Writings by Voices

Amman, Jordan
October 22, 2008

I learned that among the things he was forced to leave behind was a large feather pillow his mother had made about seventy years ago. She had gathered the feathers herself. Also left behind were some embroidery pieces she had made as well as a couple of books and other items. When his wife died of cancer over 28 years ago, this gentle man had raised his three children alone. I met his only daughter recently in Syria. She and her husband are among the refugee population there longing to join family in a safe place where they can work and raise their two small daughters. I thought of an embroidered pillow case cover my mother gave me some years back. It is something I cherish imagining how she had laid her head on it as a child. Maybe, I told him, I could retrieve some of the things left behind with a neighbor.

Amman, Jordan
October 6, 2008

I wasn’t prepared for the extent of impoverishment I would see in Syria. Arriving by bus just a few hours after a suicide car bomb took the lives of at least 17 civilians in Damascus, I learned about the attack from the taxi driver who took me from the bus stop to the neighborhood where I was to meet my translator. Although I understood the Arabic word for “explosion,” it was only later that I would get more details.

October 6, 2008

Recently I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in the state of Colorado, giving poetry readings and speaking to communities about a unique American-Iraqi partnership called Direct Aid Iraq.

Joshua Brollier September 4, 2008

Maybe if each of us knew just one Iraqi youth, we would think twice before allowing drone planes to fly bombing missions over the child’s home for the purpose of “liberation” or “fighting terrorism.” Maybe

if each of us knew just one mother from Afghanistan, we would actually move to stop our government from continuing its criminal policies that lead to so much “collateral damage.” Maybe each of our actions combined would form the basis for an actual collective movement.

By Bill Christofferson
August 22, 2008

Witness Against War, a walk from Chicago to St. Paul to promote non-violence and an end to the war is Iraq, is in its final week.

Dan Pearson, the one who dreamed it up, scouted and planned the route, and coordinates much of the logistics, calls it “a totally worthwhile endeavor.” He and Kathy Kelly are co-coordinators of Voices for Creative Non-Violence, the Chicago-based group that organized and sponsors the walk.

The drive from Milwaukee, where I had last walked with them, to Pepin, WI, on the Mississippi River, to rejoin them, took five hours. It had taken the walkers five weeks.

By Heléne Hedberg

Helene here speaking. I left the walk a week ago now to go back to Sweden. A rather busy schedule awaited me here but I finally made some time to wrap things up for you and tell of what the WAW-walk was like for me. -The Swede…ha ha.

Let me just begin by saying that I was very glad to hear of how the encounter that some of you made at Fort McCoy the other day turned out peaceful and rewarding. I had just picked up Thoreau’s Walden and Civil Disobedience and I’ll now continue reading it with the gleaming image of the thirteen walkers crossing the line. Thank you for doing it and putting peaceful, creative nonviolent means into practice. Excellent writing Jeff.

Amman, Jordan
August 24, 2008

Dear Friends,

Yesterday afternoon as I got into a public taxi, or “service” as they are called here, a friendly driver greeted me in English, something very rare. This type of taxi carries four passengers, and it seems that people are reluctant to be heard speaking English. I had ridden in this driver’s taxi before, and the other time he felt free as well to address me in English. His words yesterday however took me completely by surprise. “Did you hear about the boats arriving in Gaza!” he said excitedly. He was referring to the Free Gaza campaign which I too have been following with great interest. We have friends among the 45 or so human rights activists on the two boats which, despite multiple threats, set sail from Cyprus to break the siege and end the blockade of Gaza and its 1.5 million occupants.

August 22, 2008

By Josh Brollier, Witness Against War

There is something undeniably therapeutic about walking. Just outside of Lacrosse a psychologist joined our walk for a day and described how it was her practice to take a leisurely stroll with patients during sessions. As we walked along the bike path later that day, I was thinking that if just twice a week we ventured out into the quiet space of nature that surrounds our cities and homes, then the world might be a very different place.

We left Chicago just over five weeks ago with a core group of fifteen walkers and I quickly felt as if these fellow sojourners were lifelong friends. We have heard each other’s stories, laughed at each other’s ridiculous jokes, and we have born each other’s burdens. Though the number of our caravan has fluctuated, each person that comes into the circle brings a unique history, personality, and depth of life experience. Walking two by two gives you the chance to try to really understand each person and to love them right where they are in life’s greater journey.

By Joshua Brollier
Aug 12, 2008

The press has gone out and the word has spread about our non-violent act of civil resistance at Ft McCoy, and I have been reflecting on the event and hoping that our action was an encouragement to the soldiers who are set to deploy to Iraq in 2009. We attempted to enter the base and have conversations with soldiers about their right to refuse illegal orders and to file as conscientious objectors. We also wanted to inform them that Spencer Black is going to introduce a piece of legislature that will potentially keep the 32nd Brigade Combat Team of the Wisconsin National Guard at home- this will be the second to third deployment of many members of the guard.

Amman, Jordan
Aug 10, 2008

Dear Friends,

“How can the walls ever come down?” was the question I put to three Iraqi friends. Late yesterday afternoon I went next door to ask a neighbor if we could watch Iraqi TV news together. Would he mind translating for me? This young friend often helps me with Arabic, and I had brought my notebook along. We were joined by his brother and another Iraqi friend who will be returning to Baghdad soon. Moslem and Christians, we sat together. The walls I was referring to are the concrete barricades which have been constructed by the coalition forces throughout all of Baghdad. These walls seal off and separate entire communities.