Chicago women of diverse backgrounds met at JUF on May 27 to strategize how different religious communities can come together to promote peace in Chicago. The conversation took place around “Pray the Devil Back to Hell,” a film that details the way Liberian women brought peace to their war-torn country in the early 2000s.

The event, the latest in a series organized by the Jewish Community Relations Council, the Jewish Women’s Foundation and Fierce Women of Faith to build relationships between women from diverse communities, took place in conjunction with the start of Chicago’s third Summer of Faith and Action ; representatives from the Mayor’s Office also participated.

“Women have always been the exception to the rule,” said Rev. Dr. Marcenia Richards, who founded and leads Fierce Women of Faith , a coalition of women from all over Chicago who are building anti-violence prevention and peace programs. “Chicago is our city, and together we can make the difference.”

“The energy and passion of the women in Liberia inspired the women in Chicago,” she added. “This is only the beginning.”

The Liberian pro-peace movement of the early 2000s forged alliances between Christian and Muslim women to pressure the government and rebel fighters to engage in peace negotiations. Further action by the women ensured the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the world’s first elected black female president and Africa’s first elected female head of state.

The post-screening discussion centered on how the lessons from the successful women’s movement in Liberia can be translated to preventing violence in Chicago.

“We walked away from the conversation with a deeper recognition that we all have a role to play,” said Emily M. Sweet, executive director of the JCRC. “Our Jewish tradition teaches us that we are all responsible for one another. There is power when we bring our voices together. “