Hippies. Tree-huggers. Left-wingers. Radicals.

Traditionally, mainstream American culture has looked down its nose at the activist scene. Social and political activists are oftentimes labeled as dissidents, troublemakers, and now, in the face of war with Iraq, a threat to national security.

Historically, however, the United States has evolved itself through the exhausting efforts of activists. The framers of the Constitution were activists, in a sense.

They gathered with a vision of how things should be. "The Federalist Papers" were published in an active campaign to shape the development of the United States most effectively and justly. Martin Luther King, Jr. and every other American who participated in any capacity in the Civil Rights Movement were activists.

Social action groups on the campuses of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College have adopted the view that action can and will instigate change where injustices exist and they want to invite other students to get involved.

"It's important for everyone to be a visible sign of their beliefs and to always be seeking ways to improve themselves and their communities," Brian Hart, a sophomore member of Pax Christi and Amnesty International said.

On Thursday, October 10, the four largest action-oriented social justice organizations from the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's campuses Amnesty International, Pax Christi, Peace Coalition, and the Progressive Student Alliance held a rally on Fieldhouse Mall.

Speakers included members from each of these groups and the Notre Dame Green Party as well as Father Michael Baxter, the chairman of the recently-revived Catholic Peace Fellowship, which is now based Notre Dame, and Dr. Ivy Wilson, a faculty member with experience in campus organizing.

The speakers, leafleting and live folksy music from student Paul Kellner aimed to increase awareness among students, faculty and staff about the existence, missions and campaigns of campus activist groups.

"Many students don't realize that we're here," said one organizer of the rally. "Of those who are aware of our presence, some misunderstand our objectives. We want to reach out and build a more powerful base of social consciousness and action on these campuses."

How can students become involved with issues that interest them?

Amnesty International

Think activism isn't mainstream? Think again.

The Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College chapter of Amnesty International contributes a handful of socially conscious student activists to the organization's 1.1 million-member count.

Amnesty International is world-renowned- over 160 countries and territories have chapters- for its action of behalf of human rights. Founded in 1961, Amnesty received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977.

Amnesty International is worldwide movement of people acting on the conviction that governments must not deny people their basic human rights.

The group mobilizes concerned individuals throughout the world to free prisoners of conscience, end extra-judicial executions, ensure just trials for political prisoners and abolish torture, the death penalty and other acts that they believe are cruel toward prisoners.

Amnesty conducts much of its action through letter-writing campaigns. Amnesty functions and finds overwhelming success by what they call generating mass global pressure.

Students interested in joining Amnesty International are invited to attend meetings, which are held on Mondays at 7:45 p.m. in the Center for Social Concerns lounge.

Notre Dame Greens

A look at the information provided by the Notre Dame Green Party reveals that this independent political party shifts the focus away from rhetoric and toward a politics of action. The list of the ten key values of the Green Party includes the promotion of grassroots democracy, social justice and equal opportunity, ecological wisdom, nonviolence, decentralization of wealth and power, community-based economics and economic justice, feminism and gender equality, respect for diversity, personal and global responsibility and future focus and sustainability.

The group addresses these goals through education and outreach. Its pamphlet says, "The Green Party is a value based political party … We believe in empowering citizens and communities. We offer hope and a call to action."

Interested students should send an email to ndgreens@nd.edu.

Pax Christi

The Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College chapter of Pax Christi is part of a large national organization called Pax Christi USA. Pax Christi is a pacifist organization that is centered on Catholic social teaching.

"It's about increasing people's faith in their prayers and in their actions, working to rid themselves and their country of violence," Hart said.

In general, Pax Christi believes they are working to change mechanisms of that they perceive violence. During the past year, members of Pax Christi regularly distribute information about protests of the American government during the campaigns against Afghanistan and Iraq, placing particular emphasis upon the suffering of civilians.

A prayer by Art Laffin which was recently distributed by the group says, "Empower us to engage in nonviolent action … Make us channels of your peace and reconciliation." They have also held regular "Pray for Peace" vigils.

Pax Christi meets on Mondays at 8:30 p.m. in the lounge of the Center for Social Concerns lounge.

Peace Coalition

The Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College Peace Coalition is also a peace action organization, but it differs from Pax Christi is two fundamental ways.

First, it is an ad hoc group of the Center for Social Concerns, working directly in response to the events of Sept. 11 and in opposition to the U.S.'s military response. Members of the Peace Coalition do not agree with the military actions, not necessarily all wars. There are a variety of motivations for students and faculty joining this group.

Second, the Peace Coalition is secular. Some students choose to join only one of these peace action groups, and others join both.

The premise behind the Peace Coalition is that it is impossible to achieve international stability and peace through violence. Through social and academic activism, the organization works to foster awareness about the implications that they feel comes with forceful actions and try to show their response.

The group uses a variety of tactics. For example, last year, with the support of the other campus social action groups, the Peace Coalition set up camp on South Quad and slept outdoors on a snowy night to raise awareness about the plight of Afghani refugees.

Many members also participate in rallies and march in South Bend and in Washington, D.C. Currently the group is organizing with other area universities to form a broader local peace movement.

The Peace Coalition meets on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. in the CSC lounge.

Progressive Student Alliance

The Progressive Student Alliance recently narrowed its focus to a concentrated effort surrounding campus labor issues. They currently address two concerns.

First, the PSA is calling for pay increases to adult University employees who earn less than the amount which is approximately $10 per hour in the South Bend area. Living wage levels are calculated by city to determine the amount that an adult supporting a small family must make per hour to live at or slightly above the poverty line.

Second, the PSA is campaigning for the right of University employees to organize and unionize, should they desire to do so.

Progressive Student Alliance meetings are held Tuesdays at 8 p.m. in 115 O'Shaughnessy Hall.

These are not the only socially and politically active student organizations on the Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College campuses. College Democrats and College Republicans are routes through which students may actively advance concepts of social justice and the Center for Social Concerns provides numerous opportunities for education and action surrounding, well, social concerns. Law students can join the Social Justice Legal Forum, the Public Interest Law Forum, the Women's Law Forum or the International Human Rights Society.

Students already active in social justice campaigns stress the importance of engagement in current events and issues, regardless of where students' sympathies lie and warn against apathy.

"Student activism is crucial because we can't learn about contradiction and injustice and suffering and do nothing to change them. Education without action is as empty as ignorance," Rachel Soltis, 2002 Notre Dame graduate and peace activist, said.

Contact Lindsay Updike at Updike.4@nd.edu

• A call to justice