[Peace-discuss] Marti's criticism of AWARE

[LAURIE]

I think that both Marti and Bob have points with respect to diversity; but I
also think that there has been over the recent years a lack of any strenuous
attempt to reach out to minorities and show them good practical reasons why
they should become involved in the organization just as there has been
little attempt among the minority communities to take the organization to
task and show it where it needs to change some of its values,
interpretations of priorities, strategies, and tactics so as to be more
relevant to members of the minority community.  I think that they are some
big gaps that need to be crossed between being a member of the majority and
white, on the one hand, and being a member of a minority and of color, on
the other hand, when push comes to shove and one starts examining the
nitt-gritty of our daily everyday lives.  There is also a gap that needs to
be bridged between the interests and priorities of those with good secure
incomes and those with lower insecure incomes, between those with academic
connections and intellectual predispositions and those with non-academic
connections and non-intellectual predispositions, and between different age
groups.  Issues like anti-war issues, poverty issues, and racism issues tend
to serve as umbrellas for some very divergent and even incompatible concerns
and positions.  I have no idea how many minority group members of what age
group spend as much time on computers with mailing lists and forums as do
the members of this group, spend as much time in organizational meetings and
lectures as the members of this group do, can afford - in terms of both time
and money -to go to demonstrations out-of-town as the members of this group
can, or find references to academic literature, research, presentations,
lectures, or other media as interesting, rewarding, relevant, or rewarding
as do many of the members of this group. 

I think I have made my point, for what it is worth.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: peace-discuss-bounces at lists.chambana.net [mailto:peace-discuss-
> bounces at lists.chambana.net] On Behalf Of Stuart Levy
> Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 3:13 PM
> To: Bob Illyes
> Cc: peace-discuss at lists.chambana.net
> Subject: Re: [Peace-discuss] Marti's criticism of AWARE
> 
> On Thu, May 01, 2008 at 02:54:33PM -0500, Bob Illyes wrote:
> > You should note, Marti, that a number of white people are involved in
> CUCPJ
> > but very few African-Americans are involved in AWARE.
> >
> > So if we wanted to be critical of groups (which I don't), we should
> be
> > asking why African-Americans don't want peace. But this would be
> silly.
> > Having priorities doesn't indicate indifference to other issues.
> 
> But I think Marti is right.  We in AWARE may well be too insular.
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