MEDA Recognition and Note from Cal to Pax men
Dear Pax men. The page you see reprinted from the Mennonite Historical Bulletin(July, 2011), the official journal of the Mennonite Historical Committee, tells us that Pax is considered one of two important events that began in 1951. What more can be said abut that it was your labors that allowed it to thrive and make such an impact. Please tell others about at this recognition and to check the Pax website.
Thanks Cal
If you can't read it the lower 1951 article reads "Mennonite Central Comittee starts the Pax program, sending volunteers to Europe to work on post-war reconstruction projects. Pax soon expands to Africa, South America and Sougheast Asia. ( with an arrow pointing to Pax worker Dean Hartman at Bechterdissen, Germany
Dear Pax men:
My hope is that you will not be irritated with my insistent pleadings. Roger Hochstetler's call some days ago triggered this letter. He asked me if I knew Howard Landes, of the first Pax group had died. I had heard of his passing, but the question Roger raised points to a major item. It seems Pax men are not immortal, and all of us will die but what we are doing with our pictures, letters and other evidence of the experience now becomes doubly important. Roger indicated that Howard had intended to write a history of the Greece Pax, but did not get it done. Howard had collected numerous sets of letters from Greek Pax men, but the statues of these is not clear but need to be made available to others interested in Pax, which illustrates the urgency of the problem.
As you know, Mennonite Archives at Goshen College is the official custodian of Pax materials, it is already large, and is being heavily used. The issue is, how can we get Pax men to send their letters, pictures, documents etc. to the archives? The Pax website is the best way to share information, but how many of our Pax Men use it? Tom Sawin, (bless his soul) is servicing the site, and Arlo Kasper is paying for the costs, (bless his soul as well) So we need to inform Pax men to check it, for all the information it contains. What are your suggestions. Can you help in this? Should we make this mailing list simply the general mailing list? If so, you have to help expand it, etc.. I do not have time to do this, plus other things pertaining to it....
Apropos, the Mennonite Historical Bulletin for July cites the Pax program, started in 1951 as the major event for that year. With Pax men going to the great beyond in increasing numbers, we need to act.
Lets make the Pax web site a major source of information. Have you all seen the wonderful account of the Pax activities at MWC in Asuncion last year? The pictures are great.
Pax Christi
Cal Redekop (Harrisonburg, VA)
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