International Lasallian Days for Peace

I CHOOSE PEACE

International Lasallian Days for Peace (ILDP)
September 21 – October 21

Global Prayer Service

Hosted by DENA

Join us as we pray for peace in our world and for our Lasallian family.

Monday, September 21
3:00 pm EDT

JOIN THE PRAYER

Message from Superior General Robert Schieler, FSC

Greetings to all Lasallians who are connected to launch this year’s International Lasallian Days for Peace. Our theme is I Choose Peace.

We are connected today in the midst of the pandemic which has opened our eyes to glaring societal inequalities. As one author notes, “The virus has lain bare what people who have been oppressed or marginalized have long known – the injustice and unsustainability of the old order.”^[1]

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, reflecting on the state of affairs in the world, has said, “it is more important than ever to work for a culture of peace, as the essential foundation for global cooperation and action”.

As Lasallians concerned for the wellbeing of our sisters and brothers and dedicated to helping everyone, especially those who are poor, to live life to the fullest we know that there can be no peace without social justice.

As I reflect on the sickness, death, turmoil and disruptions that we are all experiencing, I am reminded of the words of Jesus’ at the start of his public ministry:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,^*

because he has anointed me

to bring glad tidings to the poor.

He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives

and recovery of sight to the blind,

to let the oppressed, go free,

and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”

(Luke 4:18, ff)

I believe that the Spirit of the Lord is upon us as we launch the International Lasallian Days of Peace. We are called to be proactively involved in concrete actions that free people from all kinds of oppression. When we do this, we indeed bring good tidings to the poor, the sick and the suffering.

We Lasallians must continue to accompany those who live on the margins and peripheries and join them in their quest for justice. I am convinced that Young Lasallians working together play an important role in making the world more just and more peaceful for everyone.

My response to injustice, poverty, sickness and war is: I choose peace. I invite each one of you to also choose peace. Our choice is not a simple slogan; it requires us to create effective strategies to make the world a better home for all. We have to start in our daily interactions with each other and together reach out to those most in need.

Let us choose peace and make 2020-2021 a year acceptable to the Lord.

I am grateful to Keane Palatino and the International Council of Young Lasallians for inviting all of us to choose peace as a way to bring glad tidings to the poor.

Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever.

[1] Brueggemann, Walter. Virus as a Summons to Faith. Eugene, Oregon. 2020, p. ix.

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English Poster

English Prayer

For more resources, visit the Region’s ILDP page

Dear Young Lasallians and friends,

Greetings! I hope all of you are well despite this difficult time.

I wish to share with you the poster and theme explanation for the 2020 International Lasallian Days for Peace (ILDP). We will celebrate this year’s days for peace with the theme: I CHOOSE PEACE.

We have organized a series of activities for ILDP 2020 that will include online sessions, discussions, and a celebration for the global Lasallian community. Please stay tuned for the dates and schedule of ILDP 2020 activities.

As in the previous years, we wish you all the best in your local ILDP projects & activities.

Always, I CHOOSE PEACE.

Keane Palatino
International Coordinator, Young Lasallians

Much has changed since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic — the challenges nations face have become amplified as a lot of people are displaced, many continue to be hungry, economies are down, borders remain closed, and millions have been infected by the virus.

I CHOOSE PEACE is our invitation to every Lasallian, as we virtually come together for this year’s ILDP. We encourage one another to continue to choose to make our world a better place and to choose peace even in the simplest of situations.

As we continue to be confronted with re-emerging societal issues of violence, racism, inequality, and poverty, let PEACE be our guiding principle in responding to the signs of the times. We call on the Lasallian family to continue the dialogue promoting peace and to TAKE ACTION toward a just, humane, and peaceful society.

Let us celebrate ILDP 2020 by virtually traveling around the world and connecting with other Lasallians as we say, I CHOOSE PEACE! We remain in this together, united and hopeful more than ever!

There is an urgency today to “set on fire” the Lasallian Catholic evangelical mission within each of our educational communities to do as Jesus did by joyfully announcing the radical Good News that God loves us all and calls us to cooperate in building God’s Kingdom.
— DENA Mission Assembly 2015, Evangelization and Catechesis, Directional Statement

To continue to safeguard the rights of our children and the young, we ensure a culture of nonviolence that educates for and cultivates peacemaking, advocacy and respect for the God given dignity of human persons and God’s creation.
— DENA Mission Assembly 2015, Service with the Poor through Education, Action Item 3