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International Bulletin - December 2001

An Open letter from Hawai'i to PPSEAWA Sisters

ALOHA, Shalom, Salaam, and Greetings of Peace In all Languages of the World!

PPSEAWA Hawai'i, as the founding chapter in 1928, of an Association, now numbering more than 20 chapters throughout the Pacific, urges each chapter to further a more dedicated pursuit to strengthen the bonds of peace in our world. Even more so now since the tragic events on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, have brought home the reality that the weapons of terror and hate can attack a nation at peace at any time, anywhere, in monstrous ways. They did not, however, destroy the human spirit of compassion for one another. What we deeply grieve over, is the loss of almost 5000 innocent people from countries all over the world and the new awareness that global terrorism and its many, many root causes will continue to haunt the daily lives of all of us.

We, of PPSEAWA Hawai'i urge each chapter to fulfill, with increasingly positive actions, our long standing objectives:

"To strengthen the bonds of peace by fostering friendship and better understanding among women in all areas of the Pacific and Southeast Asia (and) to promote cooperation among women of these regions for the study and improvement of social, economic and cultural conditions.". and set our priorities to 'ignite the power of peace', (but not pacifism), as hopefully the world moves slowly and painfully towards a terrorless society.

We propose that we take our first Chapter-wide action by supporting those who are and will be the most helpless groups in this struggle against global terrorism. Our sisters in the front line countries will need our attention! Pakistan has been and will be overrun with refugees from Afghanistan, as victims of a vicious regime with no tolerance for women and girls, now homeless and with no future.

It is our call for action to make funds available to our Pakistan Chapter (AllPakistan Women's Association), to assist them to do what we stand for: helping women and children suffering under deplorable "social, economic and cultural conditions".

PPSEAWA has no choice but to contribute to such assistance be it ever so small, because the whole reason for PPSEAWA's existence is rooted in this call for action.

Signed Oct. 1, 2001, by: Sarah K. Vann, President and the Board of Directors, PPSEAWA - Hawaii

Last Modified: November 29, 2002