"Breaking Bows and Arrows"

Set on the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, Breaking Bows and Arrows explores the
challenging emotional terrain of personal reconciliation after a bloody civil
war.
"Winner of the United Nations Media Peace Award for Best Television for 2002"Screened at the Margaret Mead International Film Festival New York 2002Screened at the Commonwealth Film Festival Manchester 2002

On the island of Bougainville in Papua New Guinea, victims and perpetrators are coming together in traditionally based reconciliation ceremonies after a decade long civil war left the community bitterly divided. In the largest reconciliation ceremony yet to take, BBA follows fighters who
have killed each others families as they come together to break bows and arrows in a traditional gesture of peace.
On a more personal journey Francis Boisivere retrieves the bones of a chief he
killed, ceremonially returning them to the bereaved wife, Immaculate Atorevi. He
seeks forgiveness, she a release from the hatred she harbours.

1 x 52 minute documentaryCompleted in 2001
Producer: Ellenor Cox Writer / Director: Liz Thompson DOP: Joel Peterson & Liz ThompsonEditor: Stewart Young Composer: Felicity Fox Production
Co: Firelight Productions & Tiger Eye Productions
Screened: SBS TV
Australia, Vision TV Canada
Produced with the assistance of: AFC, NSW FTO, FFC and Soros
Foundation

Sales and Video sales contact: Ellenor Cox
at Firelight Productions. ellenor@firelight.com.au

QuickTime 1'
34"TRAILERUp to 5 min download timeFile size - 2.1 Mg


Director's Statement - Liz Thompson
I was inspired to make Breaking Bows and
Arrows after meeting Blendine Sisio, a widow whose husband was shot during the
decade long Bougainville Crisis. Blendine spoke of her desire to meet with her
husbands killers and the hope that together they could retrieve his bones and
give him a proper burial. Blendine was haunted by the fact her husbands remains
had not been brought to their rightful resting place and by the anger she felt
towards the killers. She wished not only to free herself from the bitterness she
carried but also to release the killers from the guilt and alienation she
believed they were experiencing. Her extraordinary desire to reconcile typifies
the sentiment of so many Bougainvilleans who have lost loved ones during the
war. Freeing themselves from hatred and the cohesion of the community is of
greater importance than revenge. This basic premise seemed to portray such a
message of hope and demonstrate the tremendous human capacity to forgive – it
struck me as a potent message and an example not only for other communities
traumatised and divided by war but for all of us. As the film unfolded the
largest inter-district ceremony yet to take place on the island was about to
take place after nearly three years of preparation. Key fighters from both sides
came together in a traditionally based reconciliation ceremony which included
thousands of spectators. Men who had killed each others’ families shared betel
nut, broke bows and arrows in a traditional gesture of peace, shook hands and
exchanged traditional wealth. Finally a stone was buried as a monument to the
strength of the commitment to end the fighting. Francis Bisivere, one of the
participants, then went on an even more challenging emotional journey. He dug up
the bones of a chief he murdered during the crisis and ceremonially returned
them to Immaculate Atorevi, the bereaved wife and relatives. During this process
he tells of how he seeks forgiveness and a release from guilt. As the wife and
family grieve over the coffin Francis is clearly moved….. the emotional legacy
of war is painfully evident and the pain and suffering he has caused are hard
for him to bear. After the ceremony Francis speaks of a new sense of freedom, a
release from ‘ the heaviness’ and a commitment not to ‘re-offend’. Immaculate
tells of the great relief she experiences at having buried her husbands bones in
their rightful place and that she now feels peace will gradually return to her
heart. Breaking Bows and Arrows is a powerful testament to the importance of
genuine healing after painful and bloody conflict so that not only those
directly involved can move forward but the legacy of hatred will not be passed
on to the next generation.

Brethren Serving as Chaplains in the US Armed Service

Does the work of military chaplains passively support the system of war?

It is clear that the military has established a special place for leaders of faith to support the spiritual needs of men and women in the United States military, but why haven’t the Brethren taken part in this ministry. It is an unconventional combination of skills and training which would prepare a person for such a call, but a combination that obviously exists. Answering a call to minister to the very needy…men and woman in the military who may be exposed to absolutely dreadful circumstances, seems to be as valid a call as any.
Ministering to individuals who are facing their mortality every day. Ministering to individuals whom are required to follow orders, which they may or may not agree with. Providing ministry to individuals who may have taken a life in war does not overtly seem to support the system of war. However, there are a lot of questions still to be answered. How else would an individual get to the “front line” to provide such ministry? Are military chaplains required to train with weapons? Are military chaplains required or expected to bear arms if or when confronted by the “enemy”? Are chaplains permitted to demonstrate passive non-resistance?

Currently, the US military is in great need of chaplains from ANY denomination. Citing an article from the 2/5/08 USA Today, “To persuade more ministers to enter the military, the Guard started a special recruiting program two years ago. Recruiters troll for prospects at church conferences, seminaries and major ministries. The Guard offers new chaplains a $10,000 signing bonus and $20,000 to repay student loans. There's also a $30,000 bonus for chaplains who stay in for a second six-year tour.” At a time when jobs are difficult to find, one that offers a signing bonus is hard to pass up.

