Whatcom Peace/Justice Center Opens

Despite the festive season upon us, lately many of us have found ourselves living with a mild—and sometimes intense—feeling of unease regarding the state of our nation and the world. Things seems awry. We feel a certain restlessness of the spirit, and noticed it a lot when Congress was debating the war resolution against Iraq.

There are many reasons for this feeling of unease. This year alone, the current administration will spend nearly $400 billion for the military and national defense. That’s just a little bit less than the defense expenditures of all the other nations of the planet combined! But despite all the money for the military, we feel less, not more secure.

The good news is that, while it’s nearly impossible to avoid paying taxes that go for war, we can raise a proactive, community voice for peace and nonviolence right here in Whatcom County.

Following months of contemplation and planning, a group of concerned county residents—seniors, members of local congregations, students and others came together to create a space for peace and justice work at the local level. Not to duplicate the programs of faith-based and community organizations, but to coordinate and expand our efforts to promote peace, justice and nonviolence within our hearts, our communities, and our nation. Thus, in August of this year, the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center was formed.

We’ve brought together the bold energy of long-time peace activists with the behind-the-scenes dedication of peace educators working to build a new culture of peace and nonviolence. And while we’re a diverse group of people, we share these core values: nonviolence as a way of life, inclusion and diversity, the sanctity of the environment as well as its inhabitants, and combining the energy and knowledge of youth with the wisdom and experience of elders simplicity.

Our mission statement reflects our desire to build upon what is already being done for peace and social justice in our community and to develop new programs where needed.

Believing that the map in the human heart—not the war room—leads us to a safer and better world, it is the mission of the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center to create a proactive, community voice for peace and social justice in Whatcom County through partnerships with local religious and community organizations, education on alternatives to violence and war, and advocacy of policies and programs for lasting peace and justice both at home and abroad.

Now open at 1226 Cornwall Avenue in downtown Bellingham, we’ve been busy at the peace center. Our inaugural event in October brought over a 100 folks together to hear about the human face of a possible war with Iraq, presented by the President of Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility, Gerri Haynes, R.N. who has led several delegation visits to Iraq.

We’ve begun a series of Community Dialogues for Peace, inviting residents throughout the county to gather in their coffee houses or community halls to simply talk—about peace, violence in the schools, or whatever needs to be talked about and listened to.

We just published timely, informational booklets for young men troubled by increasing militarism in our society and the possibility of the draft being reinstated. A speakers’ bureau and small library are in the works to offer resources to individuals and community groups to help support their programs. And we’ll provide opportunities for involvement for folks new to peace work.

Big things are in store for 2003! With an eye towards the future, the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center will work with a small group of committed teachers to introduce peace education curriculum into more county classrooms. And we’ll promote activities to involve Whatcom County residents in the United Nations’ campaign for a Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World (2000-2010).

The part-time coordinator for the center is Jamie K. Donaldson, Clerk of the Peace & Social Concerns Committee of Bellingham Friends Meeting (Quakers) and member of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, the nation’s oldest peace organization. The Quakers have agreed to provide fiscal oversight and their tax-exempt status to the Whatcom Peace & Justice Center during its first year of operations. From there, we’ll decide together what direction our peace center should take.

Please stop by for a visit at 1226 Cornwall in the Leopold Building. The center can be reached at 734-0217 or by email at whatcompjc@fidalgo.net.