New Jersey's Peace Site Network Reactivated

On November 7, at 2:00 pm, members of New Jersey's "Peace Site Network" will hold a press conference to announce the rededication of the network and its commitment to participate in an upcoming "Weekend for Peace." The press conference will be held at the Essex County Ethical Culture Society of Maplewood, New Jersey's first Peace Site, originally dedicated twenty years ago in 1981. That first inauguration was an exhilarating mass meeting featuring Reverend Daniel Berrigan. The plaque placed that day still rests at the entrance to 516 Prospect Street in Maplewood (directions follow).

Speakers at the press conference will include representatives of those sites rededicating themselves or first joining the network, as well as some of the network's original supporters, as well as NJ Peace Action, the network's original sponsor. Speakers will address the need for the Peace Site Network to be more active and visible at this time.

In August of this year, NJ Peace Action called for a re-activation of the Peace Site Network. The plan was for the Network to again become a creative presence for promoting and expanding peace work--specifically focused on preventing nuclear war and preserving the planet for future generations. This mission was stimulated by the current proposal to deploy missile defense systems, which threaten to unravel a generation of bilateral and multilateral peace-keeping treaties, and plans to introduce nuclearization and militarization of space.

This decade?s version of the Peace Site Network will add a potentially far-reaching component - dedicating websites as Peace Sites. Essex Ethical Cultural Society will again be the first -- with others to follow.

The following organizations have committed themselves to participation in a weekend for peace, either November 9, 10, and 11th or November 16, 17, and 18th.

Our Lady of Sorrows, Jersey City, Sister Alice McCoy, 201-434-3175

Ethical Culture Society, Maplewood, Bob Bender, 973-763-1905

St. Paul?s Baptist Church, Montclair, Rev. DuWayne Battle, 973-746-8338

St. Peter Claver, Montclair, Father Nickas, 973-783-4852

Unitarian Church of Montclair, Montclair, Charles Blustein Ortman 973-744-6276

American Muslim Union, Upper Montclair, Magdy F. Mahmoud 973-650-2009

Sisters of Mercy. Plainfield, Sister Dorothy Flynn, 908-756-0994

Mt. Bethel Baptist Church, Ridgewood, Rev. Thomas Johnson 201-445-9108

The Celebration Interfaith Church, Rockaway, Sylvia Tepper, Minister 973-983-7417

Ridgewood United Methodist Church, Ridgewood, Cecilia Logan, 201-652-2868

Religious Society of Friends, Upper Montclair, Margaret White, 973- 744-5052

Lakeland Unitarian Church, Wayne, Jane Hutchinson, 973-696-6362

HISTORY OF THE PEACE SITE NETWORK

In 1980, Louis Kousin (recently retired, and, concerned about society's well being and that of his first grandchild) resolved to address the issue of nuclear war. Sensitive to the multiple sites devoted to warfare -military bases and factories -, Kousin promoted its antonym - Peace Sites where education for peace, programs and plans for peace could be initiated, reinforced and expanded.

Through New Jersey SANE, now New Jersey Peace Action, the idea took off. Within several years, 264 peace sites were established internationally, including storefronts, community centers, churches, synagogues, Humanist Societies, schools, colleges, stores, businesses and municipalities.

Each Site determined its own way to work for peace. Some held Peace Fairs Days, sharing ethnic food, song and dance to bring a community together for a day of celebration, religious events with a peace theme, speakers, debates, letter-writing, annual honoring of peace advocates, promotion of education and legislation for peace, sharing of space for other peace groups to meet, and some sites issuing a newsletter for contact among groups.

Directions to Ethical Culture Society:

Garden State Parkway South: Pull to extreme right 1 mile before Union Toll Plaza. Exit 142 (Route 78, Newark
Airport, Springfield). After paying the toll, you only can enter Route 78 West – see below.

Garden State Parkway North: Pull to extreme right at Union toll plaza, enter Route 78 East. Go to next exit
where you turn around to Route 78 West.

From Route 78 West: Exit at 50B, the first exit west of the Garden State Parkway – Vauxhaull Road. Make a
right at the second light, Springfield Avenue, and follow directions below. (from Springfield Avenue at
Vauxhall)

From Route 78 East: At split in highway, keep right. Exit at 49B "Maplewood" – Exit carefully onto
Springfield Avenue. Third light (having passed Home Depot) is Vauxhall. Follow directions below.

From Springfield Avenue at Vauxhall: Go north 3 or 4 lights to Prospect – SummitBank on far left, sign clear
over road. Turn left. Road curves to the right. Pass one blinker and one light. At second light, Parker, turn
right and park on the street. 516 Prospect is across Parker, not across Prospect.

From South Orange Avenue, Downtown South Orange: Take Valley Street (continuation of Scotland Road
from the Oranges and Route 280) about 1 and ½ miles, passing Pathmark and A&P on the right. Immediately
past Columbia High School on your left, turn left (Parker). A