Organizing and Acting for Peace
The Central New York 9-11 Coalition for Peace and Justice is a loose coalition of organizations and individuals who have combined resources to protest against and educate about the current US "war on terrorism". Currently, the groups most active in the Coalition are the Syracuse Peace Council, the local anti-capitalist/anti-corporate globalization movement, Peace Action, and the CNY Committee to End Sanctions: Let Iraqi Children Live. For more information, and how to get involved, call SPC at 472-5478.
The Coalition's education and action committees have been particularly active.
Recent Actions
Vigils: Through October, November and December, there were weekly vigils from 5-6 pm in downtown Syracuse. As the days got shorter, the temperature colder, the crowds thinner, and with fewer and fewer people seeing us, we decided to experiment with other locations. One week we went to the downtown skating rink (where some skaters actually skated over to talk). During Mayor Driscoll's inauguration celebration (whose theme was "Imagine"), we leafleted outside the Landmark, imagining a world without war.
Over the holidays, a small group vigiled outside the entrance to Carousel Mall three times, holding a banner reading "Peace on Earth Goodwill to All," followed by a series of signs stating "Say No To War". Responses from the motorists were mixed, ranging from friendly and supportive to hostile.
In keeping with the theme of going to where the people are, we have continued the weekly vigils, but changed the times and locations. The first of this new series was at the corner of Erie Blvd. and E. Genessee St. in Dewitt; the second was in Liverpool, the third at the corner of S. Salina St. and Colvin St. on the Southside.
Since vigils have not been planned far in advance, and flexibility is needed, it has been hard to publicize these through the PNL. If you would like to join us, call SPC for the time and location of the next vigil. Updates are also posted on the Peace-List (see next page).
Mall Walks: As an alternative to vigiling outside in the cold and dark, twice in December we went to the warm inside, where the crowds were—the mall! (See the cover for photos.) The mall walks were in effect theater pieces in which small groups of activists dressed in black silently walked through the mall. We were human billboards, wearing signs such as "It's 2001: Do You Know Where Your Civil Rights Are?" and "Stop the Cycle of Violence." The first Sunday we went to Shoppingtown, the next to the Great Northern Mall.
In both locations, there were shoppers who gave us the thumbs up (with some people asking how they could get involved), as well as shoppers who clearly did not approve. At both malls each small group had slightly different experiences with security, but all were eventually told to take off their signs or leave. At Shoppingtown, a police officer was even called in. The rationale of the mall security guards and the police was that the mall was private property and we were bothering the shoppers. What encouraged us was that their demands actually seemed to bother the shoppers more, with some insisting on our right to free speech.
Contact SPC, 472-5478, for information about how to get involved with future mall walks.
Upcoming Vigils:
The week of February 4 at Syracuse University. Time and exact location to be announced on the Peace-List or call the Peace Council at 472-5478.
Wednesday, February 13 outside the Joan Baez concert at the Landmark Theater, S. Salina St. in downtown Syracuse, from 6:30 to 7:30 pm.
Speakers Bureau
Are you part of a group that occasionally invites speakers? We encourage you to ask one of the speakers from the Coalition's Speakers Bureau. The Education Committee just completed a brochure listing the speakers in the bureau. Seventeen people are willing to speak to groups on topics such as civil liberties, the history of the Middle East and Central Asia, terrorism in its many forms, and US foreign policy.
To receive a copy of the brochure, or for more information, call Carol Baum at 449-0114.
Subscribe to Peace-List
Peace-List is the listserv of the Coalition. The 137th person has just subscribed to it! What's terrific about being on the listserv is that you can easily learn about many anti-war activities and events in Central New York, as well as share resources you and ideas that you have found useful.
A listserv is an easy way to send a message to every member of a group (of "subscribers"), and receive email from them. Instead of typing out everyone's email address, you just send an email to "Peace-List."
You can subscribe yourself by sending an email to listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message section, type: subscribe Peace-List your name (i.e. if Jane Doe were subscribing, she would type: subscribe Peace-List Jane Doe). Once you're subscribed, you can send a message to the listserv by sending the email to Peace-List@listserv.syr.edu
Remember, if you don't have a computer at home or work, computer time is available for free at public libraries.
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