Name: Francis Crowe Francis Crowe is a marathon runner in the work of social justice. She has been about this sort of good work for decades and seems to never tire. In terms of leaving her mark on the world, Ms. Crowe has received a number of awards and is the subject of a superb profile at: Francis Crowe Currently working with a number of organizations including the Northampton Committee to Stop the War in Iraq (www.northamptoncommittee.org), Nuclear Weapons Abolition Task Force of Franklin/Hampshire, and the Valley Sustainability Energy Task Force, we are honored to bring you the following Peacebuilders exclusive interview with Francis Crowe.
- 1. How were you called to your current ministry/service? I was called to my present ministry at the onset of the war in Iraq.
- What are the biggest obstacles to peace? Our group’s greatest obstacle in our work trying to stop the war is denial and the major media that feeds this culture of denial, culture of comfort, style, food, sex and shopping.
- What is the biggest challenge your organization faces? The greatest challenge is trying to challenge this through films on nonviolence, sharing our stories and trying to give people handles. I am 86 years old so have many stories and have been active over 55 years in my community. I try to model the behavior I support.
- How do you get the news? I get my news from Democracy Now, The Nation, The Progressive, Peacework, Alternative Radio, Commondreams.org etc.
- How do you nurture your faith life? I nurture my faith thru my action, reading and trying to take time to think. And thru the Atlantic Life Community and spending time with folks I admire.
- What advice would you give the next generation of church and civic leaders? The advice I give y younger folks is pay attention to what is really happening. Turn off the TV, except for Democracy Now, Bill Moyers, and a few films on history like Eyes on the Prize, A Force More Powerful etc
- Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know. I supported World War II but slowly came to see that war was not the answer during the war. Hiroshima really helped to take the full step. I paid my Federal Taxes though I didn't support what the government was doing with the money until 3 years ago when I could no longer pay Federal taxes. I file and write them a letter but pay only state and local taxes. It is a GOOD feeling.
- Last good book you read? Richard Deats book on Gandhi. I don't remember the name, I sent it to someone in prison but it came out last year.
- Last good movie you saw? Eyes on the Prize series and You Gotta Move, the story of the Highlander Center in Haymarket, Tenn.
- What were you like in High School? In high school I was involved in trying to get physical education for the girls as in our school only the boys took gym. We were not successful. I belonged to an international friendship club in which we wrote letters to students all over the world.
- If you were a teenage Peacebuilder you would… If I were a teenage Peacebuilder I would work to get Democracy Now on my local radio and Community Access TV station so folks would get addicted to the truth and not get the corporate selling lies. I'd also run a film series of history of nonviolence and films of what is really going on around the world where people are organizing to bring about change nonviolently. There are many examples.
- What is your favorite comfort food? My favorite comfort food is warm soymilk and popcorn without butter or salt.
- Share a favorite quote that inspires you "Do you live in the life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars?" This is an old Quaker query.
- Who are the people who inspire you? Amy Goodman, Phil Berrigan, Ardeth Platte, Carol Gilbert, Wangari Maathai.
