March 2009

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E P E A C E & J U S T I C E C E N T E RH I G H L I G H T S

Numbers continued on page 3

P

These Numbers Don’t Add UpBY Jen Berger

resident Obama just ordered anadditional 17,000 US soldiers to

be sent to Afghanistan. 12,000combat troops received deploymentorders, and additional 5,000 combatsupport units will deploy at a later date.The cost to deploy a single soldier to Iraqor Afghanistan, paid by us – the taxpay-ers, is $775,000 per year, writes Paul CraigRoberts in an article posted onCounterpunch.

With our economy in crisis, it shouldbe clear what the mission is, right? Well,according to an article posted onBloomberg.com (a media site focusedtowards financial and business profes-sionals), NBC asked military officialsabout the Afghanistan mission. “Franklywe don’t have one…They’re working onit” NBC reports was the response. Thearticle also states “Speaking to HouseDemocrats on Feb. 5, Obama admittedthat the government does not know whatits mission is in Afghanistan and that itneeded to be clarified to avoid “missioncreep without clear parameters.” Well, at$775,000 per soldier, and with an averageof 800,000 Americans becoming unem-ployed monthly, I would hope they wouldhave a clear plan how the money is being

spent.Where are they getting the troops for

these deployments? The Stop-loss policy(a military policy that involuntarilyextends a term of service once the activeduty portion of the contract is fulfilled) isstill in effect. Soldiers who have servedone to three tours are now being re-deployed to Afghanistan.

In addition to Stop-loss, the Army isundertaking the largest IRR recall since2004. IRR, or Individual Ready Reserve,sometimes called the Inactive ReadyReserve, is composed of former militarypersonnel who still have time remainingon their enlistment agreements but havereturned to civilian life. They are eligibleto be called up in “states of emergency”.Thousands of veterans are now chal-lenged with the decision to reactivate andleave the lives they are just returning to.What most members of the IRR do notknow is that the recall is not mandatory;they do not fall under the Uniform Codeof Military Justice (UCMJ) until theyreport for re-activation. After beingdischarged by the military, veterans areunder civilian law. For more informationon the IRR, and how to resist, go towww.couragetoresist.org/irr.

The military is also instituting a policythat will begin recruiting skilled immi-grants, with temporary visas, promisingthem a chance to become citizens in aslittle as six months. Previously, immi-grants with green cards have beeneligible to enlist, but now anyone who isnot ‘illegal’ can enlist. The military isstating shortages in medical care,

VT BUS TO DC

March 2009 marks the start of the 7th yearof the Iraq War and Occupation. There willbe a national demonstration in WashingtonDC on March 21. The Peace & Justice Centerhas a bus going down, leaving Burlington at9pm Friday, March 20, and stopping inBerlin, WRJ, and Brattleboro. Cost $95.

PAGE 230th Anniversary Photos

A collage of the day’s events from the cakeparade on Church St, to the the humantimeline, to the hundreds of origami cranes.

PAGE 3Bailout People Not Banks

April 4th march on Wall Street.

PAGE 4-5Economic Justice

New Livable Wage figures. Save Our State:Not only is this the worst time to cutprograms, but in these hard economic timeswe must be investing in Vermonters and theirfamilies more then ever.

PAGE 6-7Unified Economic Development

Budget ReportThe report is supposed to provide thelegislature with information about how muchis spent for economic development, for what,and with what results.

PAGE 8-9Robin’s Nest

The Vermont Movie. A collaboration with23 Vermont filmmakers for theQuadricentennial events this summer.

PAGE 10Calendar

March 10: “Rethinking Afghanistan,”“Rethinking Afghanistan,”“Rethinking Afghanistan,”“Rethinking Afghanistan,”“Rethinking Afghanistan,”

a lecture by peace scholar and advocate,Dr. George Lopez.March 21: March on the Pentagon.

PAGE 11Green Mtn Film Festival

Some of the films being shown in Montpelier.

2 January 2009

EDITORS

Wendy CoeGene Bergman

Robin Lloyd

PUBLISHED

10/year(See form on page 12)

CIRCULATION

1,600

The opinions expressed inthe articles, including

those by staff, are thoseof the authors and notnecessarily those of thepeace & justice center.

21 Church StreetBurlington, VT 05401

802.863.2345fax: 802.863.2532

www.pjcvt.orgwcoe@pjcvt.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

(alphabetical order)Linda Ayer

Gene BergmanKatina Cummings

Stacy GraczykWoody Keppel

Hilary Martin-chairTiffany Silliman

Andy SnyderWayne Turiansky-treas

Ed Everts, emeritus

STAFF

Jen BergerKathy Bouton

Wendy CoeSurbhi GodsayJennifer ReayAnise Richey

Colin Robinson

PJC MISSION

Our mission is to create ajust and peaceful world.To this end, we work on

the interconnected issuesof economic and racial

justice, peace, andhuman rights througheducation, advocacy,

training and non-violentactivisim, and community

organizing, since 1979.

PJC’s 30th Anniversary Celebration1/30/09

3March 2009

Numbers continued from page 1

language interpretation and field intelli-gence analysis. It is a pilot program,states a Pentagon official, limited to 1,000enlistees the first year. Pentagon officialsalso state that they are looking for nativeArabic (among other languages) speakersto assist in operations in the Middle East.Spanish speakers need not apply.

“As casualties in Iraq mounted, theArmy began luring new soldiers byincreasing signing bonuses for recruitsand accepting a greater number of peoplewho had medical and criminal histories,who scored low on entrance exams andwho failed to graduate from high school,”writes Lizette Alvarez in a New YorkTimes article. “The recession has pro-vided a jolt for the Army, which hopes todecrease its roster of less qualifiedapplicants in the coming year”.

