Past Actions

Zoya, Member of RAWA visits Frederick October 11th

This is a timely visit on an important topic as we mark 8 years of war in Afghanistan this October. Currently there is much discussion and debate on what U.S. strategy in Afghanistan should be moving forward and the recent request for 40,000 additional troops. Join us for a light lunch and hear from Zoya, visiting from Afghanistan, as she speaks about the work of RAWA and the impact of U.S. military intervention in her country.

RAWA is The Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan, an organization formed in the late 1970s to empower Afghan women. Like many RAWA members, Zoya has witnessed and endured more tragedy and terror than most people do in a lifetime. She grew up during the wars that ravaged Afghanistan. At fourteen, she lost her mother and father when they were murdered by fundamentalist warlords. Devastated by so much death and destruction, she fled Kabul with her grandmother and started a new life in exile in Pakistan. After attending a school funded by RAWA, she joined the underground women's organization and continues their work resisting fundamentalism and war today.

Sunday, August 9^th, Women In Black Frederick again hosted Hibakusha (Japanese survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki which took place August 6^th and 9^th, 1945) in Frederick. We came together in remembrance, to hear the personal testimony of the Hibakusha, the only living witnesses to this destructive force. We stood in vigil as a witness that it should never be repeated.

Fahima Vorgetts travels to Afghanistan regularly in her role as Director of the Afghan Women’s Fund. She will have just returned from Afghanistan with news and images of current “on – the – ground” conditions there. Fahima travels even into the far rural areas of Afghanistan, and meets and works with people from all walks and levels … from government representatives, to tribal elders, to village women. Get the “behind the headlines” scoop. What’s working, what’s not? How is reconstruction progressing? What about safety and security conditions? Are more troops the answer?

Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ

15 W. Church Street, Frederick

Alaine Duncan, Acupuncturist and Trauma Specialist, Clinical Director, Crossings HealingWorks, Restore & Renew® services for the military family

The trauma of war is not limited to the soldier who served, to their time of service or to the geographic boundaries of their services. War is a family issue.

Peace is also a family issue. Healing that comes to a soldier, their parent, partner or child in the Restore & Renew® program of Crossings HealingWorks supports the whole family. Viet Nam was a great teacher. Young soldiers and their families should not suffer the burden of war for the rest of their lives. Long-term changes in the brain resulting from the trauma of war can be ameliorated with timely and effective care.

We bring peace to those most personally affected by war.

Reduced fees and sliding scale services are available in Frederick for all military family members. See: www.crossingshealingworks.org.

This is a presentation of A Season for Nonviolence www.unityfrederick.org/SNV2009.html and is co-sponsored by Women in Black Frederick and the Evangelical Reformed United Church of Christ.

Zbigniew Brzezinski, former U.S. National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter, has called Dr. Pari’s book, “A penetrating, provocative, and very timely study that deciphers how U.S. policy in the Middle East has been manipulated both by Iran and by Israel even as relations between these two oscillated between secret collusion and overt collision.”

Treacherous Alliance is the first book directly addressing Israeli-Iranian relations, and their impact on U.S. national interests, since 1987. It is the only book based on extensive interviews with decision-makers from all three countries. Dr. Parsi has conducted more than 130 interviews with senior Israeli, Iranian and American decision-makers in all three countries.

Prophetic Voices of the Hibakusha
Vigil and Program presented by Women In Black Frederick and the Washington Peace Center
Saturday, August 9th

Saturday, August 9th, Women In Black Frederick hosted a delegation of two Hibakusha (Japanese atomic bomb survivors), accompanied by representatives of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Peace Committee of the National Capital Area, which is a project of the Washington Peace Center in Washington, D.C.

During their stay in the DC metropolitan area, August 3rd – 10th, the Hibakusha visited and spoke at local churches and schools and participating in events which commemorate the 63rd anniversaries of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings, which took place on August 6th, and August 9th, 1945.

