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ULV students seek peace in Indiana

During a session at the Organizing for Peace Conference in North Manchester, Ind., participants were asked to develop a "spectrum of allies" for various topics like globalization or organizing on campus. University of La Verne sophomore Elissa Salas, Manchester College students Natalie Schmidt, Teresa Ralicki, Mark Rittle, Stephanie Scumel and ULV senior Anna Roy spent several group sessions brainstorming on steps toward aid in global disputes. / photo by Jennifer Contreras
During a session at the Organizing for Peace Conference in North Manchester, Ind., participants were asked to develop a “spectrum of allies” for various topics like globalization or organizing on campus. University of La Verne sophomore Elissa Salas, Manchester College students Natalie Schmidt, Teresa Ralicki, Mark Rittle, Stephanie Scumel and ULV senior Anna Roy spent several group sessions brainstorming on steps toward aid in global disputes. / photo by Jennifer Contreras

by Anna Roy
Editorial Director

Four University of La Verne students traveled to North Manchester, Ind., to take part in a three-day conference, titled “Organizing for Peace.” It was a gathering for people who wanted to respond actively and nonviolently to the current war on terrorism.

“This is the first time in my memory that an organizing conference has been held specifically targeted at the students from all the Brethren Colleges,” said Debbie Roberts, Protestant Campus Minister and Head of the Peace Studies Department who accompanied the students. “The conference was an effort to get the colleges (that are rooted in the peace tradition) together to brainstorm ideas for responding actively but nonviolently to the current national push for violent intervention against terrorism.”

The conference featured small and large group sessions, art making, singing, workshops and prayer. Students from all six Brethren-affiliated colleges, the Bethany Seminary and members of Brethren congregations, were all present for the three-day event, which was held on the campus of Manchester College and at the North Manchester Church of the Brethren.

The conference, which took place March 15 to 17, was planned mainly through email and conference telephone calls by Manchester College’s Peace Studies Department, On Earth Peace, and other individuals.

“ULV’s mission statement was written out of its history with the Church of the Brethren. Students should be concerned about the health of the planet and those who live on the planet, that we act out our learning and that our learning is life-long,” Roberts said.

The conference began Friday night with poetry readings and a coffeehouse atmosphere within the space.

On Saturday the large group sessions took place and five smaller working groups were established to encourage participants to meet and collaborate together.

The five groups included church-based peacemakers, campus-based workers, those interested in global justice, local community work and those with an interest in organizing for peace.

Between sessions, individual participants led “guerrilla” workshops on topics such as “Simple Living,” in which topics of vegetarianism and veganism were discussed, and also, a session on hanging banners from freeway overpasses to publicize messages.

“It was interesting to see what people are doing, not just on campus but off,” said Carolina Quinteros, a ULV senior international business student who attended the conference.

At the Organizing for Peace Conference in North Manchester, Ind., the attitude for peace on earth was expressed through all means, including song. Students from Manchester College, Natalie Schimdt, Heidi Gross, Amy Fry-Miller, Chris Good and Heidi Beck taught the crowd songs of peace and spirit in the local Church of the Brethren. Other performers were the folk duo Charlie King and Karen Brandow. / photo by Jennifer Contreras

Saturday night participants were treated to a concert by social-justice folk singers Karen Brandow and Charlie King, who entertained the audience with their soft, funny, challenging, melodic, and intelligent songs addressing several issues. Mixing guitar and harmonica, the duo sang in English and Spanish about issues of homophobia, the killing of Matthew Shepard, safe sex, peacemaking, feminism, the dangers of nuclear energy, war and violence.

Workshops were also held on issues of U.S. foreign policy, war-tax resistance, on-campus organizing and white privilege, war and racism.

Jim Walsh, who held the session on U.S. Foreign Policy, encouraged the audience members to make their opinions known to governmental representatives.

“The legislature operates according to what we’re interested in,” he said. “Your job is just to change direction of the wind.”

Marc Rittle, a Brethren Volunteer Service member who currently works with the Washington, D.C.- based Center for Conscience and War, works to advocate conscientious objection in war.

“It’s not an easy process but it can be done, and you can be given alternative service,” Rittle said.

Rittle also spoke about an organization called the School of the America’s Watch, whose goals are to shut down the military training program formerly known as the School of the Americas in Ft. Benning, Ga. SOA trains people to become soldiers from all over the world and then sends them back to their respective countries, where oftentimes they begin working for corrupt governments and oppressive militaries.

“Soldiers come from Latin America to Fort Benning, go through the training process, combatant practices and then go back to their countries and work for the government. Soldiers that are trained go to countries in which the United States has a vested interest in.”

Rittle explained how the organizational work SOA Watch has done led the U.S. government to change the name of the School of the Americas.

“The U.S. government pays attention to the movement so much that they have changed their rhetoric,” Rittle said.

Tips were also given on how to influence public policy by communicating with government representatives. Some of these include getting together as a group and writing letters to congress, sending emails, faxes and phone calls.

“They are required to respond to any letter, fax or phone call. It’s the easiest thing to do and the most important,” Rittle said.

“If you didn’t get the response that you wanted, then don’t be antagonistic, just ask. They are very happy to answer your questions,” he said.

People should also keep records of mail sent, he added.

Ben Long said: “Well I think its great for people who are just getting into their activism, by motivating them and energizing them.”

On Sunday, the small working groups met again to develop a timeline of strategic, achievable and measurable goals.

“Sometimes campuses feel isolated and alone. This conference helped to confirm the community spirit of peacemaking as well as the importance of having multiple input for important decisions,” Roberts said.

In the future, OFP and those involved hope to hold the conference annually and at different schools.

“I think that we can take back everything, it just depends on the feedback and responses from students,” said Quinteros.

The students and Roberts together hope to increase peace and social justice activism on campus.

Roberts, herself currently fasts once a week on behalf of peace and hopes to turn this action more of a broader effort. In addition some goals of her goals include turning the peace studies minor into a major, continue making contacts with other Brethren colleges, have regular meetings for those interested in peace, implement a conflict-resolution program on campus and introduce the University of La Verne community to the campus’s roots in peace making and history of the mission statement annually.

“Peace making is a life style that is an ongoing process,” Roberts said. “Education is important because the more educated we are, the less likely we are going to insist that our way is the only way.”

For more information on the Peace Studies Program, or on peace and social justice related issues on campus please contact Debbie Roberts at extension 4320.

Anna Roy
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