The US military has also seen a rise inrecruits due to an increase in unemploy-ment. Historically, when unemploymentrates climb, so do military enlistments. Onthe average, the military has seen a 16%increase in recruits since November 2008.With high school graduates struggling toget financial aid for college and seeingless prospects post-college, and thechange in age limit for the Army (it waschanged from 35 to 42 in 2006 to increasepossible enlistments) the military islooking like an option for more people.

While the military may promiseeconomic security, health benefits andjob skills, the US government is stillunable to support the needs of itsveterans. The Veterans Administration isstill struggling for enough resources tomeet the needs of veterans, and is stillhighly short staffed. In Vermont, we arefacing unprecedented budget cuts, yetwe are allowing 1,700, almost half of theVermont National Guard to be deployed

to Afghanistan by the end of the year.According to the Bring the Guard HomeCampaign (www.bringtheguardhome.org),this is illegal. In addition, there has been asix-fold increase in Iraq war veteransuicides since last year. The numbers donot add up.

Call Washington DC at 202-456-1111and tell the Administration that we want:

1. A reduction of troop levels in Afghanistan

2. Rapid withdrawal of all US troops from Afghanistan and Iraq

3. A commitment to diplomacy involv-ing all major regional players,including major internationalpeace-keeping bodies

4. Addressing the real needs ofAfghans by funding developmentassistance for Afghanistan’s basichuman needs -- health care, cleanwater, education, security, rights forwomen and girls -- through AfghaniNGOs, using local labor and services

Continue to join the Save ourState (SOS) coalition at state-wide vigils and at the statehouseto testify against budget cuts.

Contact the Vermont MilitaryAffairs committee and demandthat we not lose nearly half ofour National Guard to deploy-ment to Afghanistan.

Support Rep. Michael Fisher ingetting the Bring the GuardHome bill passed in the legisla-ture. mfisher@leg.state.vt.usPhone: (802) 828-2247

Continue to educate aboutalternatives to military service.

Invite the Recruiting for PeaceCampaign to your local school,library, coffee shop or potluck tolearn more. 863-2345 x5.

Bail Out People not Banks!

March on Wall Street April 4

The Wall Street march will take place during thesame week that the G20 countries are holdingtheir second emergency global economic crisissummit meeting in London on April 2 and 3,which will be followed immediately by a 60thAnniversary of NATO summit meeting inStrasbourg, France on April 4. Both meetings willbe the focus of strong protests against war andfor economic justice.

The march on Wall Street has been planned tocoincide with the anniversary of the assassinationof Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. There are manyreasons one could think of to do this. Just as Dr.King knew that the Civil Rights Movement wouldnot be viable unless it was also part of the antiwarmovement, he knew that freedom would never bepossible until everyone had the right to a job witha living wage, or an income. This was the messagethat Dr. King spent the last year of his life trying toconvey. And it’s a message that could hardly bemore relevant today. Another important messagefrom Dr. King reminds us of what is so fundamen-tal to his legacy, “Freedom is never voluntarilygiven by the oppressor; it must be demanded bythe oppressed.”

People have been waiting for the call for a NationalMarch on Wall Street that demands a Bail Out ofthe People, not the Banks. That call has beenissued; support for it is growing. Seewww.bailoutpeople.org for more information.

The Peace & Justice Center has a bus going down,leaving Burlington, and stopping in Berlin, WRJ,and Brattleboro. Cost $65.

Thanks!A big thank you to our Phonathon callers in February for volunteeringtheir time and energy.A very special thanks to American Flatbread, Stone Soup and Ben & Jerry’sfor generously providing food for our Phonathon callers in February.Thanks to Cheese ‘N Crust Souperstar Kiosk for donating food to theVermont Peace Economy Coalition’s Campaign Development Summit.

Thanks Again!Thank you for helping out with our 30th Anniversary Celebration:34 cake bakers, Ben & Jerry’s, Boloco, Chittenden Bank, ChamplainOrchards, Healthy Living, Hannaford’s, Office of the Mayor ofBurlington, and the Starline Rhythm Boys!

Please support these local businesses who support Peace & Justice.

4 March 2009

Economic Justice

BY Colin Robinson

n January 2009 the VLWCreceived some very good press

about the January 1st minimumwage increase, including articles inevery major newspaper in the state, onVermont Public Radio and on severaltelevision stations. Additionally, we ranan opinion piece that appeared in theRutland Herald, Times Argus and theBurlington Free Press. Finally, with thenew livable wage figures coming out, wewere lucky enough to have theBrattleboro Reformer print an editorialbased upon our information. To see anyof the media coverage – visit the newmedia link on our websitewww.vtlivablewage.org. What follows isthe press release that was sent out onJanuary 15th about the new livable wagenumbers.

On Thursday, January 15, 2009 theVermont Joint Fiscal Office releasedupdated livable wage calculations withinthe 2009 Basic Needs Budgets Report.The Report contains six different familybudgets that total the cost of basic needssuch as food, housing, transportation,health care, child care, and personal

Earning a Livable Wage

expenses. The livable wage is the hourlywage or annual income sufficient to meetan individual’s or family’s basic needs inVermont. The 2009 Report reflects acombination of data on basic needsexpenses from 2007 and 2008 by federaland state agencies and resources.

The 2009 livable wage figures ascompared to 2007 increased (last year theOffice released a similar report) onaverage by 18.11% for urban figures andby 13.31% for rural figures. In compari-son, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) usedto adjust the Vermont minimum wage in2007 and 2008 was 2% and 5% respec-tively. CPI is one measure of the rate ofinflation in the U.S. The Vermont Depart-ment of Labor uses the average CPI fromthe period from September 1 to August 31for the annual minimum wage adjustment.The Vermont minimum wage increased onJanuary 1, 2009 to $8.06.

