December 2001/
January 2002

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

Redefining Security

Judith McDaniel is Director of AFSC's Peace Building Unit.

Recently I was a guest on a television talk show, Philly Live. The host was more congenial to a nonviolent analysis than many of the interviewers I've encountered in the weeks since September 11th and so were the callers. We only took one call that referred to me and the other guest as "you people" (always a clue of what is to come, I find). "Haven't you people ever heard of the idea of peace through strength?"

Well, we people had, but we don't find the cliché works very well in traditional terms. My answer to the question was along these lines: If you mean strength in the sense of missiles and bombs and guns, I don't believe that kind of strength brings peace or security. If you mean strength in the sense of having a strong safety net for people losing their jobs, health care for everyone in society so that the threat of biological warfare is not heightened by the fear of being unable to receive medical care, then, yes, I believe that kind of strength will bring peace. If you are referring to domestic security (freedom from violence) in our homes and communities regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, then, yes, I believe having a strong community identity, having a strong defense of human rights, will bring peace.

Trafalgar Square, London, Nov. 18. Photo: Cathy Hoffman

I believe it is time to listen to new voices on this matter of security, and I would suggest we begin with women's voices. The AFSC No More Victims campaign is offering security through material assistance rather than guns. Our work here in the US must be redefined in the same way. An ad on local Philadelphia television urges viewers to tell their Senator that they want assistance for families of workers who have been laid off in this economic downturn. There are many ways for us to join in with this redefinition and making our legislators pay attention is certainly one of them. We have to stop all of the emergency assistance in the US from going to the richest corporations and citizens. We have to stop the accelerating slide of budget toward the defense department's new arms.

AFSC "Blankets for Afghanistan" rally, Government Center, Boston, 11/8. Many participants brought two blankets, one for Afghanistan, one for homeless shelters in Boston © Ellen Shub

These are issues defined in this country as "women's issues." Whether or not we think of them that way, whether or not that is a useful analysis to use in your community or not, still we need to now bring women's voices into the debate, to the table, to the airwaves, and more.

In addition, we can begin to notice how absent women's voices are on the international scene. Ellen Goodman, in an excellent opinion piece published in the Washington Post on November 3, quotes Eleanor Smeal, whose group Feminist Majority has been supporting Afghan women for years: "We see Afghanistan in rubble and say rubble is their normal state. But it's not." Nor is faceless non-participation. In 1964, Afghan women helped write their country's first constitution. They served in parliament, went to universities, became teachers and doctors.

Visit www.peaceresponse.org to read a letter from Women Living Under Muslim Law, and many other good articles on these topics.

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