Around the Bend, Volume 1, Number 9, February 1987

              The Newsletter of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Pledge of Resistance
Volume 1, Number 9 "All the news that fits we print." February 1987
EDITOR'S INrRollJCITOO
This newsletter is placed i n-between the
Christmas and Easter seasons. Traditionally,
both are times to reflect on the theme of
Peace and Justice, and so do we once again in
this issue of Around the Bend. Steve Francis
contributes a piece of reflection on Christmas
in war-torn Nicaragua. Gina Gamboa writes on
demonstrations and counter-demonstrations in
Georgia on behalf of racial equality. Also on
demonstrations and counter-demonstrations
reports Lisa Cunningham: the 14th anniversary
of the U.S. Supreme Court decision legalizing
abortion.
The deceptive recent spate of di vestment
by U.S. companies from their South African
holdings, is the focus of Jeff Schwartz's
second of a two-part article. David James
again provides some music and lyrics for
readers while Ann Clark sent us a passionate
letter about what she discovers working with
Food First in California.
The Central American Update-compiled by
Reg Weissert-and Around The Bend' s Bulletin
Board-this time provided by Steve Franclir­are
our regular appreciated features. Finally,
Robin Edidin faithfully charts February's
events that all of us ought to attend, most
notably perhaps Guy Carawan' s concert on the
10th at the Colfax Cultural Center.
With that we remain
Around the Bend
CHRISlMAS m WAR-TORN NICARAGUA
by Steve Francis
Christmas day 1986 was the last day of my recent
visit to Nicaragua. We had much to ce lebrate. My
Nicaraguan family had a new baby girl to add joy to
life. My nephew and mother had survived serious
illnesses. My father and brother, though drafted in
November, were home to celebrate. Ch
ildren's toys were not plentiful this Christmas but
at least most families were assured of getting at
least one toy. Toys, like most basic necessities,
were rationed to make sure the wealthy did not snap
up limited supplies. There was no shortage of
generosity or celebration, however. Despite the
disturb'ing news of continued contra attacks on
innocent civilians, Ni caraguans celebrated the
Christmas season with weeks of dancing, parades,
music and non-stop fireworks.
Thousands of Nicaraguans headed for the
mountains to help bring in the coffee harvest,
working 12 hour days to bring in what looks like a
bountiful crop. In my barrio [neighborhood], people
took time off to celebrate what riches they do
have--an abundance of generosity, humor and love of
life. They also donated time to finishing the
neighborhood cormiunity house, which will house the
sewing cooperative and community meetings, and to
clean up \:}le barrio of ref use from overzealous
celebrators! And at midnight on Christmas Eve, they
didn't forget to wish each other a peaceful new
year and streamed into the call es [streets] and
andenas [sidewalks] to embrace one another in an
unselfish display of love and affection.
We have much to learn from Nicaragua. The
problems Nicaraguans face daily-the struggle to
survive, loved ones off to war, prices doubling
every four months-don't prevent them from enjoying
life to its fullest and extending friendship to
neighbors, even if that neighbor happens to be a
citizen of a country waging war with them. The
constant threat of invasion, though very real, does
not deter them from building a new society based on
justice and meaningful conmunity democracy. These
are the real lessions of Nicaragua which can be
inspiring to us as we work to oppose the violent
actions of our goverrunent.