Annual Meeting Report
This year's Annual Meeting was important in several ways.
The afternoon discussion among board and advisory board members on "Real
Solutions for a Safer World: What are They?" led to brainstorming about what
makes us feel safe. At their essence, all the ideas boiled down to the need
for dialogue and for listening to one another. This has reinforced our sense
of the importance of creating forums for that kind of sharing. It needs to
happen on the international, national, and local levels.
One such forum is what we call "conscious conversations." It meets on the
4th floor at 1 Pleasant Street on the second Tuesday of each month. Please
join us. We will keep you informed of other opportunities as they arise.
After coffee and dessert with many friends who joined us at this stage, the
election of board members and officers was held. The Board is now larger
than it's been in many years and more diverse than ever before. Our 11
members are not all gray-haired, middle class, white, and mostly women as
has, too long, been the case. We are now five under 50, four men, nine
American born, one French, and one Libyan! This is wonderful progress toward
a goal of continuing growth and diversity. A board of 15 with more people of
color and more youth is where we'd like to be headed. Please let us know if
you are interested in being part of the active workings of this vital
organization!
Rosalie Paul, Sally Breen, and Pamela Chalfant were royally lauded and
applauded as they stepped down from their positions of leadership. Peace
Action Maine is now under the very able leadership of Board Chair Karen
Wainberg, Vice-Chair Cush Anthony, and Executive Director, Greg Field. This
is, indeed, the start of an exciting new era for us.
The evening concluded with a stirring talk by Victoria Hershey, who
challenged us to be more fully aware of the violence in the lives of most
people in our world community, and to ask of every candidate for elected
office: "What is your budget for achieving peace?"
--- RTP
Back to Peace Talk Index, Summer, 2002