Peace Games Cover

There's no question that during the Bush administration, military spending expanded year after year as the domestic budget suffered. As the 5-year mark of the war in Iraq is upon us, we can see clearly who is suffering. Communities of color domestically and abroad are hit hardest, with women and children bearing the heaviest loads. How do we have effective conversations and create solutions addressing these issues?

How Does Militarism Affect Us?

Recently a young person was interviewed on a local Bay Area TV network in response to some counter-recruitment demonstrations, and was asked, "How does the military affect your life?" Her response was, "Um…It doesn't really affect my life at all."

This might be the reality for a lot of young people who aren't able to connect the dots between daily life at home and the way the military is operating in the world. There will also certainly be young people who see the connections on a daily basis, as recruiters swarm high schools across the country.

One thing we can do to connect the dots is to start at home -- take a look at our own relationship to the military. Is there a military base or National Guard armory close to your community? Does the military intersect with your family history in any way?

We've sponsored workshops to explore these issues, and have collected some of what we've learned. PeaceGAMES (Gender and Militarism Education Strategies) [5] is a book describing workshops that use popular education methods (characterized by participatory techniques to encourage critical political thought) to encourage reflection, discussion, and action on US militarism's impact on women, domestically and globally.

Seeing the Big Picture

Now, the "how-to" part becomes easy.

Step 1: Gather a group eager to learn (high school age and older).

Step 2: Dive into the issues using PeaceGAMES as a guide.

Step 3: Watch as surprising conversations, questions, and solutions emerge.

Step 4: Share your findings with others!

A fascinating picture begins to emerge from the dots as they begin to connect, creating a clear picture of how the lives of women of color around the world and right here at home are affected by US militarism. We're not just talking statistics and numbers here. We're talking real, everyday women -- in our own communities -- who experience the impact of militarism.

In the US, a mother worries for her child away at war. A wife at home alone with her children watches the news constantly, praying for her husband overseas. A young woman flips through the latest magazine, and spots an Army ad highlighting leadership and courage -- qualities that she seeks to exemplify as she tries to find money for college. A woman returns from a stint in the military trying hard to navigate the transition back into civilian life, with no more civilian-applicable job skills than before she joined. Another woman, married to a soldier who has returned from his second deployment, is suffering abuse at the hands of a man steeped in an institution based on a culture of aggression and control.

Abroad, a woman from a neighborhood near a Southeast Asian US military base, with nowhere else to turn for a job, "entertains" troops in bars geared towards prostitution. A woman and her child in Afghanistan become "collateral damage."

Learning from Women of Color

The picture may be grim, but a resource like PeaceGAMES helps us to explore the issues in a grounded way oriented towards solutions.

One workshop involves encouraging critical discussions of military-oriented fashions. The United Methodist Women (UMW) partnered with WCRC to create Fashion Resistance to Militarism, a peace fashion show presented both at the US Social Forum in 2007 and the UMW national conference in 2006.

We've worked with groups to develop critical analyses and turn that understanding into a plan for action in their communities. The final workshop in PeaceGAMES guides groups through a process to develop strategies and decide on concrete next steps.

As we move forward together for peace, we must take an integrated look at racism, sexism, and militarism -- and their alternatives. Learning from the leadership and perspectives of women of color must be central if we are to make peace.