Service Selection ArchivesDisclaimer: editorials expressed in these pages are the ramblings of Tim White and not the opinions of the Mt. Horeb Area Historical Society.
" we are who we are waiting
for"
by Lisa Fuelleman
In observance of International Women' Day, Mt. Horeb area residents; Kelly Mattice, John Barnes, Eda Rassner, Tim White and Lisa Fuelleman joined many other Wisconsinites and traveled by bus to Washington DC for two days of peace activities this past weekend.
Our first day was filled with speakers and workshops which brought together women from different communities who shared information on the problems they face, the strategies they've used to challenge these problems, and the common elements that can be translated from one community to another. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to engage in small-group discussions with speakers about a variety of local, national and international struggles for justice. I personally attended a group which looked at the continuing struggle against the legacy of colonialism, imperialism today and strategies to achieve self-determination and another that addressed issues of reconciliation and reparation of the ravages of past injustices. Others of us attended groups which dealt with the United Nations inspections and the ongoing disarmament, corporate media's scope and influences as well as a discussion of diverse ways to get peace information assimilated throughout the community.
Saturday brought us a rally and march to the White House, culminating a week of women's anti-war events called "Celebrating Women as Global Peacemakers" sponsored by peace groups and women's groups, including Global Exchange, Code Pink for Peace, National Organization for Women, Women's International League for Peace & Freedom, United for Peace & Justice, Peace Action, D.C. Asians for Peace and Justice, National Women's Health Network, Gray Panthers of Metro D.C., and the Sisterhood Is Global Institute. The color of the day was "pink" in recognition of "Code Pink" a group of women who have kept a vigil at the white house since November. To find out more about the organization go to http://www.codepink4peace.org/ The pink march included young, old, all races and genders stretched as far as the eye could see. An exact number was not disclosed but a conservative estimate was 15000. Thousands of others lined the streets and cheered.
The rally featured authors Alice Walker and Maxine Hong Kingston, Nobel Peace Laureate Jody Williams, musician Michelle Shocked, activist author Dr. Helen Caldicott, feminist theologian Hyun Kyung, physicist/ecologist Vandana Shiva, Pacifica Radio host Amy Goodman, and peace activists Rania Masri, Starhawk, and Granny D, among others.
The day was to include a gathering in front of the White House. However, that idea was twarted by a constant changing of permits which did not allow protesters to congregate near the grounds. March personnel were originally told that a peaceful presence was to be allowed but police did not allow the assembly. Among the few who finally made made it to the gates of the white house was Pulitzer Prize winner Alice Walker, author of "The Color Purple" and one of the organizer's spokeswoman Medea Benjamin. They, along with 22 others were told to leave by police, and when refused to give up their right to assembly and were arrested. And what were these women doing? The group was singing, "Peace, Shalom, Shalom". Alice Walker earlier in the day remarked, "The best substitute for war is intelligence, and we have it"
Our group returned to Wisconsin on Sunday. We were tired from the weekends many activities but enthused and energized by the wonderful showing of women and men who came together as one voice to give peace a chance. We along with the tens of thousands of others who attended this event feel that diplomacy and not war is the answer and proud to be part of a global stand of solidarity against a preemptive strike on Iraq.
-Lisa Fuelleman