Women launch petition protest for peace

Offering a uniquely female voice to the anti-war campaign, the 20-member group Penn Women for Peace has teamed up with Penn for Peace as well as Penn Students Against War in Iraq. "As you can tell from the gender gap in war supporters, women are more inclined toward peace," said Christian Association Executive Director and Penn Women for Peace organizer Reverend Beverly Dale. So the group, who formed about five weeks ago through Sister Circle meetings with the Christian Association, is out to promote its understanding of peace, according to Christian Association spokesman Gary Bronson. For the past week and a half, Penn Women for Peace has set up camp daily in Houston Hall, offering anti-war petitions to sign, pamphlets to collect and artistic avenues to pursue -- visitors to the table are encouraged to pin thoughts and reflections to a large poster board, which will remain on display with the organizers through the end of the week. "They're getting a really good response," Bronson said. However, he acknowledged that the anti-war petition, which has over 80 signatures attached, has been more successful than the poster. "I think people are more likely to sign a petition than to create what they think of as art," Bronson said. Yet, the messages that have been left nevertheless resonate with the Penn Women for Peace philosophy -- "We must be the change we want to see in the world," reads one of the various Gandhi quotes an anonymous student left behind. Bronson depicted the group as "very peace-oriented and civil rights-oriented." Seeing herself in this light as well, College senior Beandrea Davis, a Penn Women for Peace member and table organizer, placed importance on voicing resistance. And while Davis was unsure of whether Penn Women for Peace would directly impact the possibility of war in Iraq, she saw the group's actions as important nonetheless. "Ultimately, Bush probably won't pay attention," she said. "But I don't think people should stand by and do nothing." Thus, the members distributed materials and hoped to provoke discussion. "People aren't given a chance to interact with" the war, Christian Association Minister on Interfaith and Interracial Relations Victoria Pearson said. "We want to bring it on home." Included among the group's pamphlets are pages that propose "10 Reasons to Oppose War with Iraq" as well as another list of "10 Ways Women Will Be Affected by a War in Iraq." "Most of [the Penn Women for Peace] are against war of all kinds as part of the domination system," Dale said. "But we're not addressing that, we're addressing this war." Penn Women For Peace plans to participate in Wednesday's anti-war walk-out with a 20-foot banner to promote its message. And while the group may have a gender-specific focus, with messages left on its poster reading thoughts such as "War is excessive testosterone," it also offers a more universal message in the anti-war effort. As one student left behind in his message, "War just sucks."

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