<f Justice project rolled through Northfield, Minnesota and stopped for the weekend of April 26. The project is an ongoing effort to educate and promote action against “war and occupation in Iraq and Palestine.” The Wheels of Justice project ultimately seeks “to break the cycle of violence we must change our roles in these conflicts; as individuals and as a nation, we must move from instigator to negotiator, from enabler to resister.”
Its unique form reflects its grassroots nature. Started in 1999, the bus has toured the nation perpetuating its “think globally, act locally” philosophy by employing the principles of progressive non-violent education.
In order to perpetuate social justice and universal human rights in these war-afflicted areas, Wheels of Justice brings to its audience first hand accounts of living in occupied territory. Carleton welcomed speakers Professor Marcy Newman and Paul Taggart who discussed their experiences living in occupied Palestine and Iraq respectively. Their talk attempted to convey what the United States can expect with the continued occupation of Iraq by referring to Palestine as an example of a nation currently dealing with the effects of long-term occupation.
Professor Newman specializes in American and Middle East Studies and literature most recently at Boise State University. Newman presented a detailed history of occupied Palestine. She advocates for the Right to Return for Palestinian refugees under UN Resoultion 194. Her interest in the subject derives from her extended experience living in occupied Palestine. As the co-founder of the Nahr El Bared Relief Campaign, Newman works on behalf of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon.
The second speaker, Paul Taggart, is a photojournalist currently living in Beirut, Lebanon. In 2004, Taggart lived in Baghdad and notably covered the siege of the Imam Ali shrine. His work has appeared in Newsweek, TIME Magazine, US News and World Report, and The New York Times.
The Wheels of Justice project ultimately seeks “to break the cycle of violence we must change our roles in these conflicts; as individuals and as a nation, we must move from instigator to negotiator, from enabler to resister.” The tour will continue to travel across country.