Conrad Wetzel on The C-U Peace Bazaar
December 1, 2006
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My name is Conrad Wetzel, I'm a resident of Champaign,
and I want to comment on appropriate ways to observe the
holidays. Many people feel that spending money should
not be the primary focus of this season. What we do
spend should go to further peace and social justice and
a spirit of giving and sharing. I'd like to tell you
about the Peace Bazaar, held annually in the
Champaign-Urbana community and now in its 36th year. The
Peace Bazaar is a community event sponsored by thirteen
local religious organizations, where we sell donated
items to raise funds for peace and social justice
causes, both domestic and international.
The Peace Bazaar was begun in 1971, during the Vietnam War,
when a Quaker project in Quang Ngai was supplying
artificial limbs to civilian victims, especially
children, on both sides of the conflict. The
Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting (Quakers) and the local
chapter of the Women’s International League for Peace
and Freedom decided to help by holding a sale of used
items, still usable and appropriate for gifts, and
sending the proceeds to Quang Ngai. The first year, this
event was called “Recycling the Holiday Spirit,” because
this effort seemed to express the concern for peace and
compassion which is most appropriate for the holiday
season.
The Peace Bazaar has grown into an incredible community
event, and co-sponsors now include the Urbana-Champaign
Friends Meeting (Quakers), Community United Church of
Christ, UCC Campus Ministry,
The Peace and Justice Initiative at First Mennonite
Church, Channing-Murray Foundation, McKinley
Presbyterian Church and Foundation, the Unitarian
Universalist Church Social Action Committee, Central
Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center, the Muslim Women’s
Outreach group, Jewish Social Justice Network, St.
Patrick’s Catholic Church Social Action Committee, the
Church of St. Mary, and the Episcopal Chapel of St. John
the Divine.
In 2005, with contributions from both individuals and local
businesses, the Peace Bazaar raised $5,148. We were able
to donate $429 to each of twelve peace and social
justice groups, both domestic and international. This
year we hope to raise enough to donate as much or more
to ten other similar organizations. Local recipients of
2006 Peace Bazaar proceeds will include Champaign-Urbana
Citizens for Peace and Justice, Frances Nelson Health
Center, and St. Jude's Catholic Worker House. National
recipients will include New Orleans Habitat for
Humanity, ONE Spirit youth program (Pine Ridge
Reservations, South Dakota, and Project Lakota (housing
program at Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota.
International recipients will be the work of Anna
Baltzer (volunteer with International Women's Peace
Service), Islamic Relief, and MADRE, an international
women’s human rights organization.
The 36th annual Peace Bazaar will be held on Saturday, December 2nd, from
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at McKinley Presbyterian Church and
Foundation, 809 S. Fifth Street, Champaign, Illinois
(corner of Fifth and John). Please note that this is a
new location. Free parking is available in two nearby
university parking garages. Metered parking is also
available.
For more information, please visit the Peace Bazaar web site at
www.peacebazaar.org/. Come join this friendly event
of “Recycling the Holiday Spirit.” |
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