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The 1980s
The 1990s
2000-2002
2003-present
The Peace & Justice Center was founded in 1979
-- then named the Burlington Peace Coalition. It's primary emphasis
at the time was opposing nuclear power and nuclear arms
proliferation. We organized many educational events: speakers and
films on the nuclear and conventional arms race and the nuclear fuel
crisis; civil disobedience trainings; war tax resistance; draft
registration; and other peace issues. In 1981, we provided
education materials that led to 18 towns voting to establish
themselves as a Nuclear Freeze Town during their town meeting.
On June 12, 1982 nearly 2,000 Vermonters attended the No
Nukes Rally in NYC at which over 1 million people attended in total.
Vermont had the highest per capita in attendance. We coordinated the
Burlington contingent of 6 buses, 6 vans and many car loads. We also
organized US House and Senate candidates forum on peace and national
security issues and educational events / speakers on nuclear issues,
economic conversion and Burlington GE's Gatling Gun production.
In 1984, the Peace & Justice Center was opened and we
reopened the Peace On Earth Store to be a fundraiser for the Center.
The Winooski 44 civil disobedience action took place in Senator
Stafford's office over US involvement in Central America (although
this was not organized by the Burlington Peace Coalition).
1985 saw local organizing around economic conversion at the
GE plant in Burlington. Civil disobedience trainings continued as
well as non-violent actions at the GE Firing Range in Underhill. We
organized another Central America Week with speakers and films and
local organizing and demonstrations took place around apartheid in
South Africa.
1986 and 1987 saw even more Central America solidarity
activity, especially as more of our members traveled to various
countries in that region of the world and then returned with new
energy and insights and wrote articles for the Peace & Justice News.
1988 was a big year for cross cultural exchanges -- with a
number of communities in Central America and in the Soviet Union.
The PJC welcomed the Peace Wave to Burlington -- a tour of
Hibakushas (atomic bomb survivors) from Japan who were calling for
nuclear disarmament. A large action was staged at the Underhill
Firing Range to protest the GE Gatling Gun.
In 1989, the Burlington Peace Coalition turned 10 years old
and celebrated with a name change -- to the Peace & Justice
Coalition -- and a birthday party that included a slide show /
theater piece of our history and development. Bruce Cockburn gave a
benefit concert for the PJC and One World Tour (a two year bicycle
tour around the world by a past Center coordinator). More research
was conducted on economic conversion at the GE Factory. In the Fall,
we conducted a Building Ecological Security Conference which drew
over 400 people for speakers, workshops and music.
CLICK HERE for the 1990s! |
