University of Oregon Beyond War
We are a local Beyond War group based out of the University of Oregon in Eugene. The group consists of students of diverse ages and interests. Once a week, we meet with the common goal of raising awareness on the UO campus towards an end to war and violence in general, around the world. The group was established in 2010 and since its start, we have put on many campus-wide events including:
- “What Would You Preserve?” Photo contest
UO students submitted pictures of the one thing they would save in the wake of a catastrophic event (natural disaster, a nuclear war, etc.).
- Genocide-awareness panel display
The panels the group made were adapted from Dr. Gregory Stanton’s 8 Steps of Genocide. They were put on display at Andy Stahl’s UO talk on Sudan and the genocide that is occurring there.
- Flag displays
UO Beyond War members set up flag displays of up to 3,000 flags that represented different war and violence related statistics:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10201108428059192&set=o.123237541116259&type=3&theater
- Dalai Lama documentary
The day before the Dalai Lama spoke at the U of O, our group put on a documentary screening on a campus lawn where students viewed a film on his Holiness and got to learn about our group and our goals.
- Tumblr page: http://uobeyondwar.tumblr.com/
UO Beyond War started a Tumblr page to showcase pictures that illustrate what and who people (within the group, the university, and even in the community) stand in solidarity with.
Panel Discussions
On May 31, 2017, we sponsored a panel –“Missiles Rising in North Korea, Democracy Rising in South Korea–What do we need to know.” Watch a video of that program here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhSLrZHk-R4&feature=youtu.be
Flag Displays
The human costs of war — commemorating the deaths of soldiers due to combat or suicide.
In 2013, we also supported the DR Congo week.
This article described why our attention is needed there:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-24396390
Beginning in 2014, one of our projects has been “Breaking the Silence.”
The initial events were centered on three main groups: veterans, former inmates, and immigrants. Individuals who identify with each of these labels often experience some kind of marginalization from the rest of society. This manifests in many different ways for people both within and between groups. A common theme, however, is an absence of open conversation about these experiences. Our hope is that these events can help open a door to more conversation. We invited members of our community who identify with these various groups to speak not just about their experience as a member, but about why it’s so difficult to have these conversations in everyday interactions. We want to know what kinds of conversations they’d like to be having, and how to initiate them in a way that isn’t threatening. Questions at these events were screened to ensure a safe environment.
Other events included:
1. Two flag demonstrations: One that focused on child soldiers in light of UN Children’s Day and another that focused on the continuing impacts
of the Vietnam War.
2. A display of our “8 Steps of Genocide” posters in conjunction with a talk by Joyce Leader, a former ambassador to Rwanda.
3. An interfaith dialogue, with a surprising diversity of religions represented.
4. Began the process of getting a Peace Pole installed on campus, potentially as a part of the new EMU renovations.
5. Had an invited guest, Gayle Landt, community mediator, mediator trainer, and executive director of Beyond War, 2002-2007, to run a workshop on how to mediate conflict for our group
6. Hosted a showing of the film “Blood Coltan” as a part of Congo Week (2013).
7. Now have official t-shirts for the group.
8. Co-sponsored an event called “Voices from Solitary,” which highlighted that the way that solitary confinement is used in the US is
horrific and unjust.