'Give Peace a Dance' remembers 7th anniversary of Iraq war

Donations from the dance were given to charity.

By Gregory Zajac

Published March 23, 2010

The seventh anniversary of the Iraq war prompted the Columbia Peace Coalition to host "Give Peace a Dance" on Saturday.

Rather than holding a memorial or a peace rally, it held a dance, which the organization saw as a more positive way to bring the community together and to encourage participation, Mid-Missouri Peaceworks Director Mark Haim said.

"We feel this war is a profound tragedy, and we mourn the tragic loss of life on all sides," said Haim, one of the event's coordinators. "Rather than just have a memorial, we felt that to bring people together to dance for peace, we could raise funds for war relief in Afghanistan and Iraq and at the same time enhance our sense of community."

The event at Cafe Berlin offered live music, dancing and information about "Seven Steps to a Peaceful Future." The event raised $621 in donations that went toward a shipment of medical supplies for those in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Emergency, an Italian charity that received the donations, was founded in 1994 and provides medical and surgical care in war-torn areas. According to its Web site, the group has treated 3.5 million patients worldwide.

Mid-Missouri Fellowship of Reconciliation coordinator Jeff Stack first contacted Emergency about this fundraiser a month ago.

"We wanted to raise money to provide some kind of tangible relief to victims of wars waged by our government with our tax dollars," Stack said.

Many groups that provide humanitarian aid in areas affected by war do not take an active stand against it, Stack said. One reason they decided to donate the proceeds of the event to Emergency is because it is officially opposed to war.

"They take a stand against the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and indeed all wars," Stack said. "Such a stand is really important to us."

The night's dance was easier to be involved in and more fun than a peace march, said senior Mary Sandbothe, volunteer for Peace Nook and Peaceworks. Seven years after the conflict began, the war in Iraq no longer receives the kind of attention it once did.

"It's going on so long, and people have just forgotten about it," Sandbothe said.

The Columbia Peace Coalition held this event as participation in regular peace demonstrations has been dropping as compared to previous years, Students for Progressive Action Treasurer Nick Totten said.

A widespread notion that President Barack Obama would quickly end the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan contributed to the declining participation in marches and rallies, Haim said. But he also said participation would increase in the near future.

"Fourteen months into Obama's administration, people are coming to grips with the degree of continuity in U.S. foreign policy and war-making," Haim said. "And because of that, I'm expecting an upsurge in rallies and participation."