Evan Simpson, a member of the Board of Directors for the non-profit group Become Peacemakers, stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Tuesday, May 2 to introduce the organization and goals.

 

(0:00) 836 is our time this morning in the weekday wake up. (0:02) What you just heard was the Peacemakers trailer (0:05) called from the group Become Peacemakers, (0:09) which recently was organized in the state of Wyoming. (0:12) And here to talk more about that group is Evan Simpson.

(0:15) He’s one of the board members across the entire state (0:18) for the group Become Peacemakers. (0:20) And Evan joining me live in studio. (0:22) Evan, good morning, how are you doing today? (0:23) Good morning, Duke.

(0:25) And I appreciate you taking some time. (0:26) So Become Peacemakers, you’re part of a board (0:30) of a handful of business and civic leaders, (0:33) farmers, ranchers, and everyone on the board (0:38) involved in various churches and Christian congregations (0:42) across the entire state as well. (0:44) So tell us about Become Peacemakers (0:46) and what is this group? (0:49) Thank you, Duke, appreciate this opportunity.

(0:52) The Become Peacemakers group is an interfaith organization (0:56) which was recently established (0:58) in response to rising tensions and violence (1:01) in Wyoming and throughout the United States. (1:04) This initiative is a nonpartisan movement (1:07) of Wyoming Christians who are stepping out of the chaos, (1:11) whether it is political or personal (1:14) and boldly examining our own actions (1:17) and getting back to truly following Jesus’ teachings (1:21) to promote dialogue, understanding, (1:23) and peace within the state of Wyoming. (1:26) And so this is an initiative (1:30) that this group has been put together for how long? (1:33) When did this come together? (1:35) We’ve been organized as 501C for about a year now.

(1:39) Okay, so it’s still a relatively new group. (1:41) And how did you become involved with it? (1:46) The originator of the group, his name is Matt Michaeli. (1:50) He’s a lawyer in Cheyenne.

(1:51) And he reached out to fellow community (1:55) and faith-based leaders throughout the state. (1:58) And he invited me to participate as a member of the board. (2:01) Okay, and so you mentioned kind of the goal (2:04) and the focus of this group, Become Peacemakers.

(2:07) What are they doing across the state (2:09) to accomplish its goals? (2:12) Our group plans to engage in various outreach efforts, (2:16) including social media campaigns, (2:19) grassroots volunteer training, (2:20) and encouraging elected officials (2:22) to lead with humility and civility. (2:26) Our group aims to create a supportive environment (2:28) for discussions and promote the biblical principles (2:32) of peacemaking. (2:34) All right.

(2:34) And so people are probably gonna maybe see some more, (2:38) hear some more about this group. (2:40) And how do they get involved with it (2:42) if someone would like to participate? (2:47) If this topic resonates with any of your listeners (2:50) and they want to become a peacemaker in Wyoming, (2:53) they could consider joining (2:55) the newly formed interfaith group (2:58) called Become Peacemakers, (3:00) which aims to foster civil discourse (3:02) and community engagement. (3:04) They can Google Become Peacemakers Wyoming (3:09) and visit our website.

(3:11) Perfect. (3:11) And you can visit becomepeacemakers.org. (3:14) Evan Simpson in the studio, (3:16) he’s one of the board members of the group, (3:17) Become Peacemakers. (3:18) Evan, what else would you like to share (3:19) about this organization? (3:22) Duke, as we come to understand what peacemaking is, (3:26) we realize being a peacemaker (3:28) involves more than just resolving conflicts.

(3:31) It requires fostering an environment (3:33) where everyone feels heard and valued. (3:37) Key qualities include active listening, (3:40) empathy, and conflict resolution skills. (3:44) We can all be peacemakers in our own homes, (3:46) communities, and social groups.

(3:49) We can learn practical skills (3:51) that can help us build bridges, (3:55) heal relationships, (3:56) and engage in productive conversation (3:58) about even the hardest topics. (4:02) So, of course, we’re in an election year, right? (4:06) And candidate filing period is wrapped up (4:10) and we’re about to really head into the campaign season (4:13) across the state of Wyoming. (4:15) So how do you see this group, Become Peacemakers, (4:20) impact how we have civil discussions (4:23) on a local level like right here in Lincoln County? (4:26) That’s a really good question.

(4:27) When I was a legislator, (4:32) all of the legislators were good Christian people. (4:37) And in fact, we began every morning (4:39) in the legislature with a prayer. (4:43) However, I noticed during campaign season, (4:47) some of the legislators and others who were opposing them (4:51) began to just do underhanded tactics (4:54) and throw mud and sling (4:56) and just badmouth their opponents.

(5:01) Unfortunately, statistics document (5:04) that mud slinging is an effective way to win votes (5:08) and that’s why they do it. (5:10) I’d like to see us as voters change that trend. (5:15) If you see a candidate throwing mud (5:19) and saying things about their opponent, (5:21) particularly things that doesn’t ring true to you, (5:25) I’d suggest that we ought to vote for someone else.

(5:28) A person that cannot stand on their own qualifications (5:32) and credentials probably should not be in the office. (5:36) Let’s make these candidates talk about issues (5:40) and their own credentials. (5:42) Evan Simpson in the studio with Become Peacemakers.

(5:45) Again, you can find them online at becomepeacemakers.org. (5:48) Evan, anything else you’d like to share about this group? (5:54) No, I think, you know what? (5:57) In our conversations with other people, (5:59) because it’s both private and political, (6:03) it’s what we’re talking about here. (6:06) When you have conversations with other people, (6:11) we understand that everyone has a little bit of knowledge (6:14) about most topics. (6:16) However, none of us are experts on any one given topic, really.

(6:22) Yet sometimes as we engage in conversations with others, (6:26) we were so dogmatic in our position (6:30) that we feel like we’re right and everyone else is wrong. (6:35) And we need to acknowledge that all topics of discussion (6:39) have many facets of issues and outcomes. (6:44) Being a peacemaker means to listen to other points of view.

(6:48) We can disagree with their point of view, (6:50) but we should never escalate it to an argument or a conflict. (6:55) Evan Simpson in studio. (6:57) Again, becomepeacemakers.org is where you can go (7:00) to find more information on this organization (7:03) that is statewide, it’s across the state.

(7:06) And Evan, one of the board members, (7:08) a handful of board members (7:09) that are from every corner of the state of Wyoming. (7:12) Evan, thank you for bringing this group to our attention. (7:15) Anything we missed that you’d like to mention today? (7:17) I’m good.

Thank you for the time. (7:19) Again, we encourage our listeners to go to becomepeacemakers.org. (7:22) That’s becomepeacemakers.org. (7:24) It’s all part of the weekday wake up this morning on SVI Radio.