“Livable wage figures are the realindication of the cost of living in Ver-mont,” said Colin Robinson, Director ofthe Peace & Justice Center’s VermontLivable Wage Campaign. “We continue tosee a much larger increase in the livablewage from year to year because it isbased on the cost of real basic needs thatexist in Vermont. These figures reflect theincreasing costs of housing, heating,transportation, health care and child carecosts, to name a few. Vermont is certainlynot becoming more affordable.”

As one example, in 2009 a single parentwith two children will need an average of$29.98/hr to keep up with the costs ofbasic needs (assumes employer providedhealth insurance). The 2007 averagelivable wage figure was $25.59/hour—a17.2% increase. At Vermont’s currentminimum wage of $8.06/hour, a singleparent would need to work 3 full time(120/hrs a week) minimum wage jobs justto make ends meet.

Here are the average 2009 livable wagefigures (rural and urban figures) withemployer provided health insurance:

• $16.75/hr. ($34,840/yr) for a singleperson;• $13.07/hr. each ($54,371/yr totalhousehold income) for two adults, nochildren• $24.04/hr. ($50,003/yr) for a singleparent with one child;• $29.98/hr. ($62,358/yr) for a singleparent with two children;• $30.67/hr. ($63,794/yr) for a familywith two parents and two children (onewage earner);• $19.41/hr. each ($80,746/yr totalhousehold income) for a family withtwo children (two wage earners)

“Many working Vermonters are fallingwithin the wage gap between the mini-mum wage and the livable wage,” arguesRobinson. “When 45% of all jobs inVermont pay a median wage below thelivable wage for a single person, there is astructural problem with the Vermonteconomy. If the primary purpose of theeconomy is to create jobs and opportu-nity, it is not working for many Vermont-ers. The state needs to do more todevelop livable wage jobs to bettersupport the existing workforce—thisshould be the central issue for strategicand sustainable economic development.”

The assumptions and methodologyused to calculate the 2009 Basic NeedsBudget was reviewed in the summer andfall of 2008 by a committee of legislatorsand community members. The Legislatureasked for the committee to be convenedin an effort to ensure the numbersremained relevant to Vermont families andbusinesses and truly reflective of costs.The Vermont Livable Wage Campaignsupported this review in an effort toensure that these numbers continue totruly reflect the costs Vermonters face.Unlike the Federal Poverty Measure,which has not had a methodologicalreassessment is over five decades, thebasic needs budget remains an effectivetool for assessing the cost of living inVermont.

“It is hoped that by reducing the costsof basic needs for working Vermontersand businesses alike,” Robinson says,“as well as increasing wages, we cancreate an economy where everyone canmake a livable wage and Vermont’sbusinesses can thrive.”

I

5March 2009

BY Colin Robinson

s you all read in last month’snewsletter and have been hearing

in the media, Vermont, like moststates, is running into some seriousbudget issues. There has been an outcryagainst them. The Save our Statecoalition (SOS), of which we are a leadingmember, has been helping to bring thebudget cuts out of the dark and demand-ing that we find new revenue sources. Asa coalition, we recognized that this is nota spending problem but a revenueproblem, and only by finding newrevenue sources can we truly find asustainable solution to the problem.

Not only is this the worst time to cutprograms, but in these hard economictimes we must be investing in Vermontersand their families more then ever. Wemust be working to make health care moreaffordable for all; we must be expandingbenefits. Fortunately, because of theparticipation of many of you our messageis getting out, but the fight isn’t over.

Many of you joined the very success-ful February 2nd SOS candlelight vigilsthat happened in 13 communities acrossthe state. Over 700 Vermonters came outin every corner of the state fromBennington to Newport, to highlight theurgency and opposition to the budgetcuts. The message was widely picked upby almost every major newspaper, radioand television station in the state.Building upon this statewide action,which all came together in two weeks,there were several hundred Vermonterswho turned out on a weekday -- TuesdayFebruary 10th -- on the State House lawnto rally against the budget cuts. The

Continued Effort to Save our State

participants gathered on the State Houselawn, but also took their message insidedirectly to legislators.

The message is getting out and somelegislators, like Rep. Mike Fisher, aretaking bold action to introduce legislationthat would do what Gov. Snelling did in1990 and raise taxes, especially on therichest Vermonters. As town meetingrecess approaches and our legislatorscome home, we all must make sure thatour elected officials know that we need toraise new revenue and not cut programsfor the most vulnerable Vermonters. Wemust make our voices loud and clear.

The buzz words of 2008 were “change”and “hope”, but unfortunately, with theeconomic crisis the change that ishappening is quickly crushing all hope.The true change that needs to happen isseizing this historic moment to rethink therole that government plays. We need tomake sure our government is ensuringthat every Vermonter can meet one’sbasic needs, that health care is a right andnot a privilege, that housing is affordable,and that Vermonters can thrive. We can’tjust hope for this change to happen,because as we have seen, the reactionhas been to try to cut the way out of arevenue problem. We must act, speak outand get involved.

During the month of March moreactions and efforts will be made by theSOS coalition to make sure this doesn’thappen, but it relies on your voice.Efforts are still being planned, but if youwould like to get involved in helping Saveour State give us a call at 802-863-2345 x8or email livablewage@pjcvt.org.

VLWC on Vermont Public TelevisionAs we mentioned in the January newsletter, on January 29th the VLWC appearsedon the Vermont Public Television program Public Square. We were joined on thelive call-in program by former PJC Executive Director Ellen Kahler, Kathy Brooks ofGreen Mountain Coffee Roasters, and Will Patten of Vermont Businesses for SocialResponsibility. The program provided a great platform to discuss the brand newlivable wage figures that came out on January 15th. If you missed the programyou can find a link to it on our website www.vtlivablewage.org.

A

Don’t Freak Out...