Surviving Hibakusha are now in their 70s and older, but their terrible memories of that day remain undimmed by time. Their greatest fear is that when they are gone, the memory of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will disappear and nuclear weapons will be used again, this time threatening life itself. They feel a special responsibility to the world to tell their painful, deeply personal stories so that this terrible tragedy will never again be repeated. They feel a direct connection with all who have suffered and died from war and violence and join their voices with that of others working for peace.

“Building a fortress to prevent mankind from ever repeating this tragedy--- we consider this our mission imposed by history on those who survived the atomic bombing. Fulfilling this mission is the real heritage we can pass on to coming generations.” No More Nuclear Weapons! No More War! No More Hibakusha! Excerpted from Hibakusha testimony

Confronting the legacy of the atomic bombings continues to be a difficult and uncomfortable process. But avoiding the knowledge and lessons of history can facilitate short sighted and disastrous policies which can threaten our planet and our very existence.

“… McGovern (Lt. Col. (Ret.) Daniel A. McGovern, who directed the U.S. military filmmakers in 1945-1946, managed the Japanese footage, and then kept watch on all of the top- secret material for decades) declared that Americans should have seen the damage wrought by the bomb. "The main reason it was classified was ... because of the horror, the devastation," he said. Because the footage shot in Hiroshima and Nagasaki was hidden for so long, the atomic bombings quickly sank, unconfronted and unresolved, into the deeper recesses of American awareness, as a costly nuclear arms race, and nuclear proliferation, accelerated.”

Excerpt from “HBO Airs A-Bomb Footage Kept From Media for Decades “ By Greg Mitchell Editor and Publisher
http://www.truthout.org/article/hbo-airs-a-bomb-footage-kept-from-media-decades

“Dig down below the 3 feet of topsoil that was dumped atop the ruins of central Hiroshima to make a memorial Peace Park and you'll still turn up bones, remains of Japanese civilians incinerated when an American B-29 bomber dropped an atomic fireball over this spot one August morning in 1945.

The Peace Park is a graveyard, the most visible scar of Japan's disastrous imperial war and ground zero of its postwar, anti-nuclear conscience”

Excerpt from an article by Bruce Wallace Los Angeles Times Staff Writer June 11, 2007
http://fairuse.100webcustomers.com/fairenough/latimesA45.html

Israeli peace activist, Dorothy Naor Speaking on the Costs of Occupation to Israelis and Palestinians

New Profile's Dorothy Naor attempts to bring the current Middle East activities to light, to create transparency, where all the information relevant to so many of us is heard in the public sphere, so that none of us will later need to fall back on the excuse for complicity: "I didn't know."

"Transparency is guaranteed by CONNECTIONS of one to the other, in all our differences. We have become afraid to CONNECT. But we must connect, if we are to prevent inept, unethical leaders from acting and making poor to fatal decisions IN OUR NAME." Excerpt From Transparency for Peace; Recognition of Harm in the Middle East

Co-sponsored by Women in Black Frederick and Hood College Bonner Scholars Program

Jerusalem Women Speak: November 1. 2007 WIB Frederick and Hood College sponsored the internationally acclaimed program Jerusalem Women Speak, November 1, at Hood College. We hosted 3 women from Jerusalem-- one Palestinian Muslim , one Israeli Jew, one Israeli Arab Christian who will share their compelling personal stories, their hopes and fears. This is a unique opportunity to hear a truly powerful and inspiring presentation from three women living with the reality of war and conflict, and choosing to work for positive change.

All three of these accomplished women have been devoted voices for peace. All three have suffered losses in the decades old conflict.

Abir Kopty is a Christian Palestinian citizen of Israel nominated as one of the country's 12 People of the Year in 2005; and

Hagit Ra'anan, is a Jewish Israeli member of the Bereaved Families Forum and founder of Bridges of Peace.

The idea is to bring the voices of people who have been involved in the peace movement there," said Susanne Waldorf, program director at Partners for Peace, headquartered in Washington. "People's personal stories reflect what's important in this struggle and they don't get heard in the mainstream media."

