Jan / Feb / Mar 2013

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E P E A C E & J U S T I C E C E N T E RH I G H L I G H T S

Cost of War continued on page 4

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BY Colleen Deignan

he Peace & Justice Center ispleased to announce that we will

continue our Cost of War Speakerand Film series throughout 2013. TheHarris and Frances Block Foundation hasgenerously agreed to sponsor our seriesfor its second year, and is joined by theVermont Community Foundation, theAnne Slade Frey Charitable Trust, theSisters of Mercy Peace Initiative, and allof our generous donors. We sincerelythank these foundations; the Cost of WarSeries would not be possible withouttheir support.

We hope you can make it to our 2013events!AN INTIMATE CONVERSATION ON IRAQ

New Vermonter, Omar Al-masshadani, willdiscuss his life in Iraq, customs, experi-ences and artwork; an excellent way tobuild cross-cultural understanding andbring world issues back to a local level.Wednesday, January 23, 7pm, FletcherRoom (2nd Floor), Fletcher Free Library,Burlington.SCREENING OF THE INVISIBLE WAR

A groundbreaking investigative docu-mentary about one of America’s mostshameful and best kept secrets: theepidemic of rape within the US military.Wednesday, January 30, 7pm, Cheray 101,Saint Michael’s College.KATHLEEN BARRY: UNMAKING WAR, REMAKING

MEN

Overcoming a Culture of Violence: HowEmpathy Can Reshape Our Politics, OurSoldiers and Ourselves. Why do we valuehuman lives in everyday moments, but

Cost of War Series 2013

accept the killing in war as inevitable?February 15 at 7pm. Location TBA.CHRIS HEDGES

An award winning foreign correspondentfor nearly two decades in Central America,the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans,Hedges has reported from more than 50countries. He has worked for manypublications, including The New YorkTimes, for which he was a foreign corre-spondent for 15 years.Wednesday, March 20, 7pm, Ira AllenChapel, University of Vermont. Tickets:$10 general public ($15 day of event);UVM Students are free with student ID.Tickets are available at the Peace &Justice Center. Other ticket locations arelisted on page 4.

Plans are in the works to bring MedeaBenjamin (co-founder of CODE PINK) ineither April or September to talk aboutDrone Warfare and Matt Kennard (authorof Irregular Army) in May. In August wewill hold our Second Annual Songs ofHope Concert.

We are also pleased that the WillMiller Green Mountain Veterans for Peacewill be joining us again as co-sponsors.Vets for Peace is a national organizationthat works to expose the true costs ofwar, end the arms race, seek justice forveterans and victims, abolish war as aninstrument of national policy, and restrainour government from intervening, overtlyand covertly, in the internal affairs ofother nations. On a local level, the Will

PAGE 2From the Center

New programs, new board members, newenergy at the PJC..

PAGE 3The Livable Wage Forum

Panelists and PJC Position Statement.

PAGE 4Nonviolent Communication

The PJC and Dr. John Reuwer offer a 3 partworkshop series in February.

PAGE 5Making Whiteness Visible

White activists have a distinct role in teaching,supporting, and encouraging other whitepeople to step into the journey of abandon-ing individual, institutional, and culturalracism.

PAGE 6-7Predictions

The End of the World Party goers sharedtheir predictions for the next 5 years.

PAGE 8Peace & Justice Store

Tagua nut jewelry and winter wear fromAmor a la Vida cooperative in Ecuador.

PAGE 9Fair Trade Split

Growing pains in the Fair Trade movement.

PAGE 10Calendar

Meetings and events.

PAGE 11Events

Time Stands Still; Idle No More;One Billion Rising

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From the Center

EDITORS

Wendy CoeRobin Lloyd

PUBLISHED4/year

(See form on page 12)

CIRCULATION1,200

The opinions expressed inthe articles, including

those by staff, are thoseof the authors and notnecessarily those of thepeace & justice center.

60 Lake Street #1CBurlington, VT 05401

802.863.2345fax: 802.863.2532

www.pjcvt.orginfo@pjcvt.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS(alphabetical order)

Linda AyerAutumn BarnettSpence PutnamNathan SuterAndrea SwanJudy Yarnall

Ed Everts, emeritus

STAFFGabriella Ochoa Brenneman

Wendy CoeColleen Deignan

Kyle Silliman-SmithCarmen Solari

PJC MISSION

Our mission is to create ajust and peaceful world.To this end, we work on

the interconnected issuesof economic and racial

justice, peace, and humanrights through education,

advocacy, training and non-violent activisim, and

community organizing,since 1979.

Dear Friends,External events have challenged us in two areas important to the work of the Peace & Justice Center.

The announcement in November 2012 that Skinny Pancake had been awarded the franchise to providerestaurant service at the Burlington Airport was welcome news in that it means that wholesome, locallyproduced food will be offered to the tourism trade. It was troubling, however, to hear that Skinny Pancakehad been given an exemption from Burlington’s Livable Wage Ordinance. We issued a statement (p. 3)calling on the City of Burlington “to collaborate with local businesses to implement the livable wageordinance while ensuring business success.” Meanwhile we are planning a public forum to explore thisissue further, which will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, January 31 at Contois Auditorium in BurlingtonCity Hall.

In response to the tragic mass shooting at the Sandy Hook School in Newtown, Connecticut wereleased a strong statement (p. 3) urging action to move our country in the direction of a “culture ofempathy.” We support stronger and more effective controls on weapons and ammunition, including acomplete ban on semi-automatic assault weapons. In addition we ask Americans to “examine the messageof manhood we are giving to our youth,” and we advocate “easier access to mental health services for allpeople.” The Peace & Justice Center will be holding a series of workshops on nonviolent communicationand nonviolent action techniques to help our community develop the tools to build a more peaceful world.