“Meditation forWorld Peace”

Right now we are all faced with fear andanxiety. It’s difficult to stay calm. ”Meditation for World Peace” is an hour ofguided visualization to help you let go ofworry and bring you to an experience ofinner peace. We will then extend thatenergy as a gift to the world.

Meditation is the Art ofObservation. Learning to observe yourthoughts and feelings allows you to expandyour awareness. Awareness allows the veryreal energy created by emotions and thoughtsto transform. As our bodies release energythere is more room for what is called yourCh’i, your essence, your soul. As you getgrounded and come back into your body,you calm down.

This Meditation Group is drop-in.Cost: Donation for the Food Bank.Second Sunday of every month. 5-6pm.March 8 and April 12.

Postcards available at the

6 March 2009

BY Doug Hoffer

he Unified Economic Develop-ment Budget (UEDB) grew out of

Phase 9 of the Vermont Job GapStudy. The intent is to provide thelegislature with information about howmuch is spent for economic development(ED), for what, and with what results.The 2009 report answers the first twoquestions, but failed (again) to answerthe third. In the absence of objective andreliable performance data, policy makerscannot make informed decisions aboutresource allocation.

For the third year in a row, the reportnoted “a lack of clear and measurablegoals for each initiative / program.”This is a disturbing admission since tensof millions of dollars are at stake. Notwith-standing the lack of detailed performancemeasures, the report could have reportedreadily available data on jobs.

For example, the graph below showsthat Vermont’s job growth mirrors thenational rate, although a bit lower. Butafter recovering the jobs lost during thelast recession, Vermont’s growth rateflattened as the national economycontinued to grow and the gap widened.

While this measure can’t tell us aboutindividual programs, itgives us context aboutthe broad goals of ED.

The report providesexpenditure databeginning with July2005. Since then,Vermont has lost 4,100private sector jobs.[Note that the declinebegan in Dec. 2006,long before this currentrecession.] During thatperiod, the stateappropriated $130million and has spentover $100 million.Thus, we’ve spent $100million and have 4,100fewer jobs today than

2009 Unified Economic Development Budget Report:10 VSA §2

when we started.The failure to present this type of

information raises questions about theUEDB process and the willingness of theadministration to take a hard look at thefacts. Let’s look briefly at some of theother requirements of the statute.

1. “A report of progress in developingconsistent and measurable benchmarksof job creation.”

The administration reported noprogress whatsoever. This is what theadministration said:

“As recommended in the initial UEDBReport dated January 18, 2007, a [groupof experts] should be created andauthorized by the Legislature to developa proposed definition of economicdevelopment for the State of Vermont…and to create useful, achievablebenchmarks and measurements forprograms that do not have previouslydetermined measures, and improvingexisting measures where appropriate.”

This is a remarkable statement. Why –

after three years – has the administrationnot undertaken this work? And whyshould they need authorization from thelegislature to instruct its staff to worktogether to solve a problem?

2. “…the commissioner…shallreview…10 V.S.A. §§ 2 and 7, and 32V.S.A. § 307(c), and recommend how toconsolidate and coordinate thesereports… to enable continuing reviewand oversight by the general assembly.”

This is important because the twostatutes call for disclosure and perfor-mance reporting. They are both over tenyears old. The Agency of Commerce hasnever complied with either one.

What’s missing? Last year’s UEDB discussed

different types of ED spending andattempted to describe core, indirect, andother activities. But the 2009 report onlyincluded spending for “core” activities.This is a significant omission. “Indirect”activities is subjective, but I think mostwould agree that 1) higher education iscritical (workforce development advo-

cates think so); 2) affordable housingis widely recognizedas an ED problem;3) child care (quiteapart from its manyother social andeducational merits) isessential for the labormarket; as are4) transportation;5) land conservation;6) energy efficiency,and so on. Theseactivities are fairlycharacterized as dualpurpose and shouldbe covered in theUEDB. Together, theyrepresent an addi-tional $100 - $200million per year.

T

7March 2009

The data on tax expenditures didnot include the 40% capital gains exclu-sion. It took effect in 2003. Through 2006(latest data available), it has cost the state$160 million. If it’s intended to helppromote investment in Vermont, that’s EDand it should be included. If it’s notabout ED, then why do we do it?

Thus, the total amount spent in thelast four years is probably close to $500million; quite a bit more than the $130million reported.

Performance dataThe report included performance datafrom VT Economic Progress Council(VEPC), but it is not reliable. Whencalculating awards, the goal is to “incent”only incremental job growth. That is, jobsthat would not normally be created basedon the company’s history. But VEPC usesthe industry average growth rate insteadof the company’s actual historic growth.The Auditor found that the use of theindustry average resulted in the statepaying for some jobs that would havebeen created without the incentives.Thus, the VEPC data almost certainlyoverstates the jobs impact of the pro-gram.

Big PictureAs noted above, there is reason toquestion the efficacy of the strategiesnow employed. Not that all the moneywas wasted. Indeed, some may havehelped prevent even greater job losses,although we can only speculate aboutthat since it’s impossible to measure whatdidn’t happen.

What I’m saying is that the state hasvery little control over private sector jobgrowth. The most significant factors arebeyond our control: the business cycle,interest rates, trade agreements, currencyexchange rates, and federal spending arethe real drivers. We need an aggressivestrategy. But what we’re doing today isnot sufficient to overcome the largeforces at work. A few additional exampleshelp reinforce this view.

Financial ServicesThe financial services tax credit program(sunsetted in ‘06) was supposed to createclean new jobs. But job growth waspositive before the program and generally

continued with little change. Two of thethree sectors grew during the marketexpansion in the late ‘90s but leveled offor declined with the recession.

