![[MN FOR]](../graphics/for.gif)
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Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation |
North Country Peace BuilderVol. 54, No. 4, December 2003
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In This Issue |
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The Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation
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Remarks from Don Irish at
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Each generation must struggle with the issues of their time, but the Sternbergs' endeavors have extended over three generations of work for justice and peace. The torches must pass to those who are younger; and we trust they will carry the endeavors forward. The Sternbergs' full lives have been as a couple jointly pursuing endeavors with shared values. Although today we focus on Art, it is difficult to speak of one without including the other! Art had been an active participant in the NAACP for almost half a century, serving on the Executive Committee of the St Paul chapter for a period. As a white male, he well understood that those who, by mere chance, have been born into a privileged societal majority need to commit themselves to the issues and needs of suppressed minorities in society and the world, if our endeavors for justice and peace are to have integrity. He was also a long-term member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (co-founded by Jane Addams). Art and Martha have been pillars of the local Fellowship of Reconciliation since World War II. Art served a period on the National Council of the FOR. For FOR members, the Sternbergs were Mr. and Mrs. FOR. Each annual New Year's Day open house gathering in their home served FOR members as an occasion for kindred spirits to rekindle their energies and commitments. They also retained staunch commitments to Middle East Peace Now and the World Federalists.... Art was a conscientious objector during World War II, the so-called "Good War," when being a CO was much more stressful and disdained than during the later years of the Vietnam war. The Sternbergs also followed their consciences and withheld a portion of their federal taxes, being unwilling to have their money drafted for war. When the World Citizen program came to Minnesota, they supported it.... The Sternbergs have discerned and followed "paths less taken." They and we know that gains are usually incremental, that we will not live to see the full fruition of our endeavors. Success is not guaranteed, but being faithful can add stones to build an arch, drops of water to turn a millwheel, or be the last snowflake which unexpectedly brings down a former pattern. Art and Martha have led the way. They and we others with gray hair invited and urge the youth to put on their hiking boots for a long and satisfying trek. War remains a problem, and it is never a solution! Let us all here this morning endeavor to find a path parallel to the one Arthur Sternberg took to discover a more humane world. Arthur, "well done, thou good and faithful servant" [Matthew 25:21]. |
Hope Dies Last*: Keeping Faith in Difficult Times
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Perhaps all of us could name many current events and trends that might make
us despair regarding our nation's and/or the world's fate. However, despair
is immobilizing for individuals and groups. Creativity is dampened. Hopelessness
is generated. Spirits become unwilling or unable to act. Let us not spread despair!
We need to believe that a different, better world is possible! One can be realistic
about the odds, yet continue working "over the long haul." Can seeming negatives be seen also as positives? Yes, indeed. If oppositions
are developing against trends in our community, nation, or world that we view
as undesirable, then movements that will slow down, reduce, or terminate the
trends that violate our values become positives! "Success" can be,
and should be, redefined. As Thomas Merton advised, in essence, gain satisfaction
from small gains, for those are what you will usually achieve. Short of a total
nonviolent revolution, full implementation of our values cannot be anticipated
in our lifetime, although we may hope for it. In what events may we find hope? See movement toward a better future? Taking
an international view, there are many hopeful "stirrings" abroad that
are heartening. Recently the UN General Assembly (186 nations) again voted overwhelmingly
against the United States' embargo against Cuba. Only the US, Israel, and the
Marshall Islands voted not to condemn it. Other promising signs are: - A recent vote in the UN to condemn Ariel Sharon's threat on Yasser Arafat's
life had only the US, Israel and tiny island adherents of the US voting against. |
countries (North Korea, Libya, North Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq) and returning home
to share their perceptions with American media, legislators, and their communities,
in defiance of US official regulations. The United States replicates the endeavors of the Roman empire; it has over-reached, and is stressed to implement the neo-conservatives' explicit desire that America dominate the world militarily and economically and tolerate no rivals! The rest of the world, even our so-called allies and friends, object to our (1) double standards (we can have nuclear weapons, others cannot; Iraq must obey every UN resolution, but Israel need not); (2) unilateralism (we will do what we want, regardless of world opinion, international law, or UN processes); and (3) exceptionalism (we decline to ratify a host of international agreements on important issues, including chemical and biological warfare, the International Criminal Court, land mines, child soldiers, and the environment; by executive fiat we withdraw from the ABM treaty). The "blow-back," resentment and anger resulting from these attitudes
mount around the globe. Such pressures are beginning to have an effect on the
US; the rest of the world and the UN may yet "save us from ourselves!" It's important to remember the millions of citizens of the world who demonstrated last spring against the US' intention to invade Iraq. The demonstrations indicate the potential for massive, coordinated expressions of global opinion, creating a countering "super-power." This might have been the last time a war by a major power was not stopped before it started! The "powers that be" have positions of great influence, and they
have money and media dominance. However, the world's people have a multitude
of rational heads, billions of pairs of hands to reach out, and billions also of
bipeds to demonstrate. Again, a different and better world is possible! Believe it! Live it! Let's
emulate the Saul Alinskys, Jesse Jacksons, Studs Terkels, Paul Wellstones, Marv
Davidovs, Phil Stegers, and the many others who creatively and persuasively
bring about significant social change.