On a more positive note, your board of directors is delighted to welcome two new members. Please seethe profiles below, of Andrea Swan and Judith Yarnall, who joined the board in October and November,respectively.

As mentioned in our fall newsletter your board of directors made an increased commitment to strength-ening the programming efforts of the Peace & Justice Center by adding the part time position of ProgramManager to our staff. We were pleased to be able to hire Kyle Silliman-Smith, a long-time supporter andvolunteer for the PJC, in this new position. We also increased the hours of Colleen Deignan, our AssistantProgram Manager, who has done so much for our programs (especially the Cost of War Series) whileworking largely on her own. As you will see elsewhere in this newsletter our program reach continues toexpand. We can also report that the team of Kyle and Colleen has had renewed success in attracting grantsupport for our efforts.

Gaby Ochoa Brennamen and Carmen Solari guided our store to a strong finish for the year in December,putting us in a good position to weather the slow months between now and summer. Under the watchfulfiscal eye of Wendy Coe, we will strive to continue expanding our program outreach while keeping ourfinancial house in order. For all this we remain dependent upon and grateful for the generous support ofyou, our faithful members. And for those of you who aren’t members yet and would like to keep the Centerand its programs going, see the form on page 12 or you may donate online at www.pjcvt.org.

Spencer PutnamFor the Board of Directors

New Board Member ProfilesAndrea Swan lives Hinesburg with her husband, Mac. There she takes great pride in caring for their twoyoung children as a stay-at-home mother. She also enjoys empowering women and their partners as theytransition into parenthood through personalized birth planning and birth doula support. She is currently amember of a local feminist group, Fed Up. Over the past year she has volunteered on a regular basis at thePeace and Justice Center. She is committed to creating positive and lasting change for generations tocome.

Judith Yarnall joined the board after retiring from Johnson State College, where she had taught Americanliterature for many years. At JSC she co-developed and taught a required, interdisciplinary course calledPeace and War, on the roots of violence and possibilities for nonviolence. Her activism goes back to theNuclear Freeze movement and march in 1982. She has been a member of many peace organizations and hasparticipated in many peace vigils and other activism. Nonviolence has always been extremely important toher. Judy lives in Burlington with her husband, Victor Swenson.

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ike all Americans committed to thecreation of a more just and

peaceful world, we at the Peace &Justice Center are saddened and appalledby the tragedy at Sandy Hook elementaryschool. We will work to make the legacyof the children killed there a transitionfrom a gun culture to a culture of empathyin this country.

To this end, we call upon Congress–and in particular the Vermont Congres-sional delegation–to support and pass,promptly, a law which stringently controlsthe sale and ownership of guns andwhich bans the civilian use of semi-automatic weapons such as the onesemployed in Tucson, Aurora, Portland,and Newtown. We call for legislationwhich will reinstate the assault weaponsban, eliminate sales of high capacitymagazines, and adopt effective waitingperiods and background checks for allgun sales, including private and gunshow sales. We also, having learned fromthe strict and effective Australian gunlaws enacted after the Port Arthurmassacre, support the buy-back of semi-automatic rifles and handguns.

To ensure a true culture of empathy,we ask all Americans to examine themessages of manhood we are giving toour youth. Masculinity, violence, domi-nance, and respect are being dangerouslycombined.

We advocate easier access to mentalhealth services for all people, and inparticular troubled young men sufferingfrom a sense of isolation. Beyond anylaws and regulations, we hope that weourselves will extend to them an alert andfriendly interest in their lives.

PJC Statementon Gun Control

Livable Wage ForumJanuary 31st at 7:00pm, City Hall, Burlington

Panelists :Emma Mulvaney-Stanak directed the Vermont LivableWage Campaign at the Peace & Justice Center for fouryears and served on the ordinance committee of theBurlington City Council and did work on the actuallivable wage ordinance.

Sharon Bushor is a current Burlington City Councilor and one of the original sponsors ofthe Livable Wage Ordinance. She sits on the finance & ordinance committees both ofwhich work on this issue.

Dan Holtz is the “Maverick CEO” of Liz Lovely Cookies, based in Waitsfield, this artisanbakery prides itself on prioritizing people and the planet over profits.

Doug Hoffer is the author of the Peace & Justice Center’s Vermont Job Gap Study and theperson responsible for updating the livable wage numbers each year. He is Vermont’snewly elected State Auditor.

PJC Position Statement on Livable Wage:The Peace & Justice Center works toward social justice and has focused on economicjustice issues as a core factor in addressing social injustice. The Center’s Vermont LivableWage Campaign successfully reframed the debate on how to address the income gap inVermont from incremental increases to the minimum wage to a livable wage – enough fora person to meet his/her basic needs. Without a livable wage, many workers go without abasic need like health insurance or are forced to rely on government assistance – a costthat all taxpayers absorb, an indirect subsidy for employers who do not pay a livablewage.

The PJC led the campaign for a Livable Wage for all Vermonters from 1997 till 2010.The PJC funded and published the ten phases of the Vermont Job Gap Study and partneredwith VBSR to create the Livable Jobs Toolkit during that time. These resources becamevaluable tools used by employers in figuring out how to provide livable wage jobs. Livablewages can be part of a sustainable business model and the PJC commends those busi-nesses who have led the way towards balancing profits and costs in order to be fair toworkers.