Lessons? First, we didn’t need theprogram since the industry was alreadygrowing. Second, if the jobs created arelost when times are bad, then tax “incen-tives” are not long-term investments. Inthe end, we “spent” $10 million inforegone revenues, but we have 32 fewerjobs now then before the last recession.

ExportsThe UEDB reported that the state spent$855,000 to boost exports in the last fouryears (Global Trade Partnership & Agric.Exports). But the most recent availabledata shows that Vermont exports havedeclined by 26% since 2005. And whatwe sell overseas is only half the story.Data from the U.S. Dept. of Labor’s TradeAdjustment Assistance program indicatesthat Vermont lost 2,384 jobs from 2003 to2007 due to foreign competition or jobsmoved offshore. So what did we get forthe $855,000?

RecruitmentThe report noted that the state spent $1.6million on recruitment over the last fouryears. But the jobs impact of interstatebusiness moves is a tiny portion of totaljob creation and destruction. What didwe get for the money?

Where do we go fromhere?The UEDB is a tool for policy makers. It’sa reminder that decisions should be madebased on research and analysis instead ofanecdotes from self-interested parties.Unfortunately, a lack of staff and otherresources combined with politicalexpediency leads to the same outcomeevery year; greater reliance on wastefultax “incentives”.

At present, the legislature is followingthe old playbook. The desire to “dosomething” has once again triumphedover the need for a broader vision andcareful deliberation.

A better approach is to invite a rangeof proposals. Estimate the costs andbenefits of all of them so they can becompared fairly. Only then can legislatorsmake informed decisions about how toallocate scarce resources.

Many thoughtful legislators acknowl-edge the problem. So why does nothingchange? That could be the subject ofanother piece. For now, we’re left withthe only tool we have. Contact yourlegislators, especially those on thecommittees of jurisdiction. Tell themTrickle Down has failed and it’s time tomove on. Tell them to slow down. Tellthem to insist on more research. Tell themto consider alternatives. Tell them not tobe afraid.

House Commerce Committee and House Ways & MeansCommittee members & e-mail addresseshttp://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/comms.asp?Body=Hhttp://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/alpha.asp?Body=H

Senate Economic Development Committee and SenateFinance Committee members & e-mail addresseshttp://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/comms.asp?Body=Shttp://www.leg.state.vt.us/lms/legdir/alpha.asp?Body=S

Volunteers For Peace ScholarhipsVolunteers For Peace (VFP) currently has two scholarship types available. VFP Scholarships are available tovolunteers who would like to participate in either a US or an international voluntary service project. Wecurrently have five basic scholarships (includes a waiver of the $300 VFP Registration Fee) and three PierrePierrePierrePierrePierreCeresole Memorial ScholarshipsCeresole Memorial ScholarshipsCeresole Memorial ScholarshipsCeresole Memorial ScholarshipsCeresole Memorial Scholarships (includes a waiver of the $300 VFP Registration Fee as well as a $500travel stipend) available. Applications must be received on or before March 16, 2009.Please visit the VFP Scholarship websiteVFP Scholarship websiteVFP Scholarship websiteVFP Scholarship websiteVFP Scholarship website (http://www.vfp.org/scholar.html) for additional informationincluding the scholarship requirements and application forms.

8 March 2009

BY Robin Lloyd

reedom and Unity: Is our statefounded on an oxymoron? These

are two qualities that seem bydefinition to oppose each other, unlessyou look more deeply at their meaning. Ifunity is freely chosen, not imposed, thenmight it not be possible for the two tocoexist in a kind of creative tension?

This is the theme running throughNora Jacobson’s film project – a collabo-ration with some 23 Vermont filmmakers(including me) tentatively called TheVermont Movie. She has assembled notjust filmmakers, but technical advisorsand historians to help her flesh out theproject for completion by the time of theQuadricentennial events this summer.

Covering the QuadVermont Life is covering the Lake’s earlyhistory and tourism, Burlington City Arts will be presenting French and Quebecculture, and the Echo Center is devotingtheir space to ‘Indigenous Expressions’.For many, the Lake is the focus; but Nora,and the rest of us, want to hold the stateitself ‘in the light’. This little bit of landcalled Vermont – split in half by a moun-tain range, drained by two watersheds;squabbled over at birth by its neighbors,colonized from the north by French furtraders and from the south by Englishfarmers – does have a unique andindependent history.

Professor and historian Frank Bryanthinks that the freedom and unity concept“expresses the essence of Vermont.” Indeed, he has written in a letter support-ing the project, “scholars all over Americaare continually befuddled by the wayVermont takes on the most importantquestion of political history – from theGreeks to the present day: which is ‘howto preserve individual liberty in thecontext of collective communal enter-prise.’”

A half dozen retreats have taken placewith filmmakers presenting works inprogress for comment and discussion. Nora stresses that the film can only becollaborative if there is a cross-fertiliza-

Robin’s Nest

The Vermont Movie

tion of ideas.One of the most stimulating discus-

sions took place at a farm in centralVermont last June. The conversationcircled around the idea of Vermont’s“exceptionalism”; an issue that has comeup continually as the film progresses.Nora asked: “Is Vermont exceptional? Isthat why we are making this film? Even if

we feel personally, emotionally, thatVermont IS exceptional or unique, wemust remember that probably every onefeels their own state is exceptional andunique.” Frank Bryan responded thatvery definitely we are exceptional, andpointed to all the contributions thatVermonters have made, for example, toindustry. He was also quick to point outthat part of his argument rests on a percapita measurement of innovation.Vermont is so small, that empirically weare exceptional.

Michael Sherman and others stronglydisputed this notion, arguing that it hasmuted the investigation and understand-ing of the larger context in which Vermonthas developed and will continue to act.Ideas, trends, technology, the spread ofinformation, and all aspects of life in

Vermont, even when generated in a localcontext, extend to the national scene andbeyond. And Vermont and Vermontersmore often react to these developmentsthan generate them.