* the title of Studs Terkel's new book (New Press, 2003) |
Cuba: Beautiful and Bittersweetby Junauda Petrus Junauda, a MN FOR member, was in Cuba from July 23 to August 1, with a group of about 300 young people from all over the U.S. |
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There was a visceral joy that illuminated every cell in my body. I was finally where I have often dreamt of being -- Cuba. I was afraid to blink and, with the re-opening of my eyes, find myself back in Minneapolis. Fortunately, instead, every blink gave me another eyeful of more of the people, land and spirit of Cuba. My mind was spinning, trying to hold on to material for future reminiscing about this island. I was allowed into Cuba for participation in a US-Cuba Youth exchange, that sought to give students from the US an opportunity to see Cuba for themselves, and have their opinions shaped by firsthand experience. The conference ended up being really structured, but I still was able to experience Cuba in some of its truth. Cuba intrigues me, for many reasons. This small island, with few resources (mostly as a result of the fifty-year blockade/embargo imposed by the US government) has had the world holding its breath for the collapse of its communist government, a government that has maintained its integrity and autonomy despite its proximity to the US. Another reason I was smitten with the idea of seeing Cuba was because my parents are both from the Caribbean, and I love the diversity among the islands, as well as the commonalities they share -- one of those commonalities being poverty. An inspiring thing, however, is that despite Cuba's poverty it still offers free medical care and education, which was amazing considering that I come from the wealthiest country on the planet and I cannot even afford the thought of getting sick. Before my trip to Cuba, I had met with fellow young folks who were going on the trip. Together we read and discussed socialism, the Cuban revolution, Cuban culture, and the readings of Ernesto "Che" Guevara, Fidel Castro and others. There was a subtle air of Cuba being utopian that began to envelop our discussions. My life experience made me wary of this leaning. I made it extremely clear to all of the other folks that I was interested in the experience of Afro-Cubans. It has been my experience that the plight of folks of African descent is largely the same throughout the world. Discrimination, poverty, and social injustice for people of color is the residue of the Western hemisphere's rise to power, grounded in the enslavement and genocide of Black and Indigenous peoples. I was hesitant to believe that Cuba could have completely transcended the effects of this particular legacy. My first few days in Cuba were incredible! Music was everywhere, folks were joyful and kind, the weather was hot and embracing. Everyday was filled with a new adventure. I met a Black revolutionary who has asylum in Cuba, and puts together hip-hop shows. She shared her experience and opinions about her life as an activist fighting for social change, freedom, and dignity for Black People. She also shared her pain in seeing her comrades being either murdered, imprisoned, or forced into exile for working for the betterment of their people. This was inspiring to me for she was a woman who has truly sacrificed for her beliefs and it made me call into question my commitment and loyalty to my convictions as a revolutionary. It was wonderful to meet an elder to whom I have so much gratitude for all that she had done on my behalf even before I was born. The fiftieth anniversary of the battle that started the revolution occurred during my visit. We were invited to celebrate in a community on the eastern side of the island, in the city of Santiago de Cuba, where the uprising that started the battle took place. We sang "Guantanamera," drank rum, and listened to the poems that the children had written in commemoration of this day. I was blown away by the pride and love that folks had for their nation. It was not out of hatred for others but love for the ancestors and elders who had sacrificed and fought for revolution. The children had such deep smiles and bright eyes. They were warm to me and patient with my Spanish. |
I asked them about what kind of music they liked (hip-hop and salsa), did they like school, and how old they were. They were naturally gifted dancers and had such a love for each other and their elders, that I felt a sense of nostalgia for this reality that had never been mine. The next day we were all given red T-shirts with pictures of Fidel Castro and Jose Martí (the beloved poet and revolutionary of the Cuban-Spanish war) that we were instructed to wear that evening to an event that celebrated the battle. We were bussed to a location in the middle of Santiago de Cuba. We were seated in the middle of ten thousand Cubans chanting and cheering Fidel Castro, the revolution, and Cuba. We were then presented with famous Cuban singers and the national Cuban ballet, all of which was the people of Cuba, started into a two and a half hour speech about the changes and triumphs their island has seen since the onset of the revolution. I just sat and soaked in as much as I could with my feeble handle on the Cuban
variety of Spanish. He is an old man, and it was clear in his syncopated and
slow speech, but he was clear nonetheless. His audience was absolutely held
by his every word. I looked around me and saw how everyone was reverent of him,
and only interrupted their captivated state in order to applaud and cheer him.
