THE CALL TO THE STEPS
What a great day! July 21, 2016 on the City Hall Steps, San Antonio, Texas
In these times of senseless bloodshed and violence, both globally and nearby, another even stronger movement of common unity and compassion is happening in the world and in San Antonio. From within that movement, the individuals and organizations signed below issue this call to all our neighbors and fellow citizens:
A Call to the Steps of Peace
towards a Compassionate San Antonio!
On July 11, 2016, our city leadership issued a challenging call to action from San Antonians after the sad, violent events of the last weeks.
In response to the city’s call, we in the movement of common unity and compassion offer our resources of peacemaking skills, nonviolent education, community relational networks and strategic coordination through the lens of compassion. We extend our city leadership’s call to all people of San Antonio and beyond.
This call today is to:
- A hopeful vision that we can all share for our children and our children’s children, of life free from violence and fear,
- Common ground of potential good will that lies within each of us, even when it cannot be seen outwardly,
- All peoples of good will, good faith, good reason and good hearts,
- A golden reminder to treat others the way we wish to be treated ourselves.
There is no need to look further than to the compassionate resources within each of us, the very resourceful soul of our own city. The answers we seek already exist within us and require only our uniting together.
We, the undersigned below, are resolved to:
- Move forward in our continuing efforts toward a vibrant and compassionate San Antonio;
- Reach out to all as our neighbors, no matter who they are, near or far; no matter their race, religion or relationship in this world;
- Stand strong and firm together with you, fellow San Antonians, hand in hand, always looking forward, not retreating in the wake of the violence among us;
- Offer our skills and human resources, our lives and our commitment towards a peaceful and compassionate San Antonio.
San Antonio has a rich history of rising to the times by holding peace in our hearts and saying no to violence. “Not in our City!” Join us in this history-making today. Sign with us, engage with us, be with us in becoming the best “we” that we can be in San Antonio and in this world we call our home.
In trusting collaboration with each other, we sign and say, “Compassion lives here!”
signed by:
Lissette Cantu
Sarwat Husain, President CAIR-SA
Maria Camacho-Biemer
Narjis Pierre, Muslim Community, peaceCENTER
Cynthia Phelps, PhD InnerAlly
Zet Baer
Karen C. Ball, San Antonio peaceCENTER
R G Troxler
Rosa M Quintanilla
Jan Olsen, San Antonio peaceCenter
Rev. Jay Brown
Christina M. Guerra
Rev. Diane M. Datz
Mary Grace Ketner
Ron Nirenberg, City Councilman District 8
Mustafa Aktepe
Sr. Martha Ann Kirk
Maria Hilda Piñon
Katherine Aikens
Karen Jackson
San Antonio peaceCENTER, Rev. Ann E. Helmke
Kathy Angelo Lee
Tom Heger
Rebecca Lawrence-Weden
Brian LePort, Interim Director of The SoL Center
Leslie Helene Siegel
Victoria S. Garcia
Rev. Michael W. Lawrence-Weden
Anthony J. Blasi, Pax Christi San Antonio
Angeline (Susie) Castillo Munoz
Kay R. Cote
Dana Clark
Deb Myers and Nickie Valdez
Margaret Costantino
LarryHumanist/Green/VeteransforPeace.org
Barbie Gorelick Callanan, peaceCENTER, Interfaith Inc., SoL Center, ICOSA
The Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Committee of the Incarnate Word Sisters
World Interfaith Harmony Week San Antonio Coalition
Junior League of San Antonio, Andrea Collette
Peter K Bawa
Susan Ives, peaceCENTER
Ettling Center for Civic Leadership, Monica Cruz
Dialogue Institute of Southwest, Raindrop Turkish House, Sumeyra Tek
Terry Palin, First Unitarian Universalist Church, San Antonio
The Texas Drought Project, Alyssa Burgin
Rev. Gerry Metzger
The Lazarus Community
Bethany Congregational UCC
Joan Cook Carabin, Lavaca Neighborhood Association and St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Shar McKelvie
Jacob Nammar
InterfaithINC, Sr. Alice M. Holden, CCVI
First Unitarian Universalist Church, Social Justice Committee, Diane Duesterhoeft
Tony Villanueva, President, Palo Alto College chapter, of AAUP
New Creation Christian Fellowship Church, Rt. Rev. Dr. Michael J. Laney
New Creation Christian Fellowship Church, Reverend Leonora D. Laney
Marian Center of San Antonio, Michele Maxwell
The Intercultural Development Research Association
The Rainbow Warriors, Kingsley Osborn
Marga Speicher
Jack Balsley
The Junior League of San Antonio, Civic Training Manager, Monica Trevino-Ortega
Jay Brown
Katrina Joyner
Marcia Goren Weser
Ute A. Hall
Keith Wideman, Haven for Hope
Don D. Arispe, CFAR–The Center for Formative Action and Reflection
Caryn Wideman, peaceCenter
Baha’i Faith Community
Rabbi Samuel and Lynn Stahl
Jane M. Grovijahn, Associate Professor, OLLU
Victoria S. Garcia
Celebration Circle of San Antonio, Rudi Harst, Spiritual Director
d.ellis phelps, poet-peacemaker
Janet Grigsby, PFLAG & CAUSA Board Member
Dianne Fetchick
The San Antonio Coalition Against Genocide
Susan Smylie
Doris H Miller,MSW,LCSW
Rebecca McCarty
San Antonio Coalition Against Genocide (SACAG), Barry Hubbard
Gilda Bejenaru
Barbara Ehemann
Brian Halderman, LMSW
Rev. Paul Ziese
MacArthur Park Lutheran Church
Mrs. Elizabeth Ortiz
Andy Friend, peaceCENTER
MAYOR TAYLOR'S CALL TO ACTION
Dear friends,
The past several weeks have been filled with tragedy.
This truth became especially apparent to me when earlier in the week my 12-year-old daughter showed me YouTube videos of the recent shootings and asked me, “Mommy why does this keep happening?” While we still have more to learn about the killings of Philando Castile and Alton Sterling as well as the murder of six police officers in Dallas, I urged Morgan to think about how we can be a part of the solution.
It’s the same call-to-action that I urge each and every one of you to take up as well.
How can we as “One San Antonio” let the tragedies of recent weeks strengthen our resolve to do what is right rather than turn away? How can we, in the wake of such distrust, reach out to our neighbors in order to tear down walls of anger and resentment and create a more unified society? And how can we stand with our fellow residents against the horrific violence that is shaking our country?
As you go about your upcoming week, please pause and consider how we as individuals, San Antonians, and Americans can be promoters of peace; reflect on how we can more deeply care for our neighbors; and continue to keep everyone who has been affected by these recent tragedies in your thoughts and prayers.
We may have a long way to go to heal the wounds of last week but I know that change can only start when we begin to work together.
Grace and peace,
Mayor Ivy R. Taylor