The City of Burlington has been a leader in adopting a livable wage ordinance. We supportthe current ordinance and any attempts to further strengthen its provisions. PJC alsorecognizes that consistent and fair application of the ordinance is critical when the Citypartners with any business at the airport or in other service-based contracts.

The Peace & Justice Center supports local businesses and believes that reinvesting revenuein Vermont businesses makes our economy stronger. Partnering with local entrepreneurswho source their goods and services here should be a priority for Burlington.

We call on the City of Burlington to collaborate with local businesses to implement thelivable wage ordinance while ensuring business success.

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“Every act we performtoday must reflect the kindof human relationships weare fighting to establishtomorrow.”

– Dave Dellinger

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Cost of War continued from page 1

Miller Green Mountain chapter ofVeterans for Peace is composed ofpassionate peace activists who can befound at rallies, sit-ins, marches, and ontheir live call-in show on VCAM (channel15) at 12pm on the first Sunday of everymonth. You can also join them at theirmeetings on the 3rd Saturday of everymonth (with the exception of January -they’ll be meeting on the 2nd Saturday) inMontpelier at the Kellogg-HubbardLibrary at 10am.

Chris HedgesTicket OutletsPeace & Justice Center - Burlington VTCrow Books - Burlington VTEbeneze Bookstore - Johnson VTBear Pond Books - Monpelier VTVermont Book Shop - Middlebury VT

Peace is PossibleA 3 session series to inspire hope.Would you like to think peace is possible, but just don’t see how it can be? Have troublethinking about world peace when it feels overwhelming just to get through the day, andkeep your relationships in order? Discouraged by the seemingly endless violence in thenews, and wonder how it can ever end? Looking for new ideas in your desire to make theworld more just and peaceful?

You are invited to gain a fresh perspective on the things that make for peace across manyaspects of the human experience. Join us for these lively multimedia and interactivesessions with Dr. John Reuwer as he shares his experience with medicine, nonviolentcommunication, and nonviolent action to give hope that we can live more peacefully withourselves, others, and even our enemies.

The Peace & Justice Center is offering three 90 minute sessions/workshops covering:

I. Peace from A to Z. in this session participants will learn about: A simple model for understanding conflict and conflict management Defining peace, violence and nonviolence A glimpse of tools for making make peace with: Your body – physical wellness Your mind – mental wellness Your family and community Engaging your enemies

II. An introduction to nonviolent communication (NVC), a language of peace) Applying it to ourselves for physical and mental health Applying it to our relationships with others

III. An introduction to nonviolent action (NVA)- peace and justice in a world of physicalviolence

Presentation: Nonviolence around the globe: what makes it powerful? Real world conflicts – what does active nonviolence look like? Imagining security without violence in real life situations

Dr. John ReuwerDr. Reuwer has been studying and teaching alternatives to violence for 30 years. He is anemergency physician currently practicing urgent care and correctional medicine. He wasa founder of the Grand Rapids, Michigan chapter of Physicians for Social Responsibility,and a long time member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation. ( He was a charter memberof Christian Peacemaker Teams, a project of the Mennonite, Brethren, and Quaker congre-gations, and served in Haiti, the Middle East, Washington DC, Colombia, and mostrecently Israel/Palestine. His latest work involves learning Nonviolent Communication forthe prevention of conflict, and teaching those skills both overseas and in Vermont. He isalso applying its concepts clinically to treat patients with depression and anxiety. He servesas faculty for the National Peace Academy, and on the board of Kids4Peace Vermont.

Details for RegistrationThe dates are February 7, Thursday; 13, Wednesday; and 21, Thursday. 6:30-8:00pm.The cost is $20 per workshop or $50 for the entire series. Scholarships are available. Spaceis limited so you will need to reserve your spot in advance by calling Kyle Silliman-Smith at863-2345 x6 or emailing kyle@pjcvt.org.

Phon-a-thon2013

We’d love to talk with you…

…but, we know that finding a convenient time totalk about Peace & Justice Center membership canbe difficult for many folks. The PJC’s AnnualAnnualAnnualAnnualAnnualPhon-a-thon Phon-a-thon Phon-a-thon Phon-a-thon Phon-a-thon will take place on February 17, February 17, February 17, February 17, February 17,18, 19 and March 17, 18, 19.18, 19 and March 17, 18, 19.18, 19 and March 17, 18, 19.18, 19 and March 17, 18, 19.18, 19 and March 17, 18, 19. If you havenot renewed your membership and would like toskip our call, please call 863-2345 ext. 1 or clip themembership form on page 12 and send in yourrenewal today. We especially invite you toWe especially invite you toWe especially invite you toWe especially invite you toWe especially invite you tojoin our growing numbers of monthlyjoin our growing numbers of monthlyjoin our growing numbers of monthlyjoin our growing numbers of monthlyjoin our growing numbers of monthlydonors!donors!donors!donors!donors!

Our volunteers have a lot of fun making the callsor doing the admin work each evening. We havea delicious bit to eat to get started. If you wouldlike to help us (6-9pm), call Wendy to sign up,863-2345 ext. 1 or email wcoe@pjcvt.org.

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BY Sha’an Mouliert

here are many coalitions of whitepeople committed to ending

racism. White activists, whocontinue to strive towards developingand practicing accountable equitable anti-racist behaviors, have a distinct role inteaching, supporting, and encouragingother white people to step into thejourney of abandoning individual,institutional, and cultural racism. The filmI use in my workshops, ‘Making White-ness Visible’, provides insights into thiscritical social justice movement. ‘MakingWhiteness Visible’ shows the processesby which white activists are coming intoconsciousness and working intentionallywith other white people, as well as peopleof color, to build a more equitable society.

