Towards a "women-centered" World!

Friends,

CodePink: Women for Peace, that group of rowdy, dedicated peacemakers, have come up with a most beautiful statement for their Mother's Day action 2009 - "I will not raise my children to kill another mother's child." This Mother's Day they will spend 24 hours in front of The White House "calling for peace in our communities and around the world," and for an end to war.

Here is some of what they have to say about the event on their Web site: This Mother's Day... we will honor all mothers and women who live where war is happening— where women are paying the price with their bodies, loved ones, homes, future. We want to recognize the price they pay and honor their courage and power, and stand with them in solidarity to not only tell their important stories but to model what women-centered community looks and acts like. We want to encourage other organizations and community groups around the country and the world to bring their stories and their sisters to DC to celebrate Julia Ward Howe's original call for Mother's Day.
I know it's inconvenient for most people to travel to Washington, D.C. on such short notice for such an event, but if you are remotely considering something different this Mother's Day, search the Internet for an event in your area; you may be surprised. I found something in mine, in the heart of Puget Sound. Women in Black are hosting a Mother's Day Peace Walk at Heritage Park, Olympia, WA on Sunday from 1:45 to 2:00 pm. I will be honoring mothers on Saturday at a vigil and direct action at the gates of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington.

You can also show your support for the The White House vigil by sending a Mother’s Day rose to Washington, D.C., and let the mothers of soldiers killed and wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan know that you stand with them against war. Roses will be presented to the mothers and tied to the fence outside the White House as a memorial to the dead and a call for peace.

Do you ever wonder how different things might be in our communities if they WERE more "women-centered". President Obama recently said (in response to a question about the violence suffered by Israeli and Palestinian children), "...sometimes I think that if you just put the mothers in charge for a while, that things would get resolved." He might be on to something there. How might a "women-centered" world look, and how might it be different than the one in which we now live? Just imagine!

Peace,

Leonard

Click here for CodePink's Mother's Day 2009 homepage.

Click here to send a rose to Washington, D.C. for the Mother's Day vigil.

Click here to see the schedule for the Ground Zero vigil and direct action.