by Ashlynn Phillips
Having world peace is something that everyone desires. Luckily for the people of Spokane, there is an organization that works toward attaining that goal.The Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane is an independent group based in Spokane, with a mission to promote a just and non-violent world.
PJALS was founded at Gonzaga University 37 years ago as a peace and justice center after the Vietnam War. In the early 1980s, they merged with a community-based group to become what they are today, the Peace and Justice Action League of