Women in Black in the Hudson Valley and Beyond- new video!

About 100 people attended the screening of "We Are Still Standing: The Stories of Women in Black" at Upstate Films in Woodstock, NY, yesterday. Kudos to producer and director Ellie Bernstein for this informative, moving and  inspirational account of Women in Black; the largest mobilization for peace in the world! 

Jane Toby, who brought Women in Black to the Hudson Valley from Verona, Italy spoke briefly and gave a loving tribute to Jane VanDeBogart, a leader in the Women in Black movement in Woodstock.

I also spoke and shared the actions of Women in Black in New Paltz over the years. In over 500 vigils we have protested war, militarism and violence in all its forms. Additionally, we have organized rallies to support workers' rights, protect the environment, for health care for all, for election reform, to make Wall Street accountable, to protest torture, the loss of our civil liberties, illegal wiretapping and the rise of corporatocracy. New Paltz Women in Black has also organized photography shows to expose the scourge of depleted uranium, and art shows to show visions of peace from adults and one that focused on the children of the world. We raised money for Iraq Veterans against War and for Iraqi refugees. We were also the main organizer of "We, the People" a forum at SUNY New Paltz to educate and mobilize on how to overturn the terrible ruling of the Supreme Court in Citizens United. We believe that action is the antidote to despair and we have hardly stopped these last ten years!

After the film and video showing we invited all the Women in Black to the stage. We sang the Women in Black anthem, by composer Shirley Warren, who is also a member of New Paltz Women in Black and gave each woman a rose for her dedication to creating a more just, peaceful and loving world.