November 8, at 6:30pm:  Film, "Keeping the Peace"

The Building a Peace Community program of Pacem in Terris invites you to come and enjoy dessert followed at 7:15 pm by a showing of the film, “Keeping the Peace,” in Rodney Chapel at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1506 W. 13th Street, Wilmington, DE 19806. 

 “Keeping the Peace” is about Michael Berg who is well-known to members of Pacem in Terris and continues to support our organization from his new home in Norfolk, VA.  Michael was thrust into the media spotlight in May 2004, when his son, Nick, was abducted and beheaded by terrorists in Iraq, reportedly in retaliation for the torture of Iraqis in the Abu Ghraib prison. Saddened by the war and disgusted with the actions of the government, Michael decided to run for congress in 2006 in Delaware to end the war in Iraq. With very limited funds to run a successful Green Party Congressional campaign against his more organized and wealthier opponents, Berg's grassroots campaign was in for an uphill battle. “Keeping the Peace” is the new independent documentary that followed his journey.   

Debuted in Delaware at the Newark Film Festival, this showing is free and open to the public.  For more information, call 302-475-0407. 

November 9, 6:00-9:30 pm:   An Evening of Music, Film and Discussion About the Ongoing War in Iraq

Hearts and Minds Film presents, with the co-sponsorship of Delaware Pacem in Terris, “An Evening of Music, Film and Discussion about the Ongoing War in Iraq,” on Monday, November 9, from 6 – 9:30 pm at the Hearts and Minds Film Community Screening Room at the Wilmington Riverfront, 960 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE 19801.  

At 6 pm there will be a screening of CSNY/Déjà vu, a documentary film directed by Neil Young.  The war in Iraq is the backdrop as the Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young “Freedom of Speech Tour” crisscrosses North America.  Echoes of Vietnam-era anti-war sentiment abound as the band connects with today’s audiences.  Featured in the film is Iraq War veteran Josh Hisle, a songwriter whose experiences in combat in Iraq inspired songs of rage and regret, humility and hope.  Hisle and the phenomenal cello virtuoso Michael G. Ronstadt form the music duo Lost in Holland.

At 8 pm there will be music and a Question and Answer session with Lost in Holland (Josh Hisle and Michael G. Ronstadt).  Josh Hisle was 18 years old when the planes hit the towers on 9/11, and within the hour, he had enlisted in the Marine Corps.  He soon found himself serving in Iraq, and then volunteering for a second tour.  But the second time around, things began to change.     As the sun broke into the sky over Iraq and began to burn, Josh was returning from yet another sleepless night of fighting a faceless enemy.  With his mind racing towards a breaking point, he needed an outlet to release all the anger and pain.  He dropped his gear, put down his rifle, and picked up a beat-up acoustic guitar that he and his fellow Marines laughingly called “the vet.”     Josh began to channel his experiences, his trauma, his hopes and fears into his music.  He never shared the songs with his fellow Marines, fearing his changing feelings about the course of the conflict would undermine their morale, and his role as a leader.  When he returned home, he began to play, and his music began to create a stir.  When Neil Young heard him playing on footage recorded by CNN during the war, he decided to bring Josh’s voice to a new generation of Americans struggling to understand the meaning and consequences of a far-away war.  Neil Young says that , Josh …”sings with a lot of heart …his music could reach many ears and hearts.  I was struck by this man and his dedication.” This event is free, but persons who are planning to attend are asked to register for it on the Hearts and Minds Film website at www.heartsandmindsfilm.org    This is to insure a proper head-count for the light refreshments that will be served.  For more information, visit the website as well.