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Students invited to strike for peace Friday
BY DAYNA D. LANDGREBE
STATESMAN STAFF WRITER
In an effort to create social awareness of our nation’s political state, a strike for peace has been called.
On Friday, Sept. 21, a rally and series of events will take place at the Building for Women in East Duluth from 9 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. to bring positive change to ending the war in Iraq.
“We are calling on people to learn how to become peacemakers,” said Emily Gaarder, UMD Associate Professor of Sociology/Anthropology. “This [peace] strike is creating conditions that remind our policy makers that people are not accepting the situation of continued war.”
The peace strike is a continuation of a national movement, the Iraq Moratorium, which hopes to serve as a symbolic, antiwar movement and protest against U.S. foreign policy.
“The biggest challenge is getting students to seriously organize themselves,” said Scott Laderman, UMD Assistant Professor of History. “It has been happening slowly, but the movement will need to grow substantially broader for true impact.”
The Strike for Peace events are being sponsored locally by the Northland Anti-War Coalition (NAWC) and endorsed by several area activist groups like Veterans for Peace and the Loaves and Fishes Catholic Worker Community.
Many teachers are canceling classes in an effort to halt “business as usual” and break the daily routine. This would serve as an observation to the lives of U.S troops, other soldiers and citizens that have been lost.
“I don’t really know much about the [peace] strike but I know that professors are canceling classes,” junior Ashley Hennes said. “My professor is offering to meet with us later if anyone was opposed to missing that hour.”
While this is not a call for unauthorized work stoppage, Gaarder said that other faculty and staff who are not canceling class might participate similarly by devoting the day’s discussion to the current situation in Iraq.
Likewise, students don’t necessarily have to skip classes to participate. Interactive workshops, a rally and a march and will be happening all daylong and concerts will carry into the evening.
“Students can create awareness by spreading their analysis in class,” said Dr. Runa Das, UMD Assistant Professor of Political Science.
“This scholarly action through peace groups is critical in understanding each other.”
Some people may feel this peace strike is an over-the-top initiative for a political movement without recognition for the troop’s efforts or events like 9/11.
“This is not brainwashing but sharing one’s perspective. They are recognizing that 9/11 did happen, but asking, ‘Now what?’” Das said.
UMD’s involvement in the strike is only as influential as its students, staff and faculty make it to be. No particular departments are sponsoring the event as there is such a diverse view regarding the war.
Whether students and faculty choose to participate or not, there are hopes that a ripple of change, even on a small scale, will be felt.
“I don’t think anyone believes this [peace] strike will seriously disrupt campus and/or community life,” Laderman said. “However, we do hope that the momentum will escalate into a monthly series of actions demanding an end to the war,” he said.
