Click for
peace: 21st-Century Anti-War Activism
By Christine DiBuono
No blood for oil…No
war for oil…
Over the past month,
the U.S. has been buzzing with a new level of activism: preventing a
war against Iraq. Much like the 1960’s, students have been at the
forefront of this movement. The Institute for Policy Studies reported
150 anti-war events on US college campuses in September alone. However,
the students aren’t in this by themselves. Today’s activism
transcends the walls of academia and reaches people across all demographics.
NPR's Richard Gonzales
attested to this at the rally in San Francisco on October 26th.
“It's been totally peaceful. You've got a mix, a broad-based multiracial
coalition here. I've seen peace activists, gay activists, bikers in
the background, trade unions, housewives, nuns, hip-hoppers, nurses.”
Betsy Harris, who
works for International A.N.S.W.E.R, told the Philadelphia Inquirer
that she believes this to be a multi-generational campaign against war.
In the 1960’s when she was a student, parents did not support their
children’s involvement in anti-war activities. Protesting in the
1960’s was more counter-culture, stemming from students who were
concerned about the draft. Now, she said, this has changed. Generations
of families are protesting together to prevent war from happening. It’s
bringing the families and communities together, rather than apart.
“This is a new kind of antiwar movement, one that attracts people
of all generations, races, walks of life…People feel we are disenfranchised,"
she said. "If our Congress people aren't listening to their constituencies,
then we need to make our voices heard in another way."
Mara Verheyden-Hilliard,
the spokesperson for International ANSWER Coalition, told NPR’s
All Things Considered that “what we're seeing is the largest anti-war
movement since the 1960s. And it's a very passionate and well-informed
and thoughtful anti-war movement.
In Abraham McLaughlin’s
article “Return of College Peaceniks” published in the Christian
Science Monitor, he sees a rapid growth in students taking the lead,
for the same reasons. (http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/1008/p01s02-uspo.htm)
“Suddenly the antiwar culture, with its teach-ins and talk
of peace, draft dodging, and "American imperialists" is spreading
across the nation's campuses — albeit with 21st-century twists”
At Oberlin College,
students are worried, says James Reynolds. “Students want to be
educated, and understand why America is doing what it is doing.”
The only thing many feel in control to do is to organize and “rally
behind peace”.
"Students have
always been the cornerstone of the peace movement, and we have been
working hard in the last year against the military arm of the U.S.,
which is extended so often without thought and before nonviolent negotiations
take place," says Alex Cheney of Boston Mobilization. Cheney, 23
years old, is the Development Director of Boston Mobilization, a community
organization that educates and organizes students to lead grassroots
campaigns for peace, economic justice and democracy. He wasn’t
around for the loud-protests and solidarity movements of the 60’s
and 70’s, but based on the work that he is doing, it is obvious
that he feels passionate that he has a voice - one that is powerful
enough to make change.
Mobilizing students
today is easier than in the past, thanks to technology’s extensive
range. Between classes, students organize speakers on their cell phones.
They send out mass emails to disseminate information quickly, so as
never to miss the pulse, and they post petitions for supporters to sign
online.
The biggest and
most organized anti-war march in 30 years was on Saturday, October 26th.
One hundred thousand protesters converged in Washington D.C. and 50,000
in San Francisco, as well as other cities across the globe. The march
was able to draw large numbers in a relatively short time through the
use of the Internet, a pivotal tool the Vietnam-era organizers didn't
have. It’s hard for the organizers to imagine the limitations they
would face not having access to this technology.
NPR Reporter, Nancy
Marshall talked to eighteen-year-old Peta Lindsey who admitted that
without email, most of the activist groups wouldn’t be half as
effective.
“E-mail is a blessing. That’s how I get in touch with most
of our organizing centers and with a lot of students…I send them
links to fliers, information. And it's really, really, really powerful
in terms of getting them started.”
The Internet allows for activist updates and information 24 hours a
day, sent directly to people. Peace petitions are now posted on the
Internet for rapid-fire canvassing with signatures appearing every 30
seconds on average. And congressional representatives are just an email
away. Many organizations and journals have daily weblogues, like The
Nation’s “Act Now” that are updated throughout the day.
http://www.thenation.com/actnow
The fact that protests
were staged across Europe in conjunction with the recent rally in D.C.
is proof that the use of multi-media can foster an international sense
of community and focus. Technology has given strength to these movements.
Medea Benjamin,
who heads the group Global Exchange, strongly feels that protesting
is a powerful tool, necessary to make political change.
(http://www.globalexchange.org)
“The most important thing for Americans to know is how massive
this anti-war movement is and it’s growing.”
Unfortunately, with
so many people passionately opposed to an attack, the media has taken
little interest in the majority of anti-war efforts that have taken
flight all over the country. “The media views peace rallies as
‘Ho hum,..another rally.’ They really like to sensationalize
things, so if there is no pepper spray or arrests they will not cover
it.” Many protesters have needed to make their message known by
taking matters into their own hands: The New York Times published a
full-page ad of artists, activists and academics protesting post-9/11
policies of President Bush, under the headline “Not in Our Name.”
Susan Sarandon, is one of many celebrities who has appeared at rallies,
and Sean Penn has taken out his own full-page ad in the Washington Post.
At www.noiraqattack.org,
close to 7,000 professors have signed an anti-war petition.
“The media has really failed to cover how many Americans are not
just against going to war with Iraq but have really done things to stand
up and make their opposition known,” said Benjamin. When asked
if she thought that protests could actually make change, she laughed,
and explained that she wouldn’t be working 16-hour days, 7-days
a week if she didn’t believe what she preaches. “I think that
in this case, protest will stop the Bush Admin from going to war with
Iraq and I think that will be one of the most amazing examples of how
protest can make a difference.”
And why wouldn’t
it? In fact, activists today are ahead of the game. They are working
to prevent a war, rather than protesting an on-going one. During the
Vietnam era, the anti-war effort didn’t begin to grow for two to
three years.
Anti-war supporters now can easily click for peace…
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