| Posted: April 11 2005,11:25 |
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PROGRESS: Has your organization seen
progress toward a culture of peace and nonviolence in your domain of
action and in your constituency during the first half of the Decade? |
In
the beginning, especially after the United States invaded Iraq,
Snohomish County Women in Black worried that we would be badly out of
step with a nation at war. That in mind, we counted the reactions of
people and drivers of cars that went by us. We found them to be about
six to one in "our" favor. Many of them seemed heartened to know they
were not alone, not crazy in their yearning for peace.
In time,
the press discovered us. We were an anomaly - a press organization in
the heart of conservative America, and old ladies at that!
The
media wrote articles about us and put us on television. We kept copies
of the articles and called our friends to watch us on television and
time passed.
With the election campaign that resulted in George
Bush's re-election came, people who attacked our group. Oddly, their
attack increased our numbers. Other people were incensed that anyone
would seek to harm a group of old ladies advocating for peace.
More
time passed and the merchants of the city noticed that we stood our
vigil and began to send us tea or cocoa or pizza or whatever they
thought would comfort a group standing in the rain, the cold, the
snow, whatever the weather -- "working so hard, no matter what," as one
man said as he emerged from a bar to bring us cocoa.
Now people
pass us and thank us; they honk and show us peace signs; the teenagers
clap for us. There are still those who disapprove of what we do but, in
some small sense, we have become a symbol to all the others (and so it
is unlikely we will ever be able to end our vigil).
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OBSTACLES: What are the most important obstacles that have prevented progress?
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The
greatest obstacles have been (1) the conviction (among those who
disapprove of us) that war is a solution to problems, and that (2) the
United States has gone to war in Iraq to "fight for freedom".
Those
who see war as a solution to problems shout at us "There cannot be
peace without war" and "I suppose you would have supported Hitler."
They cannot imagine a world without war. They cannot imagine solutions
that are not violent.
Those who consider their country is
somehow engaged in a "just" war consider all opposition to come from
traitors, compromisers, or fools. With such a belief, they cannot even
engage in conversation. They are thus locked in their convictions.
We give them all the same smiles as we give those who support us. (If nothing else, it confuses them.)
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ACTIONS: What actions have been
undertaken by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence during the first half of the Decade?
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Every
Sunday, since January 12, 2003, Snohomish County Women in Black has
stood a silent vigil at Brackett's Landing in downtown Edmonds,
Washington, a prosperous and rather conservative community in the
Pacific Northwest of the United States. We hold an enormous black
banner that simply reads "For Peace". We also hold signs that say "No
More War".
We have not missed one Sunday since we began.
Those
who stand the vigil are mostly old, white-haired women dressed in
black. But we are joined by men - some veterans of the military - and
by younger people.
We occasionally give passers-by a free white button that simply says "Peace".
Those
of us who stand each Sunday have almost nothing in common but a shared
conviction that war is not an answer to anything. We met to do this
after one of us put up a sign in the library saying a vigil would begin.
Some
of the original members of Snohomish County Women in Black,
photographed near Brackett's Landing, in Edmonds, Washington, January
2004, on the occasion of the first anniversary of the group's first
vigil.
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ADVICE: What advice would you like to
give to the Secretary-General and the General Assembly to promote a
culture of peace and nonviolence during the second half of the Decade? |
The
only way to achieve peace is to be peace, to simply decide no more
violence, no more war. That decided, you must accept what comes from
those who do not hold your view. And your acceptance must not look like
marytyrdom, but like contentment.
And so the decision to become
a person of peace is a decision to accept ridicule, condemnation, and
scorn without becoming self-righteous. It is a decision to hold your
ground without being violent and to hold that ground even when you are
exhausted and wish someone else would come to take your place. It is
also a decision to be joyful.
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PARTNERSHIPS: What partnerships and
networks does your organization participate in, thus strengthening the
global movement for a culture of peace? |
We are part of the worldwide network of Women in Black.
Our members have participated in any number of other peaceful actions led by other groups for peace.
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PLANS: What new engagements are
planned by your organization to promote a culture of peace and
nonviolence in the second half of the Decade (2005-2010)? |
We
intend to keep standing at Brackett's Landing until there is no more
war. We have been planning our celebration for that day since the
beginning.
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Postal address of organization
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c/o Burrows
20319-92nd Avenue West
Edmonds, Washington 98020
USA
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E-mail address of organization
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Website address of organization
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none
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Highest priority action domain of a culture of peace
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Education for a culture of peace
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Second priority action domain of a culture of peace
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International peace and security
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Highest priority country of action (or international)
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local USA
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Second priority country of action (or international)
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national USA
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