Weaving a Tapestry for Change

By Pat Ortmeyer

If you are reading this you are probably already part of the rich WAND community -- either a chapter member, a legislator, a student in STAND, a member at large, a representative of a partner organization, or maybe a concerned citizen learning about WAND for the first time. All these communities make up the tapestry of WAND. Your involvement links you in a dynamic way to other women with whom you can share strength, insight and wisdom to bring about progressive change. The connections are crucial -- because WAND is not just the sum of its programs and members. The key to our work is the links between us.

Harry Rogers (WAND partner group, Carolina Peace Resource Center) and Delores Washington flank Christina Morana, as they get into the spirit of planning a new WAND chapter in Columbia, SC. Christina, age 11, is one of the newest members of STAND. She attended the PeaceLinks Conference in Washington, DC in December as part of the WAND delegation.

How does it work?

Consider an example from our project to stop MOX.

In late September, activists around the world observed "International Nix MOX Day," a global effort to stop the use of plutonium in nuclear reactors.

Here's how WAND's network responded:

In Blackville, SC, WAND staff and chapter members from Georgia and South Carolina worked with partner groups from Savannah, GA, Columbia, SC, Asheville, NC, and Atlanta, GA to host a Nix MOX event at the Macedonia Baptist Church in Blackville.

Dr. Mildred McClain of Citizens for Environmental Justice joined WAND members and staff in Blackville, SC on International Nix MOX Day to say “No to MOX!” She holds the African American position paper opposing MOX fuel, which WAND has helped distribute to WiLL state legislators, the public, the media and other elected officials throughout the Southeastern U.S.

WiLL President Nan Orrock was a featured speaker, representing the concerns of legislators in the region. South Carolina WiLL members received an African American community position paper opposing MOX and other materials to keep them informed of the issues facing their constituencies.

Meanwhile back in Washington, WAND staff led a meeting with the head of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, raising concerns about the safety of MOX and the NRC's failure to hold hearings in affected communities, like Blackville.

One month later in Atlanta, STAND members staffed a booth at a Clean Air / Clean Energy concert in Atlanta, handing out information on WAND's work against MOX to thousands of concert-goers.

At another follow-up event, WAND staff and partner groups in Savannah, GA worked with WiLL member GA State Senator Regina Thomas to organize a public hearing on environmental concerns. Senator Thomas teamed up with WAND partner group Citizens for Environmental Justice to release the MOX position paper to the Savannah media.

Participants in the Savannah hearing on environmental concerns, left to right, Fred Nadelman, Citizens for Clean Air and Water; Dr. James Reichard, GA Southern University, Joyce Marie Griggs, recent congressional candidate from Savannah; Patty McIntosh, GA Conservancy; Evelyn Daniels of Savannah; GA Rep. Nan Grogan Orrock, WiLL; and GA Sen. Regina Thomas, WiLL.

Because of the connections in the WAND tapestry, we reached thousands of people with our message against MOX, linking WAND and S TAND members with partner groups, partner groups with each other, and women state legislators to activists working every day to stop dangerous projects like MOX.

New Columbia, SC WAND chapter members hold their first planning meeting with WAND Field Director Bobbie Wrenn Banks and WAND Field Director for Nuclear Waste Issues, Pat Ortmeyer. Columbia is near the Savannah River Site nuclear weapons facility where the Dept. of Energy's proposed MOX project would take place.

Jen Kato, Atlanta WAND MOX coordinator; Glenn Carroll, WAND partner group Georgians Against Nuclear Energy; WiLL member SC Rep. Bessie Moody-Lawrence; and Pat Ortmeyer gather in Rock Hill, SC at the “People’s Forum on Plutonium Fuels.” Rep. Moody-Lawrence represents Rock Hill, which is near two proposed MOX reactors.