And so in the absence of chaplains from denominations which openly support war and military service, it appears that some Brethren have considered answering this call. The Brethren enjoy a rich tradition of stepping up as volunteers in times of hardship and misfortune in addition to the rich tradition of “peace witness”. So, why not answer the call to military chaplaincy? If an individual has studied and understood the Brethren example of peace witness and still feels compelled to serve as a Chaplain, how can one argue that this individual is wrong? A common analogy to this dilemma is that we do not condone drug abuse, but we do minister to drug abusers. Although tarnished by their actions, they are not unforgiveable. Expressing love and compassion will likely help them to heal and to understand their misgivings, however, this ministry may be provided by a public citizen or a “civilian”.

Many Brethren have or are serving in the military and may, at worst, get the “cold shoulder” from fellow congregants upon their return from service. But this is the exception. Most will smile, hug and express gratitude for the service to our county, without hinting at our personal disapproval if it does exist.

However, could it be that we Brethren, do not want to encourage individuals to join the military with the comfort of knowing that a caring pastor will be there to help during difficult times. Is it a “tough love” mentality in which Brethren are making a statement by their absence? “If you choose to fight, we will not stand by to give you support for the fight.” Brethren have instead demonstrated peace witness, through conscientious objection or through alternative service.
As an alternative to military chaplaincy, why not provide ministry to the youth who are considering joining the military, prior to their induction. There is currently no draft system in the United States, so those who are fighting in wars are “conscientiously accepting” the concept of war as they have volunteered to be part of the system.

It is my personal opinion that one who decides to become a military chaplain is supporting the military machine as it has come to be known. They will undoubtedly become one more mouth to feed, one more unarmed officer to protect and one more uniform to be made and cleaned, and cleaned and cleaned. In addition to the salary paid, each active service member costs about $2100 per day. That is one expensive ministry.

HOME COOKING, HEALTHY RECIPES FROM NEW COMMUNITY PROJECT

The value of cooking one’s own food from scratch has a deeper value than simply reducing food costs. Understanding what is in your food and where those ingredients come from can help to promote a healthier lifestyle and more enjoyable meals. I find cooking to be a healthy, creative outlet and a good family activity. I am always looking for new and interesting recipes to try for our family meals. We encourage you to try some of these simple, healthy and tasty recipes provided through the New Community Project. I have tried the Vegan Banana Bread and it is outstanding. Later this Fall, we look forward to trying the Pumpkin Soup.

Vegan Banana Bread
5 or 6 overripe bananas
egg substitute (1/3 cup flour, 1 1/3 cups water)
3 cups flour
½ cup sugar, maple syrup, honey, or date sugar
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
1/3 cup oil
½ tsp vanilla
a pinch of salt
In a heavy saucepan, whisk 1/3 cup flour and 1 1/3 cup water over medium heat for 10 minutes. Let cool, then add sugar, bananas, vanilla, oil, and mush it all up. In a separate bowl, sift together 3 cups of flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift together with the wet mix, blend well and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 25-35 minutes.

Pumpkin Soup3-4 pound pumpkin
1 T butter
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1 t prepared mustard
13 ounce can low-fat evaporated milk
2 slices of rye bread cubed
Salt, pepper, nutmeg to taste
1/2 cup (packed) grated Swiss Cheese
Preheat oven to 350. Prepare the pumpkin as if making a Jack-O-Lantern (cut off top and scoop out seeds and strings). Rub the inside of the pumpkin with soft butter. Add all of the remaining ingredients. Cover the top of the pumpkin with foil and replace the lid. Place on a baking tray and bake until the pumpkin becomes tender, about 2 hours. To serve, scoop deeply to bring up pieces of pumpkin from the sides and bottom into the soup.

For more healthy recipes, please go to…http://newcommunityproject.org/recipes.shtml

Conflict

CONFLICT

Why do we avoid discussing and resolving conflicts? If the conflict is avoided and ignored, will it go away?

Do we simply fear “upsetting the apple cart” and possibly escalating the conflict? Do we want to avoid being an antagonist?

Are we afraid that tempers may flair? Are we afraid to start “something”?

Are we afraid of voices becoming loud?

Are we afraid that we may say something that we might later regret?

Are we afraid of what we might hear in return?

Are we afraid that we may become physically injured by someone who may disagree?

Are we afraid of irreparably damaging our delicate relations with others?

Do we fear that nothing will be resolved through discussing the conflict but yet contention will remain?

Are we afraid that we may discover difference and not know how to handle it?

Do we fear relationships that challenge our personal comfort zone?

Are we afraid to have a meaningful discussion? Can we disagree and still love each other?

Are we too proud to listen to reason? Is it possible to learn from a conflict?

Are we too selfish to see how our conflict affects those around us, like second hand smoke?

Is it not in our best interest to iron out the wrinkles so that the conflict does not continue to fester through generations?

SUBMITTED BY Todd A. Thomas
Peace and Justice Committee, Atlantic Northeast District Church of the Brethren