{"id":34068,"date":"2017-07-13T08:26:46","date_gmt":"2017-07-13T12:26:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=34068"},"modified":"2019-01-17T16:45:39","modified_gmt":"2019-01-17T21:45:39","slug":"emu-honor-peacebuilder-michael-j-sharp-05-homecoming-family-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2017\/emu-honor-peacebuilder-michael-j-sharp-05-homecoming-family-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"EMU to honor peacebuilder Michael J. Sharp ’05 at Homecoming and Family Weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seven candles were lit at an April 29 memorial service in Martin Chapel at Eastern Mennonite University\u2014one for Michael Jesse \u201cM.J.\u201d Sharp \u201905<\/strong> and one for each of his colleagues, some like Sharp confirmed dead, others still missing, in the Kasai-Central province area of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.<\/p>\n

Sharp was on a U.N. mission when he was kidnapped March 12, 2017. He was collecting information about the use of child soldiers and massacres of unarmed civilians. The group also sought dialogue– as Sharp had in his previous position as Eastern Congo Coordinator for Mennonite Central Committee– with stakeholders to promote peaceful solutions to country\u2019s long conflict. The information would help the UN Group of Experts on the Congo advise the U.N. Security Council.<\/p>\n

EMU will honor Sharp, his commitment to peacemaking and his life of service with a special recognition during the 2017 Homecoming and Family Weekend<\/a>. at a Homecoming Celebration Saturday, Oct. 14, at 11 a.m. in Lehman Auditorium and the Sunday, Oct. 15, worship service at 10:30 a.m., also in Lehman Auditorium.<\/p>\n