They sent this to me for participating in the forum on peace and peacemaking in Haiti and the Caribbean. It’s always good to be recognized for our work that contributes to a better future for humanity and human flourishing.
Peace is for everyone, and it should be our collective vocation and pursuit.
This article is about the talk on peace we did today.
https://share.google/zfGIlq21giFx68CC7
“Haitian Faith Leaders,Scholars Gather at Intl. Forum”
How Can Religious Communities Build a Culture of Peace and Nonkilling?
Ki Jan Kominote Relijye yo Ka Bati yon Kilti Lapè ak Pa Touye Moun?
Nou envite w patisipe nan yon gwo panel diskisyon avèk espesyalis ak lidè relijye ki gen bon konesans ak anpil eksperyans nan domèn nan. Objektif konferans sa a se eksplore fason kominote relijye yo kapab kontribye nan bati lapè, ranfòse tèt ansanm nan sosyete a, epi ede transfòme konfli san vyolans nan peyi Dayiti ak nan Karayib la.
Ayiti ap kontinye ap fè fas ak gwo pwoblèm sosyal, politik, ekonomik ak sekirite ki gen gwo konsekans sou lavi chak jou. Pwoblèm sa yo ap fè konfyans moun genyen youn nan lòt vin pi fèb, epi yo afekte relasyon nan mitan kominote yo. Kominote relijye yo toujou pami fòs ki gen plis enfliyans nan sosyete a. Yo kapab jwe yon gwo wòl nan ankouraje lapè, retabli konfyans epi fè moun jwenn espwa ankò.
Panelis yo:
Rev. Dieupie Chérubin: Ansyen Senatè Ayisyen
Dr. Déus Deronneth, Ph.D.: Ansyen Depite Ayisyen; Gouvènans, Ekonomi & Relijyon
Dr. Marc Junior Frère, Ph.D.: Teyoloji & Edikasyon
Josué Loyer: Etid sou Lapè & Rezolisyon Konfli
Rev. Genor Zamor: Teyoloji & Edikasyon
Dr. Celucien Joseph, Ph.D.: Literati Ameriken & Relijyon
Dat: Samdi, 5 septanm
Lè: 1:00 – 3:00 PM (Lè Lès, EST)
Fòma: Vityèl (Zoom), avèk entèpretasyon an dirèk Kreyòl Ayisyen ⇄ Anglè
Òganize pa: HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) & Caribbean Center for Nonkilling, Peace, and Conflict Studies (CCNPCS)
Patnè:
Center for Global Nonkilling (CGNK)
Institut de Gestion, Gouvernance et Études Politiques (IGGEP)
Latin American and Caribbean Working Group (LACWG) nan Nova Southeastern University (NSU)
You are invited to join an engaging panel discussion with distinguished scholars and faith leaders, exploring how religious communities can contribute to peacebuilding, social cohesion, and nonviolent conflict transformation in Haiti and the Caribbean.
Haiti continues to face social, political, economic, and security challenges that affect daily life, strain social trust, and test relationships across communities. Religious communities remain among the most influential forces capable of shaping peace and restoring hope.
Featuring:
Rev. Dieupie Chérubin: Former Haitian Senator
Dr. Déus Deronneth, Ph.D.: Former Haitian Representative; Governance, Economics & Religion
Dr. Marc Junior Frère, Ph.D.: Theology & Education
Josué Loyer: Peace & Conflict Resolution Studies
Rev. Genor Zamor: Theology & Education
Dr. Celucien Joseph, Ph.D.: American Literature & Religion
Date: Saturday, September 5
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM EST
Format: Virtual (Zoom), with live Haitian Creole ⇄ English interpretation
Hosted by: HWPL (Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) & Caribbean Center for Nonkilling, Peace, and Conflict Studies (CCNPCS)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdiL6Z0JPxGdPe228JqGvDSVQQrmvSiq-lJwgKaPfhFFTAF7g/viewform
You are invited to join an engaging panel discussion with distinguished scholars and faith leaders, exploring how religious communities can contribute to peacebuilding, social cohesion, and nonviolent conflict transformation in Haiti and the Caribbean.
Haiti continues to face social, political, economic, and security challenges that affect daily life, strain social trust, and test relationships across communities. Religious communities remain among the most influential forces capable of shaping peace and restoring hope.