The Vermont Movie’s website likes tolist Vermont’s firsts: first state to outlawslavery, to allow same sex civil unions, tocall for the impeachment of presidentRichard M. Nixon, to protect the environ-ment with Act 250, and to go for Obama in2009!

Each of the some two dozen filmmakersis creating a segment on a subject thatinterests them. There will be no effort atbeing comprehensive, or even at beinglevel headed, so the film risks the possi-bility of being an idiosyncratic collectionof filmmaker’s passions.

A few of the segments inproduction:

The labor movement in Rutland areamarble quarries (Dina Janis). An exploration into the lives of the

two founders of AA, who hail fromVermont (Eleanor Lanahan and OrlyYadin) The celebrated educator, John

Dewey, who came from Vermont andwas the inspiration behind one of themost innovative institutions of highereducation, Goddard College (LindaLeehman). The impact of the 60’s on

Vermont: Who are the utopianpredecessors of the hippies? (NoraJacobson). The secret behind Vermont’s special

brand of ‘Republicanism’. (RickMoulton) How an old family farm adapts to

new ways of farming (AndyReichsman and Kate Purdie) Can Vermont ever be independent

again? (Rob Williams).

The segment I am doing with GregGuma, will be a short docudrama of howthe people of Vermont defeated the GreenMountain Parkway. This was a highwaybuilding project proposed by theRoosevelt administration at the depth ofthe depression. The plan was to build a260 mile road along the ridges andmountainsides of the Green Mountains,to the Canadian border. Most importantVermonters – and the Burlington Free

F

Frank Bryan as portrayed on

Thevermontmovie.com trailer

created by Art Bell

9March 2009

BY Robin Lloyd

400 years ago, the event that took placeon July 30, 1609, following Samuel deChamplain first arrival at the Lake (called,up until then, Petenbowk), provides apowerful archetype for succeedingcenturies of Americanconquest. It was anencounter enacted firstwith the arquebus(Champlain’s handgun),later with the rifle, thenthe Gatling Gun, andnow, highflying dronesover Pakistan: usingasymmetrical forceagainst defenselesspopulations. At the timeof this first encounter,the Indians on bothsides of “the Waters inBetween” used bows,arrows, and spears.

That day in July,tribes associated withthe Iroquois FiveNations were involvedin a somewhat ritualizedencounter withChamplain’s allies – the Montagnais-Huron-Algonkins. Champlain writes:“Our men put me at their head, until I waswithin about thirty paces of the enemy.They at once saw me and halted, lookingat me, as I at them.” According to one ofhis biographers, Samuel Morrison,Champlain, who was “clad in a platecorselet and wearing a steel helmet,loaded his arquebus with four bullets,drew a bead on the three chiefs, andfired. All three fell, two dead and the thirdmortally wounded.” That evening hisallies tortured to death 10 prisonerscaptured during the encounter.

Morrison says it is “folly to criticizeChamplain for what he did” since estab-

lishing trade relations was the imperative:French merchants were making goodmoney turning New World beaver peltsinto felt hats.

Ultimately, the French and otherEuropeans shipped100,000 pelts per yearback to their homelands,causing further strifeamong the indigenouspeople as their re-sources were wiped outand they hunted fartherafield to satisfy theircustomers’ demands.

Today, we know whatruthless acts govern-ments are willing toperform to obtainessential resources. Aswe look out through thesights of our weapons,are we seeing the unfairness of thesituation any better thanChamplain did?

At a recentQuadricentennial event

in Chittenden County, an Abenaki “datawarrior” pointed out that the imbalancescaused by European intrusions intoN’dakinna (“our homeland”) – part ofwhich is now Vermont – have yet to berighted. This anniversary year, he noted,is an opportunity for Natives and non-Natives to establish right relations, thebalance that Abenakis see as the closestthing to “forgiveness” in European belief systems.

I wonder: Can we in the peace andjustice community create a ceremony forthis Quadricentennial commemoration tohelp with the healing? What part can weplay in restoring balance for all who livein the place we now call home?

Press – supported the idea, the RutlandHerald opposed it. Finally, it was voteddown in town meetings across the statein 1936. Vermont remained largely isolatedfrom the rest of the country until inter-state 89 was built in the 60’s.

This rejection of ‘progress’, and of thebenefits of tourism that would haveresulted from the road, is a early expres-sion of the stubborn environmentalismthat has come to characterize Vermonters’unique take on the world.

So look for The Vermont Moviesometime this summer. As the trailer onthe Thevermontmovie.com website –edited by Art Bell – declares: “This isgoing to be big!”

Samuel de Champlain, self portrait,

depicting his first encounter with

indigenous people on the shores of

Lake Petenbowk.

The First Encounter M A R C H 3 - 10, 2 0 0 9

Women, War andDisplacementSeries sponsored by Vermont Global HealthCoalition, Edmundite Center for Peace andJustice, Student Global AIDS Campaign,Women’s Center, Office of MulticulturalAffairs, Saint Michael’s College.

TUESDAY, MARCH 3

7pm Screening of the film, “The GreatestSilence: Rape in the Congo,” in the HoehlWelcome Center.

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4

7pm A talk on “Rape as a Weapon of War:Violence against Women in Eastern Congo,”in the Hoehl Welcome Center. Jocelyn Kelly,research coordinator at the HarvardHumanitarian Initiatives, will speak aboutsexual violence against women in EasternCongo, the Panzi Hospital, and theimportance of advocacy for rape victims.

THURSDAY, MARCH 5

7pm “Women, War and Displacement:Stories of Local Women,” a panel of localrefugees telling their stories, in St. Edmund’sHall Farrell Room (3rd floor).