I felt a part of something there with them, but got torn up when I recalled
that this was not my home and these were not feelings I had for the current
administration in my own country. Walking away from the event towards the bus I heard familiar sounds. They were Tupac and Mary J. Blige. In Cuba! I started dancing down the street high off of the moment and feeling so good, hearing the music that I use to console and elevate me at home. When I found where the music was coming from, some spontaneously-made new friends and I danced in the street. It was dreamlike. Cuba was wonderful but not perfect, but that is the circumstance anywhere.
My earlier concerns about racial issues did factor into my experience. I was
dismayed but not surprised by how a majority of the folks we saw in authority
were white men. When we asked questions about this we were told that there were
plenty of people of color who held roles of leadership throughout the Cuban
administration ("Then where are they?"). Another answer to this question
was that slavery existed for more than three hundred years and the revolution
is only fifty years old, and they are working as aggressively as possible to
dismantle racism institutionally. We also noticed that those of us from the
US who were Black had experienced discrimination from Cuban authorities (police
and such), but once it was realized that we were American attitudes were changed
towards us. A sister from Oakland called this "passport racism." We
also saw many images of Aunt Jemima-type figurines on sale throughout the island,
which made me cringe; this was one of the few representations of Black women
that we saw throughout the island. I would love to go to Cuba again; my experience was too quick and intense. I would love an opportunity to return and spend more time just "being" in Cuba and interacting in peaceful, down-to-earth conversations with folks. The most beautiful thing about Cuba that always fills my heart with peace is reminiscing about the people. The Cuban people I interacted with gave me so much love and insight into their daily life. I was allowed to see the intricacy of their struggle and triumph, their pride and dignity, their material poverty and spiritual wealth. I was infatuated with their love and passion for life. It has inspired me since I have returned to the Twin Cities to work for the things that I love, in solidarity with their struggle.
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"Mr. Minnesota FOR": Arthur Sternberg
A few years ago we tried to thank Arthur for his long and faithful service to MN FOR. We used the fall conference as an occasion to celebrate his commitment in service and invited our members to attend, and to contribute stories and pictures for a scrapbook in his honor. To the surprise of no one on the Board at the time, that fall conference was better attended than any had been for years (or have been since). Gathering longtime friends of the MN FOR to honor Arthur brought folks who hadn't attended meetings or seen one another in years, but who very much felt and continue to feel a part of the Minnesota FOR because of the continuing presence of Arthur Sternberg.
Arthur set a very high standard for the rest of us. We may not achieve it, but it will continue to inspire us for years to come. Arthur's was a life in fellowship with all committed to justice, peace, and reconciliation. We are fortunate indeed, and grateful, to have been touched by it.
