Opinion

OPINION | FRAN ALEXANDER: Omni Center continues its push to make peace, justice the chosen alternatives

OMNI Center resists movements toward war, injustice

"We must dare to think 'unthinkable thoughts. We must learn to explore all of the options and possibilities that confront us in a complex and rapidly changing world. We must learn to welcome rather than fear the voices of dissent."

-- U.S. Sen. J. William Fulbright

Omni means "all." The name of the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice, and Ecology holds three words that span human concepts crucial to the survival of us all.

We're schooled in Neville Chamberlain's words that, "In war, whichever side may call itself the victor, there are no winners, but all are losers." Knowing that truth doesn't stop us, of course, from sword-rattling brinksmanship and wars. Instead, by seeking paths toward peace and justice, OMNI's founders, Dick Bennett and Dana Copp, felt an important need existed for all who had these concerns to have a way to share their common objectives. Ecology was included in recognition that the environment is a key to both peace and justice.

Bennett, who retired in 1998 after 40 years as an English professor at the University of Arkansas, is well known locally for peace activism. By starting OMNI in 2001, after our country invaded Afghanistan, Bennett provided people an organization and a place to unite and give voice in protest to wars and to develop educational programs about peace.

Gladys Tiffany, who became executive director in 2013, says, "From the beginning we were a macro-micro organization that was working for global issues on a local scale ...'think global, act local,'" She explained that the group has, "deep local roots more than academic connections, not a lot of money, and mostly is run by dedicated volunteers," and that the group "focuses on upholding the rights and well-being for people, planet and community. We haven't done that perfectly, but we keep learning, and we don't give up."

By 2005, Bennett House at 3274 N. Lee Ave in Fayetteville was established with an office, library room and meeting space, and had begun an organizational structure for its work. Some of that work has included the Peace Heroes Awards, which has connected activists across the state. The Civil Rights Roundtable and the People Power groups advocate for racial and immigrant welfare and have challenged deportation-without-cause by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

OMNI is often an early voice raised when everything from nuclear weapons to climate change to feeding the homeless shows up on the radar. The Open Mic For Peace gathering on the first Sunday evening of each month features shared music and writing, and the regular newsletter keeps everyone up to date on activities like the Vegetarian Potlucks and the Climate Change Forum topics each month. In addition, Dick Bennett continues his extensive reviews of war, peace and environmental publications in his personal newsletters; he's written more than 1,600 of them.

Special events by the organization often include Earth Day celebrations, the Peace Garden Tours, the Hiroshima-Nagasaki Commemoration, Arkansas Peace Week and the Goddess Festival.

The first major environmental work by OMNI started around 2006 as the Carbon Caps Task Force. They worked with the Citizens First Congress to encourage Gov. Mike Beebe to convene a governor's commission on global warming. Several OMNI members participated with others in up-to-date research and produced a thorough report to the Arkansas Legislature, which ignored most of the climate concerns. Some time later the task force linked up with the Citizens Climate League and is now part of the Arkansas CCL statewide chapter developing strong projects focused on climate mitigation and climate justice.

The Climate Change Forum began as a study group concentrating on the outpouring of books on climate being published since the early 2000s. On March 6, Eileen Flanagan of the Earth Quaker Action Team, who has worked with indigenous tribes to stop the oil tar sands Pipeline 3 project, will be the forum speaker online via Zoom. A graduate of both Duke and Yale, she teaches online courses, has written three books, and speaks on non-violent direct action. I particularly like her title, "Five Steps to Avoid Discouragement While Changing the World."

Considering the perils of working for peace, I often think of old controversial William Gladstone, who in the 1800s summed up our human condition this way: "We look forward to the time when the power of love will replace the love of power. Then will our world know the blessings of peace."

Amen.


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