FRIDAY, MARCH 6

7pmScreening of the film, “Taxi to theDarkside,” the story of Dilawar, a taxi driverwho was detained in Afghanistan in 2002and who died in American custody at theprison in Bagram a few months later, in theSMC Women’s Center.

SUNDAY, MARCH 8

4pm Community potluck welcoming ourrefugees. venue TBA. The community isinvited to meet and greet some of therefugees in our community and peopleinvolved with refugee work in the greaterBurlington Area.

10 March 2009

C A L E N D A R

March 2009[1] Sunday noon Vets for Peace broadcasts live on Channel 15. 2pm Vets for Peace

meet at PJC.

[2] Monday 3pm Is Nuclear Power Dangerous to Your Health? With Dr. Winfrid

Eisenberg in Rowell 103 at the UVM School of Nursing.

[3] Tuesday 6:15pm Burlington-Bethlehem-Arad Sister City meeting at Burlington

College, 95 North Ave., Burlington.

[4] Wednesday 6-8pm Genocide in Armenia with Lisa Berbarian, Burlington College

student. Institute for Civic Engagement at Burlington College. 862-9616.www.burlington.edu

[8] Sunday: International Women’s Day NYC Rally & March. A salute to Women’s Resistance. Bail Out Women

and their communities!. Assemble at Union Sq at 1pm. Initiated byWomen’s Fightback Network. 212-633-6646.

[8-10] Sunday-Tuesday PJC Phonathon. Volunteers needed. Call Anise at 863-2345 ext. 6.

[10] Tuesday 6-8pm Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

meeting at the Peace & Justice Center. Info: 372-6117. 7pm “Rethinking Afghanistan,” a l7pm “Rethinking Afghanistan,” a l7pm “Rethinking Afghanistan,” a l7pm “Rethinking Afghanistan,” a l7pm “Rethinking Afghanistan,” a lecture by

peace scholar and advocate, Dr. George Lopez, in theMcCarthy Arts Center, St Micheal’s College. Dr. Lopezholds the Rev. Theodore Hesburgh Chair in PeaceStudies at the Kroc Institute for International PeaceStudies at the University of Notre Dame. His researchfocuses primarily on state violence and coercion,economic sanctions, violations of human rights andethics, and the use of force. He has published widely in scholarly journals;he is co-editor of five books on repression and state terror, most notably,Government Violence and Repression: An Agenda for Research (1986),and he co-authored “Winning without War: Sensible Security Options forDealing with Iraq” in 2002. This policy brief was called the most influentialdocument for those favoring an alternative to war with Iraq.

[11] Wednesday 6:15pm Free Markets: Free Humans? With Michael Smith, Burlington

College graduate and Libertarian. Institute for Civic Engagement atBurlington College. 862-9616. www.burlington.edu

[16] Monday 7-9pm Vermonters for a Just Peace in Palestine/Israel meeting at PJC.

[18] Wednesday 6:15pm Search & Seizure law here in the US and in Russia with

Vladmia Stradnic, Burlington College student. Institute for CivicEngagement at Burlington College. 862-9616. www.burlington.edu

7pm Vermont Workers Center to speak at the North CountryCoalition for Justice & Peace monthly meeting at the North Congrega-tional Church, St. Johnsbury VT.

[19]Thursday

Anniversary of the Iraq War. Events TBA. 863-2345 x5.

[21] Saturday Anti-War demo in Washington DC. See p. 1

[23] Monday 6pm A panel discussion with women of color on their work in social

justice, titled “Being the Change You Wish to See: Women of Color &Social Justice Advocacy,” in St. Edmunds Hall Farrell Room (3rd floor), StMichael’s College. Panelists are Jacqui Patterson of Action Aid and HealthGAP, Mercedes Mack of Jubilee USA, and Siham Elhamoumi of VermontGlobal Health Coalition.

April 2009[4] Saturday Bail Out People Not Banks March on Wall St, NYC. see p. 3.

[23] Thursday 7pm Afghanistan: Obama’s Vietnam with Joseph Gerson, Director of

AFSC Programs in New England. Gerson’s recent work has focused oneducation, organizing, and mobilization to end the US war andoccupation in Iraq, preventing nuclear war and advancing the strugglefor nuclear weapons abolition, the establishing of the global “No BasesNetwork,” and peaceful resolution of the US-DPRK and US-Iran nuclearconfrontations. At the North Country Coalition for Justice & Peacemonthly meeting at the No. Congregational Church, St. Johnsbury VT.

May ’09 Diplomacy DelegationFellowship of Reconciliation, an interfaith peace organization commit-ted to non-violent solutions, will bring a diplomacy delegation to IranMay 15-30, 2009. The purpose is for delegates to meet with civic andreligious leaders, converse with average Iranians, and learn aboutIranian culture and society. Upon returning, delegates will share whatthey’ve learned with their communities. Destinations include Tehran,Isfahan, Qom, Yazd, and Shiraz. $4,000 fee includes international planeticket, hotels, meals, and transportation. For more information,contact Leila Zand at 518-831-9500, Email: lzand@forusa.org, or visitwww.forusa.org/programs/iran. Application deadline is March 5, 2009.

11January 2009

ALEXANDRA

SAVOY THEATER, MON, 3/23,

8:30PM; WED, 3/25, NOON;

THURS, 3/26, 6:00PM

An elderly woman travels to theChechen war zone to see her soldiergrandson in Alexander Sokurov’spowerful film. “A film of startlingoriginality and beauty that feels like acommuniqué from another time andanother place.” (Manohla Dargis,The New York Times)

AT THE DEATH HOUSE DOOR

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, WED,

3/25, 8:15PM; THURS, 3/26, NOON

The documentary from Steve Jamesand Peter Gilbert (HOOP DREAMS) isa personal look at the death penaltythrough the eyes of Pastor CarrollPickett, who served 15 years as thedeath house chaplain to theinfamous “Walls” prison unit inHuntsville, Texas, presiding over 95executions.