‘Making Whiteness Visible’ featuresthe up close and personal stories of whiteactivists and their ongoing journeys oftransformation. Participants talk aboutbeing unconscious about their learnedand internalized sense of whitesupremacy. They share what was required– what actions they took – to movethrough the common first stages ofdenial, defensiveness, guilt, fear, andshame into making solid commitmentstowards ending racism. In addition tocreating an informative social media piecethat catalyzes powerful dialogue and

DVD available at the Peace & Justice Store.This story of veterans, who courageouslyopposed wars ranging from Vietnam toIraq, is a counter narrative that includesDewey Canyon III and the Miami GOP1972 Convention demonstrations led bythe Vietnam Veterans Against the War.This riveting film explores the metamor-phosis of veterans from fighters topassionate critics against our unneces-sary wars.

The film includes interviews andfootage spanning over four decades.Directed by award winning VT filmmaker,Denis Mueller, Soldiers of Peace coversthree different wars and their aftermath.This is an amazing historical tour de forceto go among his many acclaimed films,

among them: Howard Zinn: You Can’t beNeutral on a Moving Train. (co-pro-duced and co-directed with Deb Ellis)

We are also pleased to say that DebEllis and Denis Mueller are nearingcompletion for their follow up to theHoward Zinn film. Peace has No Borders.A classic David vs. Goliath story, Peacehas No Borders follows US Iraq andAfghan War resisters and their fight toseek refuge in Canada. Ellis and Muellerfollow this complex story, weaving theresisters’ personal struggles against thebackdrop of an increasingly conservativeCanada and the United Statesgovernment’s determination to punishthem. It shows how one decision ofconscience can affect the course of therest of your life. Stay tuned for more.

Racial JusticeThe Peace & Justice Center is working in coalition with CORN (Conversations On Race Now), WILPF andother individuals who have been working on race issues for many years. They are organizing someworkshops on White Privilege. The Making Whiteness Visible workshop on April 7th at 1:00pm is atBrownell Public Library in Essex Junction and on April 8th at UVM. These are open to the public. To sign up,please email Kyle Silliman-Smith at kyle@pjcvt.org or call 863-2345 x6.

supports learning and change for allpeople, the film also provides harbor forwhite people to begin or continue theinternal transformation that white alliesmust undertake to undo race-basedoppression.

‘Making Whiteness Visible’ weavestogether the experiences and stories ofwhite women and men – of various agesand backgrounds – who have worked togain clarity and understanding of what itmeans to be white and still challengenotions of racism and white supremacy inthe United States. The film uses art,theater, movement, photographs, andmusic to amplify stories that share richlyvaried experiences and life processesinformed by deep reflection and socialjustice action. The individuals’ interviewsare also enhanced by historical sources,spoken word, photographs, and videoarchives, which will serve to addresssystemic racist oppression. The result is arichly textured journey into the pitfalls,fears, and successes of:

1) Defining “Whiteness”;2) Power and privilege;3) Whiteness and culture; 4) Whiteness institutionalized; and5) Moving towards consciousness and

healing.

Making Whiteness Visible

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Soldiers of Peace

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Robin’s Nest

BY Robin Lloyd

t seems the world has survived theMayan calendar ‘galactic’ shift

that took place December 21. Butwill humanity survive the relentless andreckless pursuit of resources and wealththat capitalism continues to foist uponus? Or will the yearning for changerepresented by the Occupy movementand the Mayan ‘New Age’ of renewal,help us make the ‘evolutionary leap’ to anew path for humanity? As we enter thenew year, we hope so.

In the run up to the big day, TowardFreedom and friends held a 60th anniver-sary End of the World Party, at my homein Burlington. Conviviality, tinged byanxiety, and aided and abetted by adelicious Mayan Punch, was the mood ofthe evening.

We gathered in the salon to share ourpredictions for the next five years.

Editor Ben Dangl reminded us that theMayan people did not predict the End ofthe World but foresaw, through theirastronomical calculations, the galacticshift from one cycle to another. PREDIC-TION: In Guatemala, made up largely ofMayan people who endured a devastat-ing genocide from 1960 until the peaceaccords of 1996, an indigenous-ledpolitical party will take power throughelections, getting rid of current corruptPresident Molina. They will start anunprecedented court procedure toinvestigate the crimes of the genocide,which will implicate the Democratic andRepublican political parties in the US,leading to their dissolution. This willbring in an era of justice in the US and theelection of a progressive president!

Laurie Larson pointed to her open palmand said “This is our galaxy spinning.Here,” pointing to her little finger, “isplanet earth. Our solar system makes ashift across the equator of the galaxyevery 26,000 years. This astronomicalevent is happening more or less now.Tesla and Einstein, etc. said that ‘the field

Predictions for the Next Five Years of Hope and Struggle

I is the thing’, and the field we will beimmersed in will be reversing (if it didn’talready around 1998).”

She joked: “Everyone should be‘outstanding in a field’ on the 21st.

Hopefully, consciousness is the Ur-ground of matter, and we can change ourcollective consciousness toward freedom(and peace), thereby changing reality.”PREDICTION: “What’s male is/will befemale, what’s white is/will be black. Markmy word; touch the earth.”

Greg Guma: Economic inequality willcontinue to increase. That means moresocial protest. One form will be a newurban squatter movement. Foreclosedproperty andeven aban-doned officebuildings willbecome fairgame. We’llalso have moreextremeweather. As aresult, we’llneed tomodernize thefederalgovernment forthe new War on Weather – which is whatit will be called on Fox news.

