To listen to Carolyn Coe’s interview with Aaron Hughes and the Afghan Peace Volunteers click link. The December 27th, 2015 audio interview is directly under the video of a previous interview with Aaron Hughes. Look for the play button.
Jerry Berrigan Memorial, Twelve Activists Arrested at Hancock Air Drone Base
On Thursday morning, January 28, thirty life sized cutouts of Syracuse peacemaker Jerry Berrigan blockaded the main entrance of Hancock Air National Guard Base outside Syracuse, NY. The cutouts were accompanied by twelve nonviolent drone resisters, who were arrested after blockading for an hour and a half. See video (of the blockade and arrests). Jerry Berrigan, who died on July 26, 2015 at the age of 95, dedicated his entire life – like his brothers Dan and Phil – toContinue reading
Veteran: What I saw on my trip to Afghanistan
This article originally appeared on syracuse.com A commentary by Ron VanNorstrand “Are you crazy?” “Are you out of your mind?” My friends’ concerns were foremost in my mind as I boarded Turkish Air Flight 706 in December bound for Kabul, Afghanistan. Just a month earlier, the U.S. Department of State had warned citizens against travel to Afghanistan: “The security situation in Afghanistan is extremely unstable and the threat to all U.S. citizens in Afghanistan remains critical.” Although apprehensive, IContinue reading
Grandmother and Long-time Activist Joyce Ellwanger Guilty of Trespass in Wisconsin
Joyce Ellwanger was found guilty of trespassing by Judge Paul Curran in Juneau County court on Friday January 22, 2016. Though Curran never formerly pronounced a verdict saying Joyce was guilty, he said she trespassed and he imposed a sentence in another heavy-handed trial for the nine activists who were arrested at Volk Field in August 2015. Refusing our request to consolidate the cases, Judge Curran has already found Jim Murphy and Bonnie Block to be guilty. Jim spentContinue reading
Today Has Anyone Wept in Our World?
In July of 2013, Pope Francis visited the tiny island of Lampeduso off the coast of Italy. He offered mass on an altar made from a small wooden fishing boat which had brought refugees to the island. In a homily during the visit Francis said “Immigrants dying at sea, in boats which were vehicles of hope and became vehicles of death…. When I first heard of this tragedy a few weeks ago…I felt I had to come here today, toContinue reading
Relationships – Reflections on Refugees
As I put together this photo journal of an Iraqi father and his dear son seeking asylum in Finland, I found renewed hope in relationships. Relationships change our lives, and so, they change our world every day. As relationships are built on various aspects of love, they are powerful. If we build more and more relationships, they will be an alternative power to the abusive power of governments and corporations, and that’s when governments and corporations will become more obviousContinue reading
Being Where I Really Need to Be
Friday January 8 marked another day of flying to Washington, DC for a week of activism – again. I was feeling sad leaving my family for a week and not looking forward to what I knew I was going to have to do in speaking out against the crimes of our government. While in DC I stayed with my dear friend Malachy and his family and that is always a comfort to be in their home. Each day was filledContinue reading
Citizen Activists Arrested on U.S. Capitol Steps Urging President Obama to Deliver a Real State of the Union
CITIZEN ACTIVISTS ARRESTED ON U.S. CAPITOL STEPS URGING PRESIDENT OBAMA TO DELIVER A REAL STATE OF THE UNION HIGHLIGHTING INCOME INEQUALITY, MILITARISM, RACISM & CLIMATE CHAOS WHO: Members of the National Campaign for Nonviolent Resistance (NCNR) and associates have been speaking out against the illegal actions of the United States government since 2003. They have organized numerous actions across the country involving nonviolent civil resistance in order to speak out publicly against government policies. For example, on September 22,Continue reading