Dear friends:

We just had another planning meeting with folks from the Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist order that organizes peace walks all over the world. They are based in Leverett, MA. and are planning a peace walk for a Nuclear Free Future and conversion from a war to a peace economy in March.

The walk will begin in Burlington, Vt on March 20 and come to Maine on March 24. From Maine the walk will head south and arrive in New York City in time for the international protest on May 2 that will demand the nuclear powers to honor the UN's Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that calls for nuclear disarmament. Four peace walks from different parts of the U.S. will make their way to New York City for the NPT events.

The folks at the Addams-Melman House in Bath have volunteered to be Maine coordinators for the walk as it passes through our state from March 24-April 1. Our job will be to promote the walk, find local hosts for housing and pot luck suppers each night of the walk, and to organize protest vigils at BIW and Saco-Defense as the walk reaches those communities.

Mayors for Peace organizers intend to send packets to the communities all along this walk route encouraging local elected officials to join that organization.

Below is the current schedule for the walk:

- Bethel to Norway on March 24 (Tom Whitney local contact)
- Norway to Lewiston-Auburn on March 25 (Local contact still needed)
- Auburn to Bath on March 26 (Bruce Gagnon local contact)
- Bath to Brunswick on March 27 (Selma Sternlieb local contact)
- Brunswick to Freeport on March 28 (Bob Lezer local contact)
- Freeport to Portland on March 29 (Wells Staley Mays/Sally Breen local contacts)
- Day off on March 30
- Portland to Saco on March 31 (Tom/Jane Kircher local contacts)
- Saco to Kennebunk (then drive to Portsmouth, NH) on April 1 (Jamilla El-Shafaie local contact)

(There will have to be some occasional shuttling of walkers during the Maine portion of the walk).

The peace walk is expected to average about 15 miles per day. There will be no cost to walk. Walkers will bring mats and sleeping bags. Local host groups will arrange a pot luck supper and program each night and breakfast in the morning for the walkers. Local hosts will also arrange either church floor sleeping or private homestays for the walkers. It is likely that about 15-25 walkers go the whole distance with others joining the walk along the way for a day or more at a time.

The peace walk day will begin at 6:30 am each morning with prayer, eating, and packing. Walking will begin at 8:30 am. Walkers will take a break every hour (equal to about three miles).

A van will be needed to follow the walk to pick up folks who need a break and a pick-up truck with cab is also needed to haul the gear of the walkers.

Please contact Karen Wainberg, Mary Beth Sullivan and Bruce Gagnon at the Addams-Melman House for more information or offers of support. Our phone is 443-9502 or globalnet@mindspring.com

Two of the folks from Nipponzan Myohoji will be at the February 13 Draw-a-thon and pot luck supper at the UCC Church in Bath to make a short presentation about the coming walk and meet potential Maine walkers so please plan to be there. The pot luck begins at 5:00 pm. (We need lots of folks to bring food to this event to help us feed the 30-some artists and poets who will be there.)

The Nipponzan Myohoji order are a wonderful group of people to work with and the walks are great organizing opportunities for local groups.

Thanks.

Bruce K. Gagnon
Coordinator
Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space
PO Box 652
Brunswick, ME 04011
(207) 443-9502
http://www.space4peace.org
globalnet@mindspring.com
http://space4peace.blogspot.com (Blog)