Greetings from the "New" Staffpeople
The events of 9-11 and the subsequent US "war on terrorism" moved many of us to deepen our commitment to anti-war work. It also reminded us of the importance of the Syracuse Peace Council in that work. Meetings were held and funds were raised. After a year of having one very part-time staffperson, long-time SPC activists Carol Baum and Andy Mager were hired to share a full-time staff job. A new steering committee has also just been formed. This is an exciting time at SPC, full of possibilities. We invite you to become more involved _ give us a call!
Carol Baum
I first walked into the Peace Council office over 20 years ago. I had been drawn by my love of alternative bookstores, and after a few nervous moments, talked with some of the people there. One thing led to another, and I joined The Front Room Bookstore (TFR) collective. And of course, because everything is connected, I got involved with other SPC activities, working at the office as the TFR staffperson (and ad hoc SPC staffperson) for years. It was during that time that Andy and I met, and I helped organize around his registration resistance trial.
For the last 10 years I have identified as an SPC activist, but have not been as intimately involved. I was on the board of the Credit Union for a number of years, and spent two years as a core member of Jail Ministry. I'm still involved with Jail Ministry, and am also a facilitator for the Alternatives to Violence Project, as well as an alto in the Community Choir, a Beyond Boundaries groupie, and a clog dancer and rapper dancer.
As it did for many of us, 9-11 inspired in me a renewed urgency to do anti-war work. In fact, I felt pretty compulsive about it and still do. It felt natural to turn to the Peace Council as a site of organizing, and after much discussion, Andy and I proposed that we share a job at SPC. The proposal was accepted, so here we are!
I'm both excited and nervous. There are many challenges, and anti-war activists have much work to do. Please join us.
Andy Mager
I first walked into the Syracuse Peace Council in late 1981 after several months of hearing about this activist hub. Over the next seven years I spent countless hours at 924 Burnet Ave., organizing demonstrations and civil disobedience actions, educating young people about draft registration and the military, typing and laying out articles for the Peace Newsletter, and of course, more meetings than I care to remember. (Most of that work was done as a volunteer, with a stint as the Peace Newsletter Coordinator from 1986-88.)
In the intervening years I have participated in a wide variety of organizing for peace and social justice, including training activists in organizing skills and nonviolent direct action. For the past three-plus years I have worked at Vera House, educating men about nonviolence and the oppression of women. Before September 11, my primary passions were Israeli-Palestinian peace and the land claims issues facing our community.
My activist work has evolved over the years and I return to the Peace Council with a more seasoned approach to the very challenging tasks before us. I am excited at the energy which has been generated at SPC in the past several months, and I am overwhelmed by the steep mountains between here and a stable organization whose voice truly influences Central New York. I invite you to put on your hiking shoes and join us in this effort. I don't think I'm being melodramatic when I say that lives depend on it.
Beth Mosley, out-going staffperson, for her incredible work on staff, as well
as during this time of transition, and for her continuing activism.
Paul Pearce, SPC Press worker and jack-of-all-trades, for hanging in there.
Duane Hardy, bookkeeper and snow shoveler and PNL toter and more, for helping
to hold SPC together.
Marge Rusk for faithfully doing an office shift once a week for 13 years.
The previous SPC Council for helping keep SPC afloat.
The Plowshares Committee for organizing such a wonderful community event.
The Global Justice Committee for its support of SPC over the past few months.
The SPC Rejuvenation Committee for facilitating the transition.
The Syracuse Cultural Workers for their contribution of calendars (which made
SPC $1242).
Dik Cool for organizing fundraising and being the first member of the SPC Rejuvenation
Committee.
Andy Molloy and Bill Hamler for their computer expertise and willingness to
share it.
Pat Hoffmann for keeping track of pledges for 10 years.
Rae Kramer for her dedication to the PNL and the transition.
Carole Resnick and Molly Graham for their work on Peace Newsletters.
Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON) is pleased to announce the publication
of an expanded edition of Neighbor to Neighbor-Nation to Nation; Readings about
the Relationship of the Onondaga Nation with Central New York, USA. This 40-page
booklet includes articles by both Native and non-Native writers about the Onondaga
Nation and its claim for the return of land illegally taken over 200 years ago.
This information is offered to provide concerned readers a starting place to
understand the history of what has occurred, and our responsibility as US citizens
and residents of New York State to redress these wrongs.
Areas of information covered are: Haudensaunee (Six Nations Confederacy) culture;
land claims both in Central New York and elsewhere in North America; an overview
of Haudenosaunee-US history, including a detailed historical timeline; issues
of our shared environment; responses by organizations and individuals to the
Central NY land claims; a compilation of resources; and a photo collage of the
Onondaga Nation.
We are eager to distribute this new publication widely in the community for
use in educational settings and discussion groups, as well as for just plain
good reading. Copies are available free of charge. For more information, contact
NOON at 472-5478 or NOON@bigfoot.com.
—Carole Resnick
SPC’s effort to reach financial viability is well underway. In order to
make our modest budget for 2002 balance, we needed $10,000 in contributions
from the fundraising letter which was mailed out in December. For the first
time in SPC annals, this budget includes one full-time living wage (plus health
care stipend) which, of course, is being job-shared between Carol and Andy.
The budget assumes a small increase in pledges which is beginning to happen
as a result of the appeal. It’s exciting to be able to report that after
only five weeks we have nearly reached our goal of $10,000, thanks to many generous
supporters. If you haven’t yet responded, this is your gentle reminder.
Help put us over the top!
—Dik Cool
February’s Potluck topic is “Free Speech and Assembly: Know Your
Rights.” In the last few months many questions have come up over the legalities
of different kinds of vigils and demonstrations. In the post 9-11 environment,
when dissent is often suspect, it is important to know about our rights of free
speech and assembly. Come hear Linda Gehron Belletier,a local activist lawyer,
do some role plays, and discuss the issues. It’s Thursday, February 28
at the Westcott Community Center (corner of Euclid and Westcott in Syracuse);
6-7 potluck, 7-8:30 talk and discussion.
The January potluck was “Surveillance, Detentions and Military Tribunals:
Attacks on Civil Liberties,” presented by William Banks of the SU Law School,
an expert on national security issues and constitutional law. The highly informative
talk generated a lot of discussion, and was attended by about 40 people.
—Carol Baum
Recently, SPC joined 70 other local organizations in endorsing the Living Wage
Campaign in Syracuse., a campaign organized locally by the CNY Labor-Religion
Coalition. The idea is that local governments should not contract with or subsidize
employers who pay poverty-level wages. People who work full-time at jobs funded
by our tax money should not have to rely on food stamps, housing vouchers and
other publicly-funded subsidies. A “living wage” is the salary necessary
to cover a family’s food, clothing, shelter, day care, transportation and
health care. A living wage ordinance would cover city employees and employees
of businesses which have contracts with, or accept subsidies from, the city.
The living wage in Syracuse is $8.96 per hour if the employer pays 64% of a
health care premium, or $10.58 per hour without health care benefits provided.
For the first time in our history, SPC is paying its staff a living wage.
For more information, contact Bonnie Pierce at the CNY Labor-Religion Coalition,
4983 Brittonfield Pkwy, PO Box 247, E. Syracuse NY 13057, 431-4040.
—Carol Baum
One of the highlights of December was the Ramadan Solidarity Fast, organized
by SPC’s Global Justice Committee in conjunction with the Islamic Center
of Central New York. About 60 non-Muslims participated, fasting with Muslims
for one day during their annual fast month of Ramadan. Fasters were asked to
refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, and sensual pleasures from dawn until
dusk. The fast done was held in solidarity with local Muslims and with hungry
people in Afghanistan and elsewhere.
