The End of Worcester PeaceWorks

The tenth anniversary  of Worcester PeaceWorks will be next month on September 11, 2011. It was formed in 2001 in response to the bombing of the World Trade Center. Its initial activities were to heal the wounds and make sense of the 9-11 attacks.  Later it opposed the Afghanistan War and the Iraq War II.

The group took the lead in fighting against hate when Nazis vandalism appeared in the City. It helped to create dialog between Muslims and Jews. It supported Justice for Palestinians and Peace for Israel.

Some members led the weekly vigils at Lincoln Square and seemingly innumberable rallies, as well as buses to Boston rallies.  The anti war conferences were attended by hundreds.

After a while Worcester Peace Works meetings attendance dropped from scores to handfuls.
Many people went back to their original groups or started new groups. The Non Violence Center is now doing the educational work that Worcester PeaceWorks had been involved in. Central Mass for Peace is doing Mid East work and so on.

One of the things that Worcester PeaceWork started was a free and open to the public Martin Luther King celebration. The last one was in 2011 and was essentially run by Dynamy and the Youth Center. I hope that it continues.

With the election of President Obama the anti -war movement ( anti Bush?) disapated.  It was ambivalent about holding a rally in front of Rep. McGovern's office supporting McGovern's call for withdrawal from Afghanistan and President Obama's half stepping on the issue.  The Green Rainbows and others had to sponsor the event.

As one member of Worcester Peace Works said in response to the inability of the group to act or even make decisions, " we don't want to be like the March of Dimes".   I suppose he meant that we had done so much it might be impossible to reinvent ourselves to the same level.

 I want ro give Kudos to the organization that for 10 years set the moral standard for the City and gave it leadership in difficult times.