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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (June 17, 2004)
collaboration of these smaller peace groups and in their capacity to effect change. Says Carrigan, “The hope is that after a big demonstration, people will get involved with groups where they feel comfortable. It’s important to have different ways to get involved, important to have smaller groups so that lots of different people have options that work for them.” For those who want to explore and dis- cuss changes at the root level of events such as 9/11, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq, take a look at Progressive Responses. PR member Dan Goldrich says, “There has been so little response to the true nature of 9/11, no real policy. The situation is actually worse. We feel desperate about the world that’s being created for our grandkids.” PR has a core group of 10 to 15 members who meet every week. Among their activi- ties: They organize forums to frame the issues, coordinate op-ed pieces to stimulate community discussion, and organize paid advertisements in papers with signatures as a way for people to support the cause. They are able to gather up to hundreds of people to participate in various political actions. Another political action group is Women’s Action for New Directions. Talk to anyone in the peace community here, and Susan Cundiff of WAND. Meet Bestselling Author Chuck Palahniuk: Stranger Than Fiction TUESDAY, JUNE 22, AT 7:00 PM Join us in welcoming the acclaimed author of Fight Club, Choke, and Diary. Chuck Palahniuk’s world has always been, well, different from yours and mine. The pieces that com- prise Stranger Than Fiction, his first nonfiction col- lection, prove just how different, in ways both highly entertaining and deeply unsettling. Each essay or vignette offers a unique facet of existence as lived in and/or observed by one of our most flagrantly daring and original literary talents. 5 O A K W AY C E N T E R • E U G E N E , O R 9 7 4 0 1 • 3 4 5 . 6 0 7 2 they will tell you that WAND is one fun, high-spirited group. Lane County WAND Program Chair Susan Cundiff, a former mid- dle school counselor, says of the past year’s events, “There’s been huge discourage- ment.” But she adds, “It’s not a one-shot effort, ever. We have proximal victories. … The peace movement is recognizing the cru- cial point we’re at right now. We’re fighting for our lives on many different levels.” While WAND is a concerted part of the anti- war movement, they also work on issues regarding the environment, the new nuclear age and women’s choice. Lane County WAND has also pioneered a sub group known as the Minute Women, WAND mem- bers who are “ready to ride at a moment’s notice.” The Minute Women have been active in voter registration campaigns and in lobbying at the regional level for alternatives to war with Iraq. They have served as a model for other WAND groups nationwide. Spiritual and faith organizations also pro- vide ways for people to get involved. Two Rivers Interfaith Ministries is an umbrella organization encompassing groups such as Faith in Action and the collaboration of faith centers who come together the 11th of every month in the Interfaith Prayer and Reflection Service. Faith in Action is currently coordi- nating “Call for Transformation: An Interfaith Prayer Service for Peace in Iraq,” to be held June 30 at Broadway Plaza (see “Upcoming Events” for details). This is a service of reflection and healing to coincide with the official hand-over of political power by the U.S. to a new Iraqi government. Says First Christian Church’s Dan Bryant, one of the service coordinators, “Our president says we will fight evil militarily. But that is not our tradition. … You do not fight evil with evil. You have to use goodness to fight evil. Reminding people of this tradition is the issue for us.” The Interfaith Prayer and Reflection Service, inspired after 9/11 by coordinator Siri Kaur Khalsa-Harris of the Sikh commu- nity, is an amazing gathering drawing hun- dreds of people together each month since 9/11. Says Khalsa-Harris, “The most impor- tant ingredient is not just bringing faiths together, but creating consistency.” Services are built around a theme, and members from faith communities all over Eugene make pre- sentations in the tradition of their particular faith. Services include music, meditation and socializing afterward. “This is a model gath- ering, and we are working with other com- munities to make this happen beyond Eugene,” says Khalsa-Harris. These are only a smattering of the pro- peace activities going on locally, just a sam- pler of how you can get involved. For fur- ther involvement, everyone interviewed for this story mentioned the importance of the upcoming elections — saying if you can do only one thing this year, let your vote speak for peace. As PR’s Goldrich says, “Democracy requires hard work, but it’s necessary. … We see a switching from gen- erating energy to creating broad alternatives for people, creating possibilities in a very confusing situation. We want to get people behind positive alternatives.” ew DAN STEINBERG PRESENTS FOR A FULL SCHEDULE VISIT WWW.THRASHERPRESENTS.COM PRODUCED BY STEINBERG THRASHER PRESENTS MELISSA AUF DER MAUR (HOLE, SMASHING PUMPKINS) RETURNS WITH HER NEW ROCK OUTFIT! J O H N H E N R Y S & NORTHWEST ROYALE 28 MON JUN 8:00PM DOORS 21 & OVER 800-992-8499 77 W BROADWAY C O L U M B I A M E A D O W S 10TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY SHOW! TICKETS ALSO AT OZONE UK IN PORTLAND DON’T MISS IT!! 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