respect ICPJ as the best source of moral authority in Ann Arbor! (many secular groups shy away from this)
The Democrats intend a lot of good things, but they do not have reverence for a supreme being and the universal kindness which is brought with this.
I am guessing it is hard to get people to go to a physical meeting, but maybe you could expand the collection of thoughts by email. I’m on the Obama campaign’s Faith Community e-list, and every week they send us all a question (example: how much sacrifice should the U.S. do to save energy?).
There are many complicated consumer issues such as:
*Fair Trade tea and spices;
*lead we did not realize existed in toys on the shelf;
*Walmart as it changes by adding some healthcare and advertising that they promote women and minorities;
*what farmers are raising beef and pork,
*how much free range do these animals have, and humane slaughter practices.I wonder if you could unite the small number of people who have facts on some of these issues and get them to be a resource, maybe by email rather than in-person meetings.
