Seneca Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice
Through its entire existence it continued to make the same principled philosophical connections between militarism, patriarchy, racism, high rates of inflation, unemployment and global poverty, sexual & physical violence, addiction, oppression, & abuse in its many forms, and global environmental destruction.
As it evolved the first summer, it became a living expression of all women's skills & empowerment, as well as a visible celebration of a joyful lesbian sub-culture.
The encampment continued as an active political presence in the Finger Lakes area for at least five more years, supporting anti-nuclear education and the connections between ecofeminism, nonviolence, the need for civil disobedience and ideas of permaculture and sustainability.
The following statement was taken from the back cover of the encampment handbook:"Women have played an important role throughout our history in opposing violence and oppression.
In 1848 the first Women's Rights Convention met at Seneca Falls giving shape and voice to the 19th century feminist movement.
and protected by the Iroquois, is now the storage site for the neutron bomb and most likely the Pershing II missile and is the departure point for weapons to be deployed in Europe.
Some participants wrote about, photographed, or otherwise documented their experiences at the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice.
[7] Sybil Claiborne collected correspondence, meeting notes, mailing lists, clippings, and leaflets of the Women's Encampment for a Future of Peace and Justice.
[9] The encampment attracted thousands of women, from many different places and with different political views, sexual orientations, religions, ethnicities, and economic backgrounds.
Damage was done in an early publication by the encampment which denigrated the educational level of local residents and was seen by many to be patronizing and condescending.
The civil unrest also caused resentment by law enforcement agencies because of the extra work associated with monitoring the protests and managing traffic problems which resulted from the events.
Events from July 30 to August 3 led to more than $100,000 in additional policing costs; although they were a local expense at the time, the money was later reimbursed by the federal government.
[3] The articles characterized the participating women as "lesbians" and "vegetarians" and noted specific information about their witchcraft and feminist practices.
At the time the activities at the encampment were declining and while the articles did not have a major impact, they did confirm for many their assumptions about the movement's supporters.
The encampment utilized a number of different techniques in their protests to bring their causes and issues to the attention of the outside world.
The women would protest in large circles, holding hands, and weave webs of yarn around each other and around the fence of the Army Depot, with objects of meaning also incorporated.
They intended to walk from Seneca Falls, through Waterloo to the peace camp in Romulus at the Army Depot, stopping at historic sites regarding the women's rights movement on their way.
For a time the former troop housing area was used as a program for troubled teenagers by Kid's Peace and then by the Hillside Children's Center.
