In a times of great tumult, we are reminded of the calls for peace echoed by 1960’s activists: War Is Not Healthy For Children and Other Living Things
By Nancy Chuda, Co-founder of Healthy Child Healthy World and Co-Fouder and Editor in Chief LuxEco Living
On March 19, 2011, my mother, Lenore Breslauer would have been 88 years of age. She passed on the eve President Bush declared war on Iraq, March 20, 2003. US military invasion of Iraq, “Operation Iraqi Freedom” was a coalition forces cooperative. Approximately forty other governments, participated by providing troops, equipment, services, security, and special forces, with 248,000 soldiers from the United States, 45,000 British soldiers, 2,000 Australian soldiers and 194 Polish soldiers. Additionally, 70,000 Kurdish military troops joined forces.
Between 2003-2011, 109,000 civilians have lost their lives.
In the 1960’s with the Vietnam War as a catalyst and driven by the belief that life, above all else is a gift, my mother became an activist for peace. With six like minded friends from diverse backgrounds, one being Gloria Vanderbilt, (Anderson Cooper‘s mother) they founded Another Mother for Peace (AMP), a non-profit, non-partisan association whose goal is to eliminate war as a means of settling disputes between nations, peoples and ideologies. This enormously active association grew to more than 450,000 strong and was recognized internationally. AMP sought to educate women to take an active role in creating peace by re-establishing the dialogue between individuals and their elected representatives. Their efforts set a standard for all-volunteer, grassroots activism. Their logo is familiar to many and has become emblematic of the peace effort. Their slogan, “we who have given life must be dedicated to preserving it. . .” lives on.