THE BROTHER…

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER,

WED, 3/25, 6:00PM

…Who Sent His Sister to the ElectricChair” is the full title of thisdocumentary, produced for Frenchtelevision, which explores the role ofthe enigmatic David Greenglass,whose testimony sent his sister andbrother-in-law, Ethel and JuliusRosenberg, to their deaths in 1953.Post-film event: Robert Meeropol,son of the Rosenbergs, will discussthe film and the latest developmentsin the case.

CONSTANTINE’S SWORD

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, SAT, 3/21,

8:45PM; SUN, 3/22, NOON;

FRI, 3/27, 2:00PM

“At once enthralling and troubling,the film does about as good a job asyou could hope of distilling a 750-page historical examination ofreligious zealotry and power into 95swift minutes, while also telling thestory of James Carroll’s own journeyfrom Jesuit priest to anti-war activist

and theological scholar.” (StephenHolden, The New York Times) Post-film event: Writer-director OrenJacoby will discuss the film after theSaturday, March 21, and Sunday,March 22, shows.

GOSPEL HILL

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, SAT, 3/28,

8:45PM; SUN, 3/29, 6:30PM

In Giancarlo Esposito’s directingdebut, a small South Carolina townmarks the 40th anniversary of thedeath of a civil rights leader,summoning up unresolved issues ofthe past. The Hollywood Reporter:“This spare yet radiant film brimswith the fears, frustrations anddreams of the town’s individuals.”With Danny Glover, Julia Stiles,Angela Bassett, and Esposito. Post-film event: Giancarlo Esposito willdiscuss the film after both shows.

KATYN

SAVOY THEATER, FRI, 3/20,

4:00PM; SAT, 3/21, 9:00PM; SUN,

3/22, 4:30PM; MON, 3/23, NOON

For master director Andrzej Wajda(MAN OF IRON), the cinema canoffer an alternative vision of eventsto counter the “official stories” ofthe Polish communist regime.Perhaps the biggest deception of allwas the cover-up of the 1940massacre of almost 15,000 PolishArmy officers by the Soviet RedArmy. Weaving together severalstories of the victims and theirfamilies, Katyn is the remarkableculmination of Wajda’s lifelong wishto make a feature film on thesubject; his father was one of thosemurdered at Katyn.

MOVING MIDWAY

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, MON, 3/

23, 2:15PM; SAT, 3/28, 11:30AM;

SUN, 3/29, 2:00PM

Godfrey Cheshire’s richly observedfilm about his family’s Southernplantation - and the colossal feat ofmoving it to escape urban sprawl - isa thoughtful and witty look at thelingering remnants and still-powerful

mythology of plantation culture andthe antebellum South. Post-filmevent: director Godfrey Cheshire willdiscuss the film at the Saturday,March 28, and Sunday, March 29.shows.

THE SINGING REVOLUTION

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, FRI, 3/20,

4:00PM; WED, 3/25, NOON;

FRI, 3/27, 8:45PM

Most people don’t think aboutsinging when they think aboutrevolution. But song was theweapon of choice when Estonianssought to free themselves fromdecades of Soviet occupation.

TORTURING DEMOCRACY

CITY HALL ARTS CENTER, MON,

3/23, NOON; FRI, 3/27, 4:00PM

The film that many PBS stations wereafraid to carry is a sweeping exposéof the Bush-Cheney administration’s

Green Mountain Film Festival, Montpeliertorture policies. Joseph Gainza ofthe AFSC will discuss the film at theMonday, March 23, show; AllenGilbert of the ACLU will discuss thefilm after the Friday, March 27,show.

TRUMBO

SAVOY THEATER, FRI, 3/27,

4:00PM; SAT, 3/28, 6:30PM;

SUN, 3/29, 11:30AM

“Peter Askin’s stirring documentarygives you reasons to cheer but alsoto weep. It makes you lament thedecline of the kind of languagebrandished with Shakespeareaneloquence by Dalton Trumbo, theblacklisted Hollywood screenwriter,in his witty, impassioned lettersexcerpted in the movie.” (StephenHolden, The New York Times). Post-film event: Kate Lardner, daughterof “Hollywood 10” screenwriter RingLardner Jr., will discuss the film.

Vermont Peace Vigils Barton: 12-12:30pm Fridays on the Common Brattleboro: Saturday, 11-12, Post Office Bristol: 5-6pm Fridays, corner of Main & North Sts. Burlington: 5-5:30pm M-F: Top of Church St. Chester: Saturdays, 11-11:30am, Town Green Enosburg Falls: 5-5:30pm Saturdays, Main St. side of Lincoln Park Hardwick: 5-6pm Fridays, Peace Park Marshfield: Fridays; 4-5pm Rte 2 Middlebury: 10:30-11am Saturdays, corner of Main & Merchant’s Way Montpelier: 12-1pm Fridays, Federal Building Newport: 4-4:30pm Wednesdays in front of State Office Building Richmond: 5:30pm Thursdays, Congregational Church, Bridge St Rutland: 12-1pm, Fridays, Main St. Park, corner of West and Main St Johnsbury: Fri. 4-5pm, in front of the Main St. post office South Royalton: Thursdays, 4:30-5:30pm, on the bridge into town Vergennes: Saturdays, 10-11am, Vergennes City Green Williston: 5:15-5:45pm 1st Wednesdays, steps of Williston Federated Church

For more calendar events, join our email actionalerts. For Peace & Human Rights, emailpeace@pjcvt.org. For The VT Livable Wage Cam-paign, email livablewage@pjcvt.org

12 January 2009

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