Students brave the snow to promote peace
Krista Diamond
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: News
As if on cue, right at the start of the Peace and Justice League's first vigil of the semester, it begins to snow. It is not the light dusting kind of snow either; the cold, soggy mixture of water and ice comes down heavy. The air is freezing, the streets are slush, but the political activists poised in front of the War Memorial in downtown Durham stand with soggy orange signs and no intention of submitting to the warm light of the coffee shop across the street.
"It snowed all day at the last one, too," says Derek Price, who is sometimes considered the leader of the Peace and Justice League (PJL) depending on who you talk to. Price, however, is quick to say that the group has no leader and instead considers all members to be equal "chancellors of peace."
Price stands along with a handful of other soaking wet students, all bearing signs with messages like "No lies, no war." The vigil is the third official one of the year. According to Price, this semester you can count on seeing a lot more of them. Every second and fourth Friday of each month, PJL plans to gather as many members and interested activists in the community to stand for three hours with a lot of signs and a lot of determination.
The vigils are intended to coincide with community dinners put on by the organic gardening club. Not only do the dinners draw a large crowd, and therefore a greater number of people passing by the War Memorial, but they also draw a crowd of students typically interested in the message of PJL. Price calls it "a great connection."
Though most of the people who participate in the vigils are members of PJL and a few of their friends, the events are put on in conjunction with Seacoast Peace Response, an organization which operates in the Portsmouth, Dover and Durham area. Seacoast Peace Response shares a lot of core values with PJL. They sponsor speakers, films and peace rallies. They seek to "foster dialogue with the Seacoast community through public programming and non-violent action."
"It snowed all day at the last one, too," says Derek Price, who is sometimes considered the leader of the Peace and Justice League (PJL) depending on who you talk to. Price, however, is quick to say that the group has no leader and instead considers all members to be equal "chancellors of peace."
Price stands along with a handful of other soaking wet students, all bearing signs with messages like "No lies, no war." The vigil is the third official one of the year. According to Price, this semester you can count on seeing a lot more of them. Every second and fourth Friday of each month, PJL plans to gather as many members and interested activists in the community to stand for three hours with a lot of signs and a lot of determination.
The vigils are intended to coincide with community dinners put on by the organic gardening club. Not only do the dinners draw a large crowd, and therefore a greater number of people passing by the War Memorial, but they also draw a crowd of students typically interested in the message of PJL. Price calls it "a great connection."
Though most of the people who participate in the vigils are members of PJL and a few of their friends, the events are put on in conjunction with Seacoast Peace Response, an organization which operates in the Portsmouth, Dover and Durham area. Seacoast Peace Response shares a lot of core values with PJL. They sponsor speakers, films and peace rallies. They seek to "foster dialogue with the Seacoast community through public programming and non-violent action."
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