Wanted: essays, art and photographs for CRESP peace activism celebration

To involve the Cornell and Ithaca communities in an upcoming celebration of peace activism that includes a visit by Father Daniel Berrigan, the Center for Religion, Ethics and Social Policy (CRESP) at Cornell is calling for submissions of art, personal essays and photographs. The works will be displayed on campus Sept. 19-21, and some will be selected for publication.

The Celebrating Peace Activism weekend will reflect on the inspiring work of noted activist Berrigan and the late Rev. Jack Lewis, who led Cornell United Religious Work during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The weekend's events, in addition to the exhibition, will include a sermon and a presentation on campus by Berrigan, a music festival with local bands and a round-table debate on the roles of direct action and voting in political discourse.

"A committee will review writings and publish a select sample in 'Peace and Social Activism at Cornell: Key Issues Then and Now,' a publication that will be available on campus later in the semester," said Anke Wessels, executive director of CRESP.

The submitted works should be reflections on personal experiences as they relate to: peace movements; human rights (e.g., civil rights, women's rights, sexual orientation, green movements; environmental activism and employment rights); labor issues; economic justice or other topics related to peace and social activism, organizers say.

"We encourage submissions to reflect on: Who were your role models? What did you hope to accomplish? How did you aim to achieve those goals? What were your greatest challenges? How did you create solidarity between your activities and similar initiatives around the globe?" said Wessels.

The deadline for submissions for the Celebrating Peace Activism weekend is Sept. 5; the deadline for consideration of items for the publication is Oct. 1. For submission details, see the Web site http://www.sas.cornell.edu/CRESP/berrigan/ or call the CRESP office at 255-6202.