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| Women for Peace, 1981 |
I hereby declare myself A Woman of Peace! I have been feeling I must say this out loud---or at least write about it here. Our country is currently involved in 3 wars...that is right, 3 wars. Here is a site that will knock your socks off--The Cost of War. Think about how interesting, motivating and productive our school districts would be if we were privy to some of the money being spent on these military conflicts. Think of the houses that could be renovated and the community gardens planted. The walk-in clinics and food pantries we could open. The classes taught to kids so that they had something to do after school.....art, dance, music, photography, gardening...the list goes on and on.
What is it that leads us, over and over again, to this way of dealing with conflict situations? I think about this frequently. I try not to be obsessed with it, but I can't even put on the Dianne Rehm Show without hearing about the war. I love her show; I listen to it while I work. I know the first hour is always news, but lately, the second hour seems to be news....and none of it is good.
Here is a quote from one of my heros:
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than
on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. April 4, 1967
I have nothing original to say except that I will share two sites that might be helpful in your journey to peace, spiritual well-being, health and happiness for you, your family and friends.
The first site is part of The American Friends Service Committee. Did you know that April 12th is the Global Day of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS)? This coincides with the release of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's (SIPRI) new annual figures on world military expenditures. The military spending in the United States far exceeds any other country, accounting for more than half of the $1.53 trillion dollars spent globally in 2009 alone. The AFSC website is full of wonderful stories and information on people and programs geared towards peace. Thank you to my good friend Gail--who is definitely A Woman of Peace--for reminding me about the valuable, productive work being done on behalf of peace-seekers.
The second site is one I have mentioned before, and am extremely proud of: Arms for Peace. This is a project started by my mom, Mary Watson. This is a real grassroots effort to build a memorial for lost soldiers and those they have left behind. A year ago Christmas, my mom told me about her plans for this memorial in her state of Pennsylvania. Since then, through much dedication and hard work, the entire project has been nearly put into place. Much of what will go into the memorial--architectural plans, materials, building costs and the land--have been donated to the project. At this point, there is a fund raising campaign going on to raise money for the plaques which will list the names of the fallen soldiers and their close family members. The memorial itself will be designed to look like arms embracing someone....thus, Arms for Peace. Here is a story that appeared in The Centre Daily Times about the Arms for Peace Project. This project, initiated by my mom, the first Woman of Peace I ever met....and the one who is responsible for teaching me to be the same kind of person.
Please share your stories with me about Women (and Men) for Peace who you know. I think this is a conversation worth having. Let's see if we can drown out some of the war news on the internet!
Expect good things....