The forecast also calls for heat waves,droughts and heavy downpours. We canexpect increasing hurricane wind speeds,intense rainfall and higher storm surgelevels. Basically we’ll see more extremewinter weather and – in a plus for surfers– extreme wave heights.

Crowding and competition for land willincrease the threat of war. As globalwarming depletes resources, smallcountries will battle for territory andresources. On the other hand, climatechange will also uncover new habitableareas, particularly in the Arctic, and setoff a new rush to exploit untappedresources.

What will be happening politically?

When Hillary Clinton doesn’t run forpresident in 2016 the Democrats will havea primary season that looks like the 2012Republican clown show. Result: ChrisChristie becomes president. But Christiehas a heart attack after getting angry at apress conference and dies. As a resultSouth Carolina Governor Nikki Haleybecomes the first woman president – andalso the first Indian-American whoattends both Sikh and Methodist serviceson Sundays.

However, as a result of her positionson social issues she will be defeated inher 2020 re-election bid by…SenatorElizabeth Warren.

Genevieve Jacobs led us in a song from10,000 years before the birth of Christ.Ommmmm.

April Howard read a poem by Joy Harlo:Perhaps with world ends here [at ourkitchen table]. She continued: In amobile society the concept of home andtradition happens at the kitchen table. Itis a safe place where living happens.PREDICTION: The kitchen table willcontinue to be our community, even if weare in this very mobile society wherehome is a relative thing that changes fromgeneration to generation. Yes, ourcommunity is our kitchen table.

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Dian Mueller: Having gone from Chris-tianity to paganism thru the new agemovement, I remember that when talk ofthe Global Convergence 2012 got startedthere was lots of fear mongering but alsodialogue and research. We’re coming to atotal new age. According to Hinduism,we are in the depths of the three ageswhen people are the most divided. Whenwe finally let ourselves enter the GoldenAge, we will realize that we are each partof one another and we will live in peaceand harmony for the next 5200 years.

Charlotte Dennett: There’s a lot of reallybad stuff going on and a lot of pushingback. All the horrible things that the Bushadministration pushed through arebeginning to see justice on a global level.We are now seeing dictators put on trialfor their crimes, in ways that couldn’t beconceived 20 years ago. PREDICTION:The day will come when Bush will be puton trial for murder.

The typhoon in the Philippineschanged consciousness at the climatetalks at Doha. I see a beginning of amovement: Oil, tar sands, pipelines:consciousness is growing and peoplenow understand the cause of globalwarming. The Arab spring…something ishappening in the world. We thought wewere going to have the election stolen;now it is the right wing who is shockedand scared. Obama won but we have topush him. Consciousness is the newparadigm. Freedom evolves; a memecalled freedom may get us there. PREDIC-TION: There will be Occupy study groupson the one percent. Young people willexperience a change in consciousnessand lead the revolution.

Peggy Luhrs: Expectations cause events.I expect the end of patriarchy, ofwargasms, of the weaponization of spaceand the war on weather. Its more andmore about connecting. PREDICTION:Amidst the insanity of disconnection andbirthing of war, women will continue torise.

Jerry Colby: The One Percenters don’tneed any of us any more, not even asconsumers. They’ve got China rising andIndia rising. That is the explanation forthe reversal of all the reforms that we’veknown, and for the attack on the NewDeal coalition. PREDICTION: In Vermontwe have a real opportunity with the tarsands pipeline. We will send a message tothe rest of the country that its possible tostand up to these people. We will namethem. We’re on the line. We’re headingfor a big struggle.

Will Bennington: Our brothers andsisters andcomrades fromMexico, Guatemalaand other parts ofLatin America wholive in VT, andwho work tire-lessly to provideus with food, willsee justice and willhave the benefit ofthe full rights thatVermont citizenshave access to:

they will have the right to transportation,to dignified work, to feed themselves andto move freely through our societyregardless of their documentation status.Migrant justice will see huge victories,and coalitions of farm workers across thestate will see huge victories that willripple across the nation to places likeArizona and Florida.

The UN Framework Convention onClimate Change will be called out for thecomplete farce that it is and for itscomplete inability to solve the globalclimate crisis. Programs like REDD(Reducing Emissions from Deforestationand Forest Degradation) will be realizedfor the false solutions that they are andfor perpetuating a green capitalism that

will only kill the planet quicker than thecurrent model of capitalism. Genetically engineered trees will bedefeated. We will never see them. We willnever see them because of the work oforganizations like La Via Campesina,Indigenous Environmental Network andGlobal Justice Ecology Project. Further-more the UN will realize that the onlysolution to climate crisis is small farms,like peasant farms in Latin America andTamarack Hollow Farm in VT.

The VT Workers Center will see therealization of its Declaration of HumanRights. All Vermonters will be able to beguided by the principles of universality,equity, transparency, participation andaccountability. All state policies will abideby these five principles. Rising Tide VTand the people of Addison County willstop the Addison County pipe line fromtraveling under Lake Champlain and willrealize that this is a false solution that isinhibiting VT’s ability to make drastic realchange by focusing on energy sover-eignty and community rights to energyand the ability of low income Vermontersto heat their homes in ways that aresustainable for all.

And then we will see the fall of globalcapitalism. And the US will not be theleader: it will come from the south and wewill follow in their footsteps.

Danilo Lopez: I come from Chiapas,Mexico. In five years there will be animportant change: my companeros willleave fear behind. In my state we willhave a better democracy so people won’thave to migrate. The indigenous commu-nity will not be harassed by governmentbut will be able to live in peace.