Hiroshima Day 2007:

We again remembered the sad anniversaries of Hiroshima and Nagasaki at both of our August Vigils. Currently, the administration is proposing a $150 billion overhaul of the U.S. nuclear weapons complex, to build the first new nuclear warheads in nearly two decades, restoring production capability to Cold War levels. It is also refusing to renegotiate treaties with Russia that would limit the deployment of nuclear weapons.

Read the January 2007 essay in the Wall Street Journal by Henry Kissinger, George Shultz, Sam Nunn and William Perry calling for, and putting forth a plan for abolishing all nuclear weapons on the planet.

"The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living.” --General Omar Bradley, Veterans Day in 1948

Vigil flyer

Picnic for Peace July 4, 2007:

Photo for No! Iran War Enough Fear Campaign. Citizen to Citizen Diplomacy

Fourth Anniversary of the Start of the Iraq War: Vigil March 19, 2007. Thank you to the over 100 people who spread across the four corners of the city square, mourning this sad anniversary, remembering and honoring those who have died. We read the names of the 60 Maryland soldiers who have died, and 60 of the thousands of Iraqis. Photos.

Flyer.

Press coverage and video.

Saturday, Jan 27, 2007: National Mass March in DC organized by United for Peace and Justice: calling for the immediate return of troops from Iraq and the end of funding for this war effort. WIB Frederick marches with WIB vigils from Portland ME, Woodstock, NY, NYC, Baltimore, Ashville, NC, Prescott, AZ....and more than 60 folks from Frederick, MD. Video collage from David Wolinsky.

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December 1st and 20th 2006 Vigils: Preventing the Next War Takes All Our Voices. Diplomacy not War with Iran. Vigils in opposition to military action in Iran and calling for face-to-face negotiations with no preconditions. We will gather to plan, and have lunch afterward.

Even though it's hard to imagine, credible voices still report that a military action against Iran is very possible. The results of such an action are likely to be even more disastrous than the current conflict in Iraq. That's why it's so important to express our opposition early, often and decisively. Even a small chance of military action is unacceptable. No matter what we may think of the Iranian regime, war is not the answer. Even human rights and democracy activists inside Iran are calling for no US intervention in Iran. Some have even rejected the notion of accepting any form of support by the US, saying that any connection to the US calls their actions into question and actually puts them in more danger. Flyer.

Pre-Election Freedom from Fear Campaign

Women in Black Frederick mourns the devastating consequences of fear-based politics in our country. We mourn the violence that has resulted from how we have responded to fear....It [is] important for us not to be swayed by the messages of fear, sent our way in order to gain our acceptance of the unacceptable: war, torture, abandonment of civil liberties and human needs....We need to ask hard questions of all the candidates."....From WIB Frederick Freedom from Fear Flyer

Freedom from Fear: October and early November vigils. Fear and our response to it so often results in violence. Our current policies on torture, war, spending, are a reflection of that fear. As we approach the mid-term election we mourn this state of affairs in our country, we witness to the ideals of the America we believe in and urge all to be engaged in our democracy, to choose freedom from fear at the polls. We reject the politics of fear! Flyer

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October 20th Vigil at the Weinberg Center: Thanks to everyone for your incredible response to our call for the Freedom from Fear Vigil in front on the Weinberg Center, as part of the 72 Film fest showing of the documentary "War Tapes". 37 of us joined together that evening as we stood on either side of entrance to the theater. We presented a powerful image. See photos at the end of this email. (and we distributed well over 100 flyers.) Thanks to our sign makers, our flyer makers, photographers, and all who joined us. Thanks to the women from WIB Westminster who drove such a long way to join us.

The local documentarians filmed us, (don't know yet what they did with it) as did representatives from the Swiss TV corporation who were in Frederick to cover the showing of War Tapes, and the public's reaction to it. Three of us were interviewed: Beth, re: WIB and our relationship to the the movie; Barry and Andrea re: their reaction to the movie. Andrea's clip was included in the piece they aired in Switzerland on October 25th. (with lots of voice over in French).