Featuring:
Date: Saturday, September 5
Time: 1:00 – 3:00 PM EST
“The Secret Kiss in the Dark”
He watched her from a distance,
sleeping on a lost love for years,
afraid to wake and discover
the possibility of a new start.
He pursued her with a secret kiss,
a gentle smile she couldn’t resist.
He kissed her fully, passionately,
and something inside her began to glow.
The panic of love,
the thought of surrendering herself,
slowly faded away.
His commitment brought clarity,
instilling confidence in her
to let love triumph.
Two hearts, once guarded,
now held tightly to each other.
They held on until the end,
through every fear,
every moment of uncertainty,
every moment of doubt,
every storm that tried
to weaken their passion.
Nothing could break their bond,
for they had finally found
the courage to say, “We do,”
and a rose blossomed:
a symbol of enduring love
in the springtime of their souls.
“I Make My Choice”
I woke up this morning longing for you:
longing to see you,
longing to be near you,
longing for the warmth of your touch,
yearning to feel your hands upon me.
Longing to hold your face in my hands,
to look into your eyes,
to smile at you as though it were our first date,
as though we were discovering each other
for the very first time.
In that moment,
our first words would quietly echo:
I am ready to fall in love with you.
It feels like the beginning of a new romance:
the first page of something beautiful,
the beginning of a love that will last.
In that moment,
two hearts emerge,
two hearts that refuse to give up on love.
Two souls willing to say,
I do.
I let my passion guide my choice.
I surrender my feelings to you.
I decide to walk beside you.
Two minds strong enough
to believe in commitment,
to choose each other,
to hold on when life becomes difficult,
and never lose sight of what brought us together.
Today,
I make my choice.
I choose you.
I choose to love you.
I choose to commit to you.
I choose to believe in us.
“The Bible and Its Many Interpreters”
It’s true that we might read the same Bible, but we understand its message differently, and we often use different lenses and frameworks to make the Bible aligned with our actions and programs. Our social location, societal status, gender, privileges, and ethnicity might influence what we believe the text says about God, to us, and the community we belong.
For those who are sick, God is their healer.
For those who are weak, God is their strength.
For those who suffer oppression and exploitation, God is their Liberator.
For those who are hungry and thirsty, God is their provider.
For those who need protection from injustices and abuses, and destructive powers and systems, God is their fortress.
Yet there are certain interpreters who use the Bible as an instrument to support acts of violence, dehumanization, military invasion, xenophobia, and discrimination. Others use Scripture as a tool to proclaim peace and reconciliation, improve human condition and political systems, and heal the wounded and the affected. For them, the God of the Bible is a Liberator and that the Bible should be used as a tool for liberation.
How are you using the Scriptures in your life?
“Running to You”
I say yes to you
for the rest of my life.
I will choose you
even in your weakest moments,
when you doubt yourself,
when you cannot believe
that we have a future together.
I will stay
when fear tells you to run.
I won’t give up on us when you want to let it go.
When you need access to my soul,
I will run to you.
Not because I have to,
but because loving you
has become the deepest yes
I have ever known.
“When Distance Becomes Near”
I am hungry for you,
and it makes no sense to wonder
how far away you are.
If you were near,
I would pull you toward a door
for which only we possess the key.
I don’t want distance anymore.
No space between us should divide
two hearts already locked as one.
I crave your next kiss
before the first one has even begun.
Let anticipation become a melody
that salutes the night.
Let desire linger between us
until it grows stronger
with every breath.
I want you so gently
that I wish the clock would stop
and everything good that is not you
would disappear from sight.
I want you so completely
that the movements of people and birds,
the rough winds,
the waves of the sea,
and the heavy rain
would all fade into the distance.
I want you to stay
while a world without you
and every thought without you
moves farther and farther away.
I want the music,
the melody à deux—
your voice teasing my ears,
your breath welcoming my embrace.
I want the noise
and distractions of the world
to become silence.
I want time and space
to hide nothing from us:
nothing between us,
nothing separating us,
nothing standing between
two hearts that have already
chosen each other—
though we are far away.
I want only the closeness of you,
a place where our world
never has to end.
I want the distance
to become near.
I want you,
like a gentle light
that shines within me.
Celucien L. Joseph, PhD, Professor | Author | Public Scholar | Academic Consultant 