The 2018 PeaceWorks Annual Meeting had a surprise guest: The Lone Ranger. He soon took off his mask, decried the American myth of redemptive violence, and—taking a tip from MLK—asked us to engage in totally restructuring American life.
Behind inauguration headlines, a clash of classes
As a billionaire class ascends to the presidency and cabinet (in January 2017), Jim Hannah reflects on class warfare in the United States. Hannah turns to Howard Zinn for hope: "When we organize with one another, when we get involved, when we stand up and speak out together, we can create a power no government can suppress."
Ban the Bomb butterfly effect
Did you feel that flutter a few weeks ago? You might call it the “Ban the Bomb butterfly effect,” more evidence that small actions can have outsized impact. The stir came when this year’s Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to ICAN, the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
Two Documentaries Go Nuclear, Close to Home
The nuclear shadow casts such a thick pall it often seems impenetrable—layer upon layer of denial, cover-up, and disinformation. But filmmakers have a way of cutting through the fog. Two recent documentaries—The Safe Side of the Fence, coming to KC MO Sept. 16, and Atomic Homefront—have lain bare both past and future consequences of the nuclear age.
Worming our way toward a nuclear-weapons-free world
Did you feel that tremor a few weeks ago? It didn’t get nearly the press it deserved; sweeping social movements seldom do—at first. But on July 7, when the United Nations adopted the Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the pendulum of global public opinion registered a major shift toward the eventual tipping point of a nuclear-weapons-free world.
Take Heart!
If you are of the progressive persuasion, these are disheartening times. Could our nation really go back to the worst days of Cold War mentality, environmental pollution, racial discrimination, blind nationalism, and patriarchy? … I’ve been struggling to retain a hopeful stance. … Seek the truth. Join with others. Witness for justice and peace. Persist. And above all, don’t lose heart!
Sightings of a new national bird
The new documentary film National Bird features three drone war resisters, including Lisa Ling, who served in the military 20 years. She spoke at a PeaceWorks event March 12. “I lost part of my humanity in the drone program,” Ling said.