Robin Lloyd: Anger over the continualdrone bombing of Pakistan leads to anuprising and the overthrow of thegovernment. Amidst the ensuingheightened nuclear confrontationbetween India and Pakistan, the globalanti-nuclear movement intervenes andbrings them both to the negotiating table.In a spirit of global good will, Israel andIran agree to a Middle East nuclearweapons free zone.

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Peace& Justice Store

Amor La VidaBY Dan Maxon

he Peace & Justice Store is proudto offer a fine selection of winter

knitted wear and Tagua nut jewelryfrom Amor a la Vida (love for life) fromEcuador, a company that not only hasquality products, but an uplifting storybehind each one. The hats (mittens, too),knit in thick woolen yarn in earthtonecolors, are produced by a community inCarabuela, about two hours north ofQuito, the capital of Ecuador.

By selling the hats and jewelry, thePeace & Justice Store is supporting a fairtrade relationship that benefits theindividual families who work to producethese items and the foundation thatsupports the resource-poor communitywith education, cultural development andheritage preservation.

The connection between theEcuadorean community and The P&JStore occurred thanks to the efforts ofSmugglers’ Notch employee, Dan Maxon.For years, Dan’s sister Amy Johnstonehas operated a specialty shop in SaranacLake, New York, and she recently becameinterested in offering fair trade products.When she heard of Amor a la Vida, Amywent to Ecuador to talk to the communityabout producing hats for sale in her shop.

After that initial visit, she has gone backtwice yearly, usually traveling with afriend to help carry the hats back to theUnited States. In 2010 she asked Dan toaccompany her, and he returned again in2011 and 2012.

The community members who work onthe hats are getting paid 10 times or morethan they would in a factory. They areearning a livable wage, and since theknitting and finish work can be done athome, they do not need to look for childcare. The community is paid at the outsetfor the wool for the yarn. The men of thecommunity do the knitting, and thewomen take care of the finishing work,such as adding tassels or stitching in thefleece lining.

Amor a la Vida also works with tagua.Tagua is a sustainably harvested “nut”from the rain forest floors of Colombia

and Ecuador. Also known as vegetableivory, its collection and artisanal usesprovide economic and social benefits tothe indigenous peoples of South America.

In addition to improved wages andworking conditions, the work of Amor LaVida has brought a number of educationaland economic opportunities to thecommunity. The kids in school now arethe first generation to have widespreadaccess to public education. Dan’s friendSegundo Santacruz is about 40 years oldand well educated, while his father is inhis 60’s (looks like 80s) and speaks onlyQuichua. His generation was deniededucational and economic opportunities.Segundo is the president of the Amor a laVida Foundation. The foundationreceives money and support from boththe government and non-governmentalorganizations.

Segundo works tirelessly for thepeople of his village. The school buildinghe built through the foundation alsoserves as a meetinghouse for communityevents. The Foundation has helped thelocal farmers develop sustainable, organicfarming techniques. The foundationprovides education, developmentalgrowth, and food to over 40 small boysand girls weekly in Carabuela. It alsoprovides micro-loans, even outrightgrants to indigenous people of the area,who might otherwise not have access tomoney for farming or business ventures.For some, the grants are all that standbetween a family and dire hunger.

Dan and Amy have contributed to thecommunity during their trips, donatingmoney and their own labor to build asmall school, providing materials such ascinder blocks and rebar for its construc-tion, and purchasing a stove and propanefor meals at the school. They bringduffels of children’s clothing down to thevillage, and they’ve talked aboutexpanding the trips to serve as volunteerworking vacations that would allowvolunteers to support the foundation andsee Ecuador’s beautiful countryside.

If you are interested in learning moreabout the fair trade project withCarabuela’s residents, please contact DanMaxon at el.billete.imports@gmail.com orvisit the Facebook page at Amor a la VidaSaranac Lake, NY.

T

9January-March 2013

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FTUSA Logos

FLO Logo

Fair Trade SplitBY Taylor Dorn, PJC Intern

T oday, the popular media likes tomake endorsements of a philan-

thropic nature, and one of the morefashionable trends is advocating forsocietal equality by supporting the fairtrade movement. It has become sopopular that the United States capitalistsystem has naturally begun to profit offof it. The dispute being put into questionis Fair Trade USA’s (FTUSA) objectivesfor their recent split from FairtradeLabeling Organization (FLO) label andendorsement standards.

FTUSA’s new proposed certificationstandards allow endorsing large planta-tions into the fair trade market, where thenow overshadowed smaller fair trade co-ops are unable to compete. Not only doesthis new FTUSA label undermine thecredibility of fair trade certification, but italso negatively affects small farmers andtheir co-ops who desperately rely on theFair trade endorsement in order to becompetitive in the monopolistic globalmarket.

The objective of fair trade, as definedby Equal Exchange (a leader in the fairtrade movement), is to “remove theexploitation from international trade andbuild a system to ensure fairness andmarket access for small scale farmers andworkers.” The founding of FairtradeInternational united fair trade organiza-tions and created a standard to which thefair trade label was applied.

Furthermore, it established guidelinesto ensure that the producers wouldalways receive a minimum price despitemarket fluctuations as well as a premiumpayment which the producers would useto invest in improving their communities.As many as 1.4 million people in morethan 70 countries are estimated to bedirectly participating in fair trade and arenow threatened by FTUSA’s newcertification standards.

The mission statement of the WorldFair Trade Organization (WFTO) dictatesthat “The interests of the producers,especially small farmers and artisans,should be the main focus in all thepolicies, governance, structures and

decision making within the WFTO.”Initially, FTUSA was part of the umbrellaorganization of FLO and abided by theircertification standards. But effectiveDecember 31, 2011, they announced thatthey would break away from the organiza-tion and establish their own standards.These standards include giving fair tradecertifications to larger plantations thatwere previously denied a label in favor ofsupporting small farms and upholding theprincipals of the fair trade movement.