We broke the fast with a community event at the Islamic Center. First, the Muslims
invited us to observe them during their prayers, and afterwards we all ate together.
The dinner was fabulous, the conversation open and lively, and the program enlightening.
It was a remarkable evening.
—Carol Baum
SPC has also been extremely involved with the CNY 9-11 Coalition for Peace and
Justice. See page 8 for details of the Coalition’s activities.
“Democracy Now” Campaign
The Peace Council’s Global Justice Committee has recently initiated a campaign
to convince WRVO to add Democracy Now, a cutting-edge progressive radio news,
to its broadcast lineup. Democracy Now is a two-hour daily newsmagazine program
hosted by Amy Goodman, a feisty and thoughtful activist journalist. It features
interviews with people who are rarely, if ever, heard on NPR or the other talk
shows aired regularly on WRVO. If successful, this effort would support all
the progressive activist work in our region by providing hard-to-find information
and analysis. See the flier in this PNL for more details.
To help out, contact the Global Justice Committee, 924 Burnet Ave., Syracuse,
NY 13203, (315) 472-5478, email: GlobalJustice-SPC@bigfoot.com for additional
information or to offer assistance. Cassette copies of Democracy Now are available
for borrowing at SPC.
—Andy Mager
“Amidst a world at war, the times of good fellowship are especially cherished.”
These words appeared on the cover of the December PNL, the issue that also served
as the program guide to the Craftsfair. While the hope implied in these words
was fulfilled, this year the annual joy of coming together for Plowshares was
tempered by the sadness and horror of September 11 and the bitterness of yet
more killing and suffering caused by US bombing.
The Plowshares weekend was an oasis of wonderful crafts, plentiful good food,
lively entertainment and loving connections. As usual, the thank you list is
very long, especially for the many, many hours of planning and prep work that
transformed the Southwest Community Center into a colorful, bustling community
marketplace of more than 60 crafters and community groups and hundreds of shoppers
and schmoozers. Two special thank yous: first, to the tremendous Plowshares
Committee—Beth Mosely, Karen Kerney, Andy Molloy, Barbara Flock, Lanny
Freshman, Mardea Warner, Marie Summerwood, Paul Pearce, Margaret Birdlebough
and Rae Kramer, and second, to Joanne Grisanti and Theresa Bizzell of the Syracuse
Real Food Coop for organizing the food—a very big job taken on with commitment
and good spirit at almost the last moment.
Thanks to all who planned, crafted, arranged, set up, cooked, shopped, made
music, cleaned up, bought and sold raffle tickets, taught, sang, did a shift
(front, back, all around), and with their presence made Plowshares Year 31 a
fun-filled and financial success. See you next year.
—Rae Kramer
Call us to let us know what you’re interested in. Here are some possibilities:
• Global Justice Committee —formed shortly after 9-11. Organizes against
the US “war on terrorism.” Much help is needed – from making
banners to making phone calls.
• Potluck Committee—organizes the monthly SPC Potlucks. Many tasks
are involved here, from making coffee to finding speakers.
• Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation—supports the sovereignty of the
traditional government of the Onondaga Nation. We just published a 40-page booklet
of readings about the relationship of the Onondaga Nation with Central New York,
USA (see page 4). We have just begun to distribute 5,000 copies throughout Central
New York. Can you help?
• Publications—help with proofreading, writing, interviewing, editing.,
searching for calendar items for the Peace Newsletter.
• Office help—answer the phones, file, sort (you never know what fascinating
tidbit you’ll find).
• Staff a table at an event—bring literature, petitions, buttons and
bumperstickers, etc.
• Help with SPC house repairs.
Please help! The office really could use…
• Another stove (the current one barely works)
• An office phone system
• Office Desks and Chairs
• A nice sofa
• A table with many leaves
• Vacuum cleaner
• A tea kettle
• Boxes of pens and other office supplies
• An easel for displaying the written agenda of a meeting