by Stephanie Gharakhanian
On October 27th, 2007 Peace Action Maine celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Guild Hall in Portland. As someone who is not yet 25 years of age and began working at Peace Action Maine just this past August, I found the evening to be particularly enlightening.

Having recently graduated from college and, thus, officially entered the “real world”, I am often asked whether or not I plan on getting a legitimate job anytime soon. The expectation, of course, is that my idealism, my passion for peace and justice, is a symptom of my naïveté, something that I will forsake once I outgrow my youth. However noble my current values and ambitions, I am cautioned that they are not practical. I just need to wait and see.

What a pleasure it was then, for me to be at PAM’s anniversary dinner and brush shoulders with all who have played a part in the organization’s colorful past, who have protested the wars in Vietnam, Central America, the Persian Gulf then and now, who, despite their older years, have yet to outgrow their commitment to a more just and peaceful world.

Witnessing seasoned Peace Action Maine members reminisce and reunite that night at the Guild Hall, I was reminded that the question is not why we continue to do the work that we do or why we allow our idealism to persevere, but rather, how can one not? How can one not be restless in the face of persistent injustice? As the poetry and speeches so beautifully affirmed, our humanity begs us to be restless in the face of injustice. Our work is not about policy or pragmatism, but people, honest people, who have no less a right to thrive than we do. As long as their suffering endures, so too, does our dedication.