Stonewalk-Memorial Stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War

Lewis Randa is founder of The Peace Abbey and The Life Experience School where the Memorial Stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War is now located (2 N. Main St., Sherborn, MA 01770; www.peace abbey.org; Lranda3757@aol.com). Karl Schlotterbeck, former refugee relief worker in Sudan and Cambodia, is a hospice caregiver. The two men together with their wives are leading the Stonewalk initiative.

This summer a pilgrimage will take place to honor the millions of civilians killed in our country's wars. From July 4 to August 6, 1999, the Memorial Stone for Unknown Civilians Killed in War will be pushed and pulled on a specially designed caisson/cart by human power alone through 94 communities from the Peace Abbey in Sherborn, Massachusetts to Arlington National Cemetery. On this journey, called Stonewalk, Americans will pay tribute to the innocent victims-the men, women, children, and animals who died during wars. The Memorial Stone will be offered as a gift to the nation, to honor the dead and to focus recognition on the terrible consequences of war.

Thousands of people, through their affiliations with faith communities, veterans and scouting organizations, schools, and other community groups, will take part in the challenge of physically moving the 2000 pound granite Memorial Stone to our nation's capital. Five hundred miles and 32 days later, the cart carrying the stone will arrive at Arlington on August 6, the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.

As America's only Memorial for civilian fatalities in war, it stands as a symbol of the fact that in the last decade over 2000 people every day have died as a direct result of war. Nine out of ten of the victims are civilians and half of these are children. The United Nations recently documented that more than two million children have died in wars since 1987.

A central theme to Stonewalk is the 'relay-tionship' principle. As the memorial stone and cart are relayed from one town to the next, new relationships will develop between community groups as they work together to move the stone. Coordinators in all of the 94 cities and towns along the route to Washington will be recruiting numerous Walk teams, each team assuming responsibility for one or more miles as the stone is moved from town line to town line. Every town's delegation will be unique and composed of local residents. Moving of the one ton stone will require at least eight adults, and as many as 32. Each day the cart will travel 15 to 20 miles. Behind the memorial cart members of the local scouts will pull a little red wagon to symbolize the tragic loss of life of children when nations go to war.

WAND (Women's Action for New Directions), FOR (Fellowship of Reconciliation), Veterans for Peace, and AFSC New England together cosponsor Stonewalk. Your assistance will honor the victims while working for peace in the world.

Join now. Coordinators are needed now, and we'll need a large turnout along the route. Walk teams will be made up of local residents, and so if you are not part of a community along the route, please join us August 5-6 in Washington DC. If you can't join us in person, please consider supporting the Stonewalk by making a financial contribution. The cost of the caisson alone is more than $17,000.

Help us get the word out. A walk kit is available with sample press release and public service announcements, a checklist for organizers, color brochures, and background information. Included is a video introduction to Stonewalk to help present the project to community groups. The brochure opens up into a colorful poster that can be displayed in public places. You can help to distribute printed material, post notices everywhere, send voice mail and Email, and plan recruitment activities. The information needs to go out to churches, schools, veterans, and other civic organizations.

Assist in planning activities. Recruiting walkers is the most basic need, and there is tremendous potential to organize creative activities both before the stone arrives and while it is passing through each town or city. While each community will be different, the message of the stone is particularly appropriate for members of populations who have been targeted for genocide. Just as our communities are diverse, and human losses in war are indiscriminate, the composition of walk teams should be varied as well. Special activities can be planned along the route, especially at the town borders and where it will pass from one community team to the next.

The Unknowns

Following World War I, Great Britain was the first nation to honor an unknown soldier in Westminster Abbey, and France followed with a memorial at the Arc de Triomphe. Our country followed their example, and now the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery is one of our country's most sacred monuments. Let's make America the first nation to honor civilians killed in war. And just as soldiers provide the honor guard for the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, let us establish a new American tradition at Arlington of civilians, by their presence and reflection, honoring the civilian victims of war.

The most important thing to remember is the end result-that the millions of civilian victims of war will be acknowledged and thus, greater attention will be given to the full cost of war.

For more information, please call 508/652-1994, or visit our web site at www.peaceabbey.org. The web site has photographs, route, and background information.

Stonewalk Route

Massachusetts: Sherborn, Holliston, Milford, Hopedale, Mendon, Uxbridge, Millville. RI: N.Smithfield\ Slatersville, Burrillville, Chepachet, Scituate, S. Foster. Connecticut: S.Killingly, Danielson, Brooklyn, N. Windham, Willimantic, Columbia, Hebron, Marlborough, East Hampton, Cobalt, Portland, Middletown, Durham, Northford, North Haven, New Haven, West Haven, Orange, Milford, Stratford, Bridgeport. New York: Port Jefferson\ Brookhaven, East Setauket, Village of the Branch, Smithtown, San Remo, Kings Park, Ft Salonga, Huntington, Cold Spring Harbor, East Norwich, Greenvale, Roslyn, Manhasset, Flushing, New York City (Queens, Manhatten). New Jersey: Jersey City, Newark, Mountainside, Scotch Plains, North Plainfield, Somerville, Three Bridges, Flemington, Ringoes, Lambertville. Pennsylvania: New Hope, Lahaska, Buckingham, Doylestown, New Britain, Chalfont, Montgomeryville, Gwynedd, Norristown, Bridgeport, Valley Forge, Paoli, Downington, Coatesville, Atglen, Quarryville, Penn Hill. Maryland: Darlington, Gibson, Bel Air, Benson, Kingsville, Perry Hall, Overlea, Baltimore, Elkridge, Waterloo, Savage, Laurel, Beltsville, Hollywood, College Park, Hyattsville, Washington DC, Arlington VA.