Duane Cady
Books for Peacemakers: Lessons from Ground Zero
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Hamline University Press has recently published two books about Hiroshima and
Nagasaki, by Hamline University professor Walter Enloe: Lessons from Ground
Zero (2002), and Nagasaki Spirits, Hiroshima Voices, co-written with
Randy Morris (2003). If you have never really contemplated the atomic bombing of these two Cities
in Japan, these excellent books provide an entry into not only the facts but
their meaning, to the survivors, to the Japanese, to international figures,
and to those outsiders who live in Hiroshima or come to Peace Park to stand
in awe of an act so far from human experience it cannot be fully grasped. Lessons from Ground Zero is written from the perspective of students
and teachers at the Hiroshima International School, who decided in 1985 to do
a deep study of the dropping of the bombs, using the advantage of their location
on the outskirts of Hiroshima and their knowledge of Japanese. The book begins with a note about the United Nations' proclamation of 2001-2010 as the International Decade for Constructing a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World. And, "This book celebrates the longest standing sister-city relationship between Japan and the United States: Nagasaki, Japan, and St. Paul, Minnesota." Enloe spent his teenage years in Hiroshima and served as principal and teacher
at the Hiroshima International School from 1980 to 1988. He states that the
book is "autobiographical fiction ... based on characters both real and
imagined." In the early 1970s Hiroshima proclaimed itself the International City of Peace
and Culture, and it has been visited by hundreds of thousands of people since.
The International School, once known as the American School, offers classes
from kindergarten through grade nine. It has full-time students from fifteen
countries, most of whose parents work in Japan, and hundreds of part-time students.
Lessons covers the journey of discovery both teachers and students took in uncovering the complete story of Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- learning not only the history of the cities but also how people in the United States felt about the Japanese during the war, listening to the personal stories of atomic bomb survivors, and communicating with international figures who played a special role in the city's post-bomb history, such as Pope John Paul. The book reveals the depth of emotions the students experience during the learning,
and the stories cause the same emotions in the reader. The book ends with the students deciding to help create peace by starting the
1000 Cranes Club. They wrote and published a booklet about Sadako and the meaning
of folding cranes, and invited children everywhere to fold 1000 cranes and send
them to Hiroshima to be placed by children at the International School at the
Children's Monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park. The inscription at the bottom
of the monument is "This is our cry, This is our prayer, To build peace
in this world." Lessons is beautifully illustrated, with black and white drawings and watercolors by Serene Enloe and Isaac Enloe. The last chapter lists books and other resources for interested readers. |
Nagasaki Spirits, Hiroshima Voices was first published in 1998 as Encounters with Hiroshima: Making Sense of the Nuclear Age. The new edition responds to the event of 9/11 and the message from Washington that we need to be afraid. The authors, both teachers, ask in their preface, "What soul capacities do we need to nurture in our students that will give them the flexibility to deal with the heightened fear that surrounds them without being incapacitated by psychic numbing? ... What choices can we encourage in our students?" The book begins with the Nagasaki and Hiroshima Peace Declarations of 2001, both calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons and for making Nagasaki the last place ever to experience nuclear attack. There are two sections. The first, "Meditations on the Bomb," is written by Randy Morris, who was a college student during the Vietnam War and taught at the Hiroshima International School with Walter Enloe from 1981-84. Morris's question to himself in 1971 when he was twenty-one years old was, "How does one compose a life of the mind?" And, "What is worth thinking about?" His contributions to Nagasaki Spirits are a response to these two questions.
He is a sociologist/psychologist who delves deeply into the mind and the consciousness.
