Mother’s Day for Peace 2011

Our deepest gratitude goes to everyone who supported our Mothers Day for Peace with Winona LaDuke and the Indigo Girls. For those of you that made financial contributions donated your time and talent, volunteered, and attended on Sunday, thank you. You helped us truly celebrate the accomplishments of this year, the outstanding work of our honorees and the inspiring words and melodies of our speaker and performers.

Mother’s Day for Peace 2011 was a great success! After a slideshow displaying a photographic account of a year in the life of Georgia WAND, the Indigo Girls opened the show with their song “Get Out The Map”. Georgia WAND then presented awards to outstanding local activists: Betsey Miklethun, Faithful Service Award, Glenn Carroll, Environmental Activist Award, Dr. Yomi Noibi, Ed Arnold Environmental Justice Award, and Robert Farquhar, special recognition for Peace in Action.

In his comments, Dr. Noibi stated “Environmental justice is not a program, it’s a lifestyle.”  This theme continued throughout the program, especially when key note speaker Winona LaDuke took the stage to deliver her inspiring message.

It is not just human mothers we should honor, she said. We must also honor mothers with fins, wings and paws, and respect of the interconnectedness of all beings.  LaDuke spoke about the absurdity of nuclear power as a misuse of technology, and it’s devastating effects on Mother Earth.  “What a way to boil water,” she said. “It’s like cutting butter with a chainsaw.”

The Indigo Girls took the stage to close the program with fan favorites “Shame on You” and “ Closer to Fine” along with two new numbers from their upcoming album, which had never before been performed in public.

Georgia WAND again extends the utmost gratitude to Ms. LaDuke and Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, the Indigo Girl and, again, to YOU for your continued support of our work.

CLICK HERE to watch footage of the event, courtesy of Earth Family TV.