CPTnet
5 November 2014

UNITED STATES REFLECTION: Voting for peace
Jennifer Yoder, Communications & Engagement Director

Yesterday, I was calling old friends and letting them know I’d be in town to
talk about my work with Christian Peacemaker Teams. One friend asked me how I
like my new work in comparison with the political organizing I used to do. I
didn’t need to stop and think; the answer was easy. Working to gather votes for
this issue or that candidate, I had feelings of emptiness and inevitability.
Now, I love being able to apply my expertise, energy, and passion to
peacemaking, to resistance work that feeds my soul.


	Palestine team member stands with children on street and monitors soldiers’ treatment of 13-year-old boy

Today, I woke up and reached for my phone. What I saw was a
newsfeed flooded with rage, sadness, even despair. I remember those
post-election nights and days from my previous career. When the first issue
campaign I worked on lost, I cried more than a few bitter tears.

When I woke up today, though, my emotional state was not
connected to election results beyond passing feelings of hope and
disappointment. I woke up with
energy and conviction to resist violence, oppression, and injustice for another
day. It’s not that it doesn’t matter to me whether it’s politician A or B with
their hands in the gears of the U.S. system. Decisions made in the U.S. impact the bodies and lives of
people and communities in the States and around the world. It’s that now I’ve joined with so many
in the active, concrete work of ongoing peacemaking. And CPT, standing with our partners to transform violence and
oppression, was resisting yesterday, is resisting today, and will be resisting
tomorrow.

Peacemakers, activists, resisters of injustice, whatever
your feelings about today’s elections results: you can join today in our
transformative peacemaking work. Vote for peace today by investing in the work
of CPT. Thanks to you, members of CPT stand in solidarity with partners in
peaceful transformative resistance every day in Palestine, Iraqi Kurdistan,
Colombia, and Canada, no matter the U.S. election results
any given November Tuesday.