His chapters include "Beyond Despair: An Imaginal Odyssey" -- his awakening
to the horror of Hiroshima and its significance for human redemption; "Nuclear
Nightmares" -- an examination of the meaning of survivors' dreams; "The
Dream Peace Project" -- ways to harness the power of such dreams to further
the cause of peace; "The Psychology of Extinction" -- getting to the
heart of "nuclear thinking"; and "Education for Apocalypse: A
Depth Psychological Approach" -- what kind of education would prepare an
individual for an apocalyptic experience like Hiroshima? The latter offers a
fascinating kind of liberal arts education that includes science and book learning,
literature, but also dream work, ritual process, personal expression, and a
deep nontraditional understanding of natural phenomena. Morris ends his section with a chapter on the apocalypse of 9/11, and states,
"America is being asked to undergo a vision quest ... to die to herself
in order to be reborn into a more sustainable form. From this point of view,
9/11 was a nightmare sent to instruct us." 9/11 calls us to a huge, worldwide
shift of consciousness to save ourselves and the earth! Walter Enloe's part of the book, entitled "Stories of the Journey," covers some of the same territory covered in Lessons from Ground Zero. The chapters are intended to emphasize a single idea, that "peacemaking is ongoing, a construction, an evolution in the hearts and minds of people that must be continually maintained and sustained." Chapters cover Enloe's introduction to Japan as a prejudiced teenager, the
story of Sadako, the 1000 Cranes Project and the Peace Site movement, and young
people's efforts to create peace. They all emphasize Enloe's conviction that
Nagasaki must be a lesson to all mankind to resolve conflicts peaceably. He
dwells on Jonathan Schell's concept of universal parenthood -- the idea of human
extinction makes all people, with or without children, parents of the next generation,
for we are the ones who will allow them to live. The book includes an extensive bibliography and other resources including videos,
a play about Sadako, and projects in which people can get involved. |
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Both of these books are available from Hamline University Press, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104. Walter Enloe may be contacted through the Graduate School, Hamline University (same address). |
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Minnesota FOR Fall Meeting
National FOR staffer Lisa Lane capped off her visit to the Twin Cities at our Fall gathering on November 2 at Hamline United Methodist Church. She told us about many of the programs being organized from the Nyack headquarters as well as news of other local groups. Lisa also discussed with us some of the events being planned for later in the fall, including the SOA protests in Fort Benning, Ga. She will be publishing an updated version of the local group organizing guide which should have some good suggestions for all of us on how to best support one another to "keep on keeping on."
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Walter Wink and June Keener Wink during thier visit to the Twin Cities FOR meeting in November. |
Civil Disobedience: defendants arrested for protesting at Alliant Tech were found not guilty! |
Henry Lippman did his part to keep us moving forward by bringing his guitar and teaching us a new song dedicated to Paul and Sheila Wellstone, "Stand Up and Keep Fighting." Memories of the Wellstones and the much fresher memories of our friend Arthur Sternberg, whose funeral service had been the day before our meeting, reminded us so clearly of the importance of standing up for peace in season and out of season (and for many seasons!).
The MN FOR Board will have a planning meeting in January to put together programs and events for our FOR constituency. Based on reports at the Fall meeting we realize we have some terrific opportunities to expand nonviolence training to small groups and religious congregations. We also want to find ways to work more closely with the Peacemaker Training Institute located in St. Paul. Making the MN FOR more family-friendly as well as being more inclusive of our Greater Minnesota members are other goals that were expressed at the meeting.
It was good, once again, to really feel the "fellowship" part of our name. My thanks to everyone who was part of the evening.
Jo Clare Hartsig, co-chair
Editorial news
This issue marks a change for the North Country Peace Builder, which has thrived for so long under the editorship of Leslie Reindl. Leslie has handed over the post of editor, to allow more time for the many other important aspects of her work for peace and justice, but promises to remain an active contributor (see her book review above). Thanks, Leslie!
The new editor, Rachel Mordecai, welcomes your comments, suggestions and contributions by email to mord0010@umn.edu, or by mail to 2700 16th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407.
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Mission Statement
The Fellowship of Reconciliation seeks to replace violence, war, racism, and economic injustice with nonviolence, peace, and justice. We are an interfaith organization committed to active nonviolence as a transforming way of life and as a means of radical change. We educate, train, build coalitions, and engage in nonviolent and compassionate actions locally, nationally, and globally.
Websites: www.mnfor.org, www.nonviolence.org, North Country Peace Builder online: www.osb.org/for/
National FOR | MN
FOR
Minnesota Peacemaker Project
Peace
and Justice Websites (nonviolence.org)
Benedictines' Website | Justice
and Peace Links
North Country Peace Builder
Produced quarterly (September, December, March and June) by the Executive Committee of the Minnesota Fellowship of Reconciliation. Send submissions, letters and comments to Leslie Reindl <alteravista@earthlink.net>, editor, in care of
MN FOR
1233 Ingerson Road
St. Paul, MN 55112Or use the online form to send comments or contributions.
© 2004 by MN FOR / www.osb.org/for/2003/index04.html
Securing
justice, and then peace, are not short-term projects. Living with such
pursuits requires relentless persistence of effort, consistent adherence
to appropriate values, and commitment of personal time, energy, talents,
and resources. Art and Martha Sternberg's lives were dedicated to the
long haul well into their 90s!
