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BY TED TAYLOR
Peace Conference Growing
Hundreds expected at LCC gathering
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12 FEBRUARY 21, 2008 EUGENE WEEKLY
uilding peace in a culture that
care, education and other life-affi rming
tolerates war is a long process,
activities,” according to the group’s mission
statement. Benjamin ran for the U.S. Senate
says Stan Taylor, director of the
in California in 2000 on the Green Party
Lane Peace Center on the LCC campus, but
ticket.
he takes hope in the idea that “both peace and
UPJ is a coalition of organizations that
democracy are rooted in social, economic,
coordinates protests and other
political, spiritual and racial justice.”
actions nationwide and locally.
Bring all those elements together, and
Wing is a longtime activist,
progress is inevitable — or at least
writer and editor involved
possible.
in racial justice issues.
The new Lane Peace Center
He is Chinese-American
has been working for months to
and noted for his work on
pull together its inaugural event, a
building multiracial unity.
major regional Peace & Democracy
The theme of the
Conference Feb. 29 and March 1 at
LCC. The list of speakers and workshops Medea Benjamin conference is “Fostering Peace
Through Education,” and Taylor
is growing, and organizers are expecting
says education is the key to peace and justice.
hundreds of students, teachers and activists,
He says the new Peace Center on campus is
along with leaders in labor, human rights,
working to build a “fundamental framework
religion and politics. Early registration is
for peace work.”
encouraged on the Peace Center’s website
“A key question,” he says, “is how to
(www.lanecc.edu/peacecenter).
Some
embrace the diversity in democracy to build
events are free for LCC students while other
peace — to turn our differences into strengths
events have an attendance fee to cover the
instead of a source of fragmentation an
conference’s expenses.
animosity.”
Taylor says several factors are leading to
The Lane Peace Center is one of only
interest in this timely conference: The Iraq
two such centers on community college
occupation will mark its fi fth year next month;
campuses across the country, the other being
the number of U.S. soldiers killed is nearing
in Richland, Texas. Taylor says he discovered
4,000; and the election year is mobilizing a
three years ago that he and LCC President
national surge for change in the White House
Mary Spilde had a similar vision for a Peace
and in Congress.
Center on campus, and it’s “taken some time
Medea Benjamin, cofounder of Global
to get the ball rolling.”
Exchange and CODEPINK, and Bob Wing,
ew
cofounder of United for Peace & Justice
(UPJ), are among the keynote speakers. Wing
is scheduled to talk at 7 pm Friday, Feb. 29,
Upcoming Demonstrations
A UPJ-sponsored mass nonviolent direct
and Benjamin’s keynote talk is scheduled
action
in Washington, D.C. is planned for March
for 2 pm Saturday, March 1. Both are also
19, with corresponding demonstrations in cities
expected to participate in smaller sessions.
across the country.
Session leaders and panelists include
On Sunday, March 16, the Take Back Our
Agnes Baker Pilgrim, Leah Coakley and
America coalition, a Lane County coalition
of community groups, will commemorate
Patrick Edelbacher, Gary Baran, Carol Melia
the fi fth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq
and Vip Short, Mary Wood, Louis Carosio,
with a community-wide call to end the war and
Carmen Urbina, John Lenssen, Dan Goldrich,
occupation of Iraq, and to support peace and
Leah Bolger and Noah Mrowczynski,
justice. The theme of the day is “On The Fifth
Guadalupe Quinn, Lauren Regan, Katie
Anniversary of the Invasion of Iraq: Sow Seeds
of Peace.” For more information, visit the CALC
Heald, Peter Bergel, Mark Harris and Jessica
website (www.calclane.org).
Campbell.
Portland is also planning a major
CODEPINK is a women-initiated
mobilization on Saturday, March 15, with a
grassroots peace and social justice movement
gathering from 11 am to 6 pm at the South Park
“working to end the war in Iraq, stop new
Blocks. For more information, visit its website
(www.pdxpeace.org).
wars, and redirect our resources into health
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