Peace Walking through Pennsylvania and New Jersey

April 27, 2010 - I haven't had a chance until now to blog (and I really shouldn't do it now - I'm illegally parked, and the (now) seven walkers just passed me at the steady pace of three miles per hour), but I have a few minutes to say hello from The Road again on behalf of the Proposition One In 2010 Crew.

Photo: The Walkers, on day 6 of our Interfaith Peace Walk to New York  for Nuclear Abolition, which began at Independence Mall in Philadelphia on Earth Day - Thursday, April 22nd.

Now, as we head towards Staten Island, NY, from "Tent State" (an "Education Not War" demonstration & encampment) on the Rutgers campus in New Brunswick, New Jersey, people are tooting their horns, waving, shouting encouragement, stopping to talk.  Some know about the Footprints for Peace Walk from Tennessee (joined for a week by Noritaka Matsuura of our crew). I suspect that a lot of New Jersey folks will be with us in New York on Sunday, May 2nd, starting at 2 pm at Times Square, when we rally and march to the UN to call for global nuclear abolition.  Yes We Can!

We hope we'll see you there, or earlier at Riverside Church for the International Peace Conference on April 30 and May 1, where we will be part of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF.org) workshop, as well as helping with logistics for the Hibakusha (atomic bomb survivors from Japan).

We've been hosted by wonderful Quaker Meetings (Society of Friends) in Philadelphia, Camden, Trenton, and New Brunswick, and a kind friend in Princeton.   On Sunday we enjoyed a break at Laurenceville Presbyterian Church (pictured here) . 

We've been joined by several people, walking for a few hours, even days. 

Especially helpful, besides friends and the Friends, have been the Coalition for Peace Action (Delaware Valley) and individual WILPF members along the way.

Ethan Genauer, our walk organizer, created two great banners explaining our action and our mission while in Philadelphia, with the help of local artist/activists Spiral Q.  Someone always carries the WILPF banner and our colorful peace flags.  With Jay drumming along, we make a lively and cheerful spectacle along the road. 

We've been handing out WILPF applications and information, and have already recruited a couple of terrific women!

Photo:  Noritaka Matsuura, Ellen Thomas, and Susan Campbell at Lockheed Martin offices in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

 See you soon, we hope!

Ellen
and Walkers Ethan, Jay, Nori & Jason (& Debbie, Pat, Cathy, Saleema, Sandra, Richard, Jerry, Aaron, Jonah, Liz & . . .)