The Declaration of Peace, a nationwide campaign calling for a responsible and concrete plan for the removal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Sign on to call for a complete a comprehensive plan to end the war. Endorsed by WIB Frederick. September 1st and 20th vigils. Calls for lobbying Congress, candidates, and civil disobedience. WIB Flyer.

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Mourning the Violence in Lebanon, Israel and Gaza;

End the Violence NOW! The Children are Dying

Special Vigil. We stood with more than 60 of our sister vigils in Israel, the U.S. and around the world in calling for an immediate end to the violence. August 4 & 16, 2006

Abridged version printed on editorial page in the Frederick News Post, Sunday August 6, 2006.

Reports from other vigils. We have received more than 60 notices of vigils around the world, of stories of disaster and bravery from women in the conflict areas. They are supported knowing that their stories are being heard, and that we stand with them. Message from WIB Vigil in Haifa after it was shelled.

Washington Post Article on Women in Black Frederick. A March 23, 2006 story and photos on the front page of the Montgomery Extra by Fred Kunkle speaks about the vigil, the history of the movement, and the voices of those who stand. Story in PDF.

Tax Day Vigils 2006: The Federal budget is a reflection of our country's moral values. Does this budget reflect your values? National priorities project.

Vigil to Mourn the Third Anniversary of the start of the Iraq War, and the ongoing Loss of Life in Iraq. March 15th and April 7th Vigils.

Women in Black Frederick joins people around the world in mourning the death of local peace activist Tom Fox in Iraq.

Tom served with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Palestine and in Iraq. He was abducted in Baghdad, Nov. 26, 2005 and was found dead on March 10, 2006.

"It seems as if the first step down the road to violence is taken when I dehumanize a person. That violence might stay within my thoughts or find its way into the outer world and become expressed verbally, psychologically, structurally or physically. As soon as I rob a fellow human being of his or her humanity by sticking a dehumanizing label on them, I begin the process that can result in torture, injury and death." -- from Tom's Blog, written shortly before his abduction. Information about Tom and his work can be found at:

These two documents were provided at a memorial service for Tom, held at Frederick Friends meeting:

Women Say No to War. Women in Black Frederick joins WIB vigils around the world and a world-wide movement of women calling for peace. January- March 2006. Women delivered petitions to leaders in Washington DC and US Embassies around the world, on March 8th, International Women's Day. WIB Frederick has signed the petition and urges individuals to do so also at:

Several WIB Frederick attended International Women's Day events in Washington DC.

Life in Occupied Palestine: Eyewitness stories and photos

March 5, 2006, sponsored by Women in Black Frederick, The Peace Resource Center and Unity Church Frederick as part of the "Season of Non-violence" programs.

Anna Baltzer is a young Jewish-American graduate student, grand-daughter of Polish Holocaust survivors, who speaks eloquently on her experiences working with the International Women’s Peace Service, a human rights organization based in the Occupied Territories. Anna shared her personal experiences, observations, and photographs from six months documenting human rights violation! s in the West Bank and working with Palestinians and Israelis active in nonviolent resistance against the Occupation. The presentation covers—among other things—checkpoints, settlements, demonstrations, Israeli activism, environmental issues, and the Wall.

Anna has published a book about her experiences entitled Witness in Palestine: Journal of a Jewish American Woman in the Occupied Territories. www.annainthemiddleeast.com

Vigils Mourning Violence Against Women. February and March, 2006. Stop violence against women! Witness to the global pandemic of violence against women, around the world and here at home, in Frederick. Witness to the trafficking of women and the use of women as a weapon of war.

Vigils to Shine the Light on Torture, and Abuse of Detainees. A call to witness in a time of war.

Held January and February 2006. WIB Frederick highlighted issues and consquences associated with the use of torture, worldwide, and by our own government.