When explaining FTUSA’s decision tosplit, Paul Rice, Chief Executive ofFTUSA, claimed that “The more we growvolume, the more we can increase theimpact of fair trade.” When asked tojustify his actions, he dodged the answerby posing the question “do we want it tobe small and pure or do we want it to befair trade for all?”

While this may seem like a trulyaltruistic response, many people disagreethat this will result in “fair trade for all”but will instead favor the buyers andcorporations at the expense of the smallscale producers. As a result, the measureof this system’s success is no longerbased on the welfare of the producers,but instead is measured by the sale oftheir products. In response to these

changing ideologies, the WFTO statedthat “This action seems more to satisfyand enrich the very people whose actionscaused Fair Trade to be established in thefirst place.” The WFTO explained that“The Fair Trade supply chain should berelational in nature, with equal input andownership by all parties, the changesproposed by FTUSA would reduce this toa conventional supply chain with a pricepremium that will concentrate all thepower at the top.”

The shifting priorities of FTUSA caneasily be explained through economicincentive. The economic impact of the fairtrade movement is substantial, with thesale of fair trade products totaling $1.3billion in the US and $5.8 billion world-wide in 2010 alone. FTUSA is fiscallyencouraged to certify larger plantationsbecause they will have to pay more inlicensing fees.

Fair trade coffee for instance is highlydisputed because it is the largest marketof fair trade produce. Seth Goldman, theco-founder of Honest Tea, stated that inthe first 10 months of this year, thecompany paid $51,000 in premiums thatwent directly back to the farmers co-op,but that they also paid $37,000 in licens-ing fees to FTUSA. He expressed hiswish that he would like to see more ofthat money “go to help farmers and lessto pay administrative and auditing costs.”

The fact of the matter is that many ofthe corporations that FTUSA is endors-ing in order to make “fair trade for all”don’t need help competing in the globalmarket. FTUSA is working withStarbucks, Wal-Mart, Coca-Cola, andother hegemonic superpowers in order topromote their “fair trade products.”

Its time to lift the smokescreen thatFTUSA has created and expose the truth.FTUSA’s new standards benefit them-selves and big corporations at theexpense of small independent co-opswhile hiding behind the title of “fairtrade”. It’s important that we as consum-ers differentiate between the FTUSA logoand the fair trade movement. Let’s make asocially responsible choice that will havea positive impact for our global societyand will benefit all as opposed to an elitefew.

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research policy action

C A L E N D A R

January 2013[16] Wednesday 7pm The Road to Iraq: Origins and Evolution of US Interesrs in the

Middle East, a lecture by UVM Professor Emeritus Mark Stoler. The MiddleEast was of marginal interest to the US prior to WWII. Stoler explains howand why that changed so dramatically during the 1940’s and 1950’s, andhow events since then have resulted in the present war. City Hall,Burlington.

[23] Wednesday 7pm An Intimate Conversation on Iraq with Omar Almashhadani, a new

Vermonter, recently moved here from Iraq. Fletcher Room, 2nd flr, FletcherFree Library, Burlington. Colleen, 863-2345 x8 or program@pjcvt.org.

[24] Thursday 7pm Conversations On Race Now (CORN) will be leading a FREE event

co-sponsored by the Peace & Justice Center in honor of Martin Luther KingJr. Day. We will watch MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech followed by eachparticipant taking turns to read parts of the speech aloud. Speaking King’swords is a powerful and emotionally provoking way to experience thishistoric speech. The discussion leaders will then open up the conversation.Questions -- contact Kyle at kyle@pjcvt.org or 863-2345 x6.

[30] Wednesday 7pm The Invisable War documentary film about the epidemic of rape in

the US military. St. Michael’s College, Cheray 101.

[31] Thursday Livable Wage Forum. See page 3.

February 2013[3] Sunday 12-1 Will Miller Green Mountain Chapter of Vets for Peace live call-in

show on Channel 15.

[4] Monday 6:15pm Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Committee meeting at

Burlington College.

6:30pm Iran Teach-In to gain an understanding of war, nuclear weapons,and sanctions in Iran. Four panelists will discuss the religious, economic,political and historical aspects of this topic. Q&A to follow. 207 LafayetteHall, UVM. Co-sponsored by the PJC.

[5] Tuesday 6:30 Peace & Popcorn on the first Tuesday of every month. A casual

screening of peace and social justice films from the PJC’s library, chosen bythe group that night. Join us for a good film and good company. Allwelcome. Kyle@pjcvt.org or 863-2345 x6.

[11] Monday 6-8pm Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel meeting at PJC.

[14] Thursday 5pm One Billion Rising: join dancers, artists, women, men, WILPF, FED

UP, and the Firefly Gallery in a dance/march, gathering at 5pm in front ofBurlington City Hall. For more information contact Kimberley at the Firefly:802.559.1795, or Robin at 862-4929.

[16] Saturday 10am Vets For Peace meet the 3rd Sat. of the month at the Kellogg

Hubbard Library, Montpelier.

March 2013[3] Sunday 12-1 Vets for Peace live call-in show on Channel 15.

[4] Monday 6:15pm Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City Committee meeting at

Burlington College.

[5] Tuesday 6:30 Peace & Popcorn on the first Tuesday of every month. A casual

screening of peace and social justice films from the PJC’s library, chosen bythe group that night. Join us for a good film and good company. Allwelcome. Kyle@pjcvt.org or 863-2345 x6.

[6] Wednesday 7pm Giants: The Parallel Lives of Frederick Douglass and Abraham

Lincoln. Douglass and Lincoln – one born a slave, the other born dirt poor– became respectively one of the nation’s greatest orators and one of itsgreatest presidents. Harvard professor and Civil War scholar John Staufferexamines their friendship, the similarities in their lives, and their legacies.Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro VT

[11] Monday 6-8pm Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel meeting at PJC.

[14] Thursday 5-6:30pm Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom

(WILPF) meeting at the Peace & Justice Center. 862-4929.

[16] Saturday 10am Vets For Peace meet the 3rd Sat. of the month at the Kellogg

Hubbard Library, Montpelier.

11January-March 2013

research policy action

Time Stands StillJANUARY 30, WEDNESDAY –FEBRUARY 18, MONDAY

Time Stands Still, a play written by Donald Margulies and directed by GregoryRamos. A photojournalist who captures images of the Iraq war returns homeinjured from her most recent foray into the fray. As she and her reporterpartner try to put their lives back together they are confronted with thedecision to return to the battlefield or to settle down, leaving behind thedangerous and chaotic life they have always loved. From Pulitzer Prize-winnerDonald Margulies, Time Stands Still is a witty drama that discusses the sacrificespeople are willing to make for their passions, their country, and their own well-being. FlynnSpace. 7:30pm Wed. - Sat. ; 2pm matinees Sat. and Sun. . Join One Billion Rising on

Valentine’s DayONE IN THREE WOMEN ON THE PLANET WILL BE

RAPED OR BEATEN IN HER LIFETIME.ONE BILLION WOMEN VIOLATED IS AN ATROCITYONE BILLION WOMEN DANCING IS A REVOLUTION

Founder Eve Ensler has issued a call: On V-Day’s 15thAnniversary, 2/14/13, we are inviting ONE BILLION women andthose who love them to WALK OUT, DANCE, RISE UP, andDEMAND an end to this violence. ONE BILLION RISING willmove the earth, activating women and men across every country.V-Day wants the world to see our collective strength, ournumbers, our solidarity across borders.

In Burlington, numerous risings are planned for Thursday,February 14.

1) The UVM Women’s Center is issuing a call to DANCE insupport of One Billion Rising from 12 noon to 2pm at the UVMDavis Center Atrium & Bailey-Howe Green .

2) The Firefly Gallery (200 Main St., Suite 9) and artists aresponsoring a Day of Community-Based Art and Education withworkshops, films, a march, performances, a community mealhosted by Food Not Bombs, and a discussion of women’s issuesand a dance party to boot! Starting at noon. Host Lyndsay Love.Contact: Thefireflyvt@gmail.com.

3) All groups, including WILPF (Women’s Intl League forPeace and Freedom) and FED UP, will converge for a dance/march at 5pm in front of Burlington City Hall. Join in this act ofsolidarity, demonstrating with women and men the commonalityof our struggles and our power in numbers! More info: 862-4929.

For more info: http://www.onebillionrising.org/page/event/detail/startarising/ww9

On Friday, Feb. 15,feminist author KathleenBarry will speak at 7pm onOvercoming a Culture ofViolence, sponsored byWILPF, FED UP and thePJC. Watch for location.

Idle No More“A new campaign for indigenous rights and environmental justice is spreadingacross Canada. The “Idle No More” movement began as a series of protestsagainst a controversial government budget bill, but has since expanded into anationwide movement for political transformation. Aboriginal and environmen-tal activists are calling on Prime Minister Stephen Harper to honor treaties withaborigines; open dialogue with environmentalists; and reject tar sands pipelinesthat would infiltrate First Nation territories.” – Democracy Now

To the creators and nurturers of Idle No More from FED UP VT. Endorsedby Burlington WILPF:We commend your courage. We, Fed Up Vermont, are a grassroots feministgroup fighting for reproductive rights, economic equality and freedom fromgender based violence. We are allied with everyone who works to enddomination in all its forms. We commend the activists of Idle No More fortheir bravery fighting the industrial and patriarchal Colonizers who aredestroying all life on Earth. Theirs is a civilization founded on fear and ondomination of the Earth and of women. People around the world are joiningtogether to regain control of their lives and their earth. We make solidconnections in the struggle for women to regain bodily autonomy to the fightof First Nation people to regain control of their stolen land.

We, FedUp Vermont, acknowledge that we are living on stolen land, membersof an colonizing culture that continues to dispossess and destroy Nativecultures. This culture’s commodification of the Earth poisons our air and water,destroys our soil and impoverishes our children, just as its commodification ofwomen’s bodies leads to sexual violence and reproductive tyranny. We rejectthis culture. Our connections are not made of oil or gold. Our connectionsare made of blood and spirit. Our struggles are one.

Water, soil and air are more important than any nonrenewable resource, andany government that doesn’t recognize this is insane. The lifeways ofindigenous cultures , especially indigenous women and their leadership, arecrucial to reconnecting us to the earth. We look to Nina Wilson, SylviaMcAdam, Jessica Gordon, Sheelah McLean, Theresa Spence, and everyoneinvolved in Idle No More as our allies, and we extend our hands, hearts,minds, and numbers in this struggle to offer all of our support, love, andsolidarity.

Stay strong, we are with you. [To read the Idle No More Manifesto:http://www.facebook.com/IdleNoMoreCommunity?ref=ts&fref=ts]

12 January-March 2013

research policy action

NON-PROFIT ORG.U.S. POSTAGE

PAIDBURLINGTON, VTPERMIT NO. 145

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Make tax-deductible checks payable and mail to:

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Have A Fair TradeValentine’s Day!