Name: Marie Marchand
Marie Marchand is a poet, activist, and currently serves as coordinator of Whatcom Peace & Justice Center in Whatcom County (Bellingham, Washington.) The mission of this organization cogently sums up what Marie’s life is about: to create an active, inclusive, community voice for peace and social justice through partnerships with local religious and community organizations, education on alternatives to violence and war, and actions to promote lasting peace and justice both at home and abroad. Marie vigils, writes, and prays from her home in Bellingham, WA.

1. How were you called to your current ministry/service?
   I have always been sensitive to other people’s suffering. As I grew older, the world’s suffering overwhelmed me. My first encounters with the history of slavery and the Holocaust left me feeling very confused. I did not understand how human beings could treat their brethren like that.
   I have always reacted strongly to people (including myself) being humiliated and disempowered. I have always been against violence. Once, when I lived in downtown Boston, I was being stalked, so my father took me to a gun show. He wanted to buy a small pistol for me to carry around for my protection. When I stepped into the room and saw all of these men carrying five, six, or seven guns—strapped on their shoulders, in waist holsters, in their arms and hands—I became sick and had to leave immediately. There is something in my body that knows violence—all violence—is wrong.
   My early encounters with social injustice initially left me paralyzed. Eventually, over time, my paralysis transformed into empowerment. Through much struggle, I gained a sense of my agency, my individual ability to enter into history-in-the-making and transform it. This power is multiplied when a whole community of people engages in social changing.
2. Who inspires you?
   1. Jesus: He had the courage to die to this world.
   2. My son, Dryw Thomas Marchand Hopps: This beautiful soul will, after all, inherit the world.
   3. The young African-Americans who sat-in at Woolworth’s lunch counters during the Southern Freedom Movement. Through their courage, they brought about a new world.
   4. Martin Luther King, Jr.: He was a lover of humanity & was not afraid to step out into the world.
3. Describe for us a typical day:
   We have many amazing, committed volunteers who help out in all capacities. As the only employee, I am responsible for overseeing the administration of the organization. A typical day involves organizing trainings and events; processing donations; writing grants; working with volunteer leaders; writing articles for local media; meeting with community leaders; creating media materials such as brochures and event posters; dealing with outdated hardware; book-keeping; and vigiling for peace.
4. How do you nurture your faith life?
   I nurture my faith by writing poetry and prayers, and by meditating and praying quietly. I practice Centering Prayer, which is similar to Buddhist Meditation. Once my mind is quieted, I recite Psalm 23. That ‘the LORD is my Shepard’ is all I need to know. Just saying that aloud calms me.
5. How do you get the news?
   I engage a variety of news sources. I listen to Democracy Now! with Amy Goodman (www.democracynow.org). She’s amazing. Since I live near the U.S./Canadian border, I sometimes listen to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC); and, if I’m lucky, I can catch the BBC. To stay updated on what’s happening in Iraq, I tune into www.electroniciraq.net. I read articles posted on www.CommonDreams.org. Finally, I stay updated on what my local paper, the Bellingham Herald, is writing—and not writing—about. I am currently on the Herald’s editorial board, so I have to approach the paper critically to give constructive feedback for positive reform. In particular, I advocate for balanced editorial viewpoints that are truly reflective of the community. For me, advocacy for media reform is an essential element of working for peace and justice.
6. The last good book you’ve read:
   Mysticism and Resistance by Dorothee Soelle. In powerful prose, Soelle writes about some amazing mystic activists. It’s inspiring.
7. Last good movie you’ve seen:
   Millions. I watched it with my five-year old son, and it was truly magical: fun music, great acting, and one very cute little boy with a big heart. I hope he wins an Academy Award for Best Actor.
8. What were you like in high school?
   In high school, I skipped many of my classes to study the Holocaust. In 9th grade, we studied the Holocaust for one day. The teacher showed us a very graphic black and white video of a concentration camp. Then, the next day, she went on to another topic in WWII. There was no opportunity for us to process this horror. I was just 15 years old. So, I took it upon myself to study everything about the Holocaust. I suppose I was looking for answers, which, of course, I did not find. In reality, I am still looking for answers to the injustices in the world.
   In high school, I also participated in Winter Guard and Color Guard. I spun rifle and flags, and danced. We practiced every morning at 6:15 AM. We were not popular. After practice, when we walked back to the band room from the gym, people used to throw food at us. Eventually, it got so bad, we had to move to the local junior high school. Notwithstanding the persecution from our peers, our group was awesome and very talented.
9. Share a favorite quote that inspires you.
   I have three:

   “When I dare to be powerful – to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.”
   --Audre Lorde, Poet and Activist

   “Even if I am a minority of one, the truth is the truth.”
   --Mohandas Gandhi

   “Human existence cannot be silent, nor can it be nourished by false words, but only by true words, with which men and women transform the world.”
   --Paulo Freire, Liberation Educator and Author