May 3, 2010 issue
Transatlantic peacemaking
Dutch CPTer counsels soldiers, recruits for peace
By Celeste Kennel-Shank Mennonite Weekly ReviewCHICAGO — Marius van Hoogstraten, 24, has learned some of the reasons why U.S. military recruiters are effective.
Marius van Hoogstraten is translating Christian Peacemaker Teams concepts for Europeans. — Photo by Celeste Kennel-Shank/MWR
Through his work for the Military Counseling Network in Bammental, Germany, a project of the German Mennonite Peace Committee, he has come to see how advertising for the military appeals to his peers in the United States with promises of honor and becoming a hero.
“It speaks of calling,” he said. “It speaks to a lot of young people who are struggling.”
At the same time, van Hoogstraten is recruiting people to be peacemakers instead.
Originally from the Netherlands, van Hoogstraten spoke about his work April 18 during a visit to the United States and shared observations from his experiences in peace work around the world.
Since he went through Christian Peacemaker Teams training in October in London — CPT’s first training in Europe — van Hoogstraten has been reflecting on differences in North American and European views on peace activism as he looks for how to best act on his own convictions.
“It will take a long while before I have any answers or definitely functioning approaches — that will probably never happen, it will always be a journey,” van Hoogstraten said.
‘Conviction of the Spirit’
He sees many similarities among the peace activists he knows in his home congregation, Amsterdam Mennonite Church, and in his work with the German Mennonite Peace Committee.
There are 9,000 members of Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches in the Netherlands and 46,000 in Germany, according to 2009 Mennonite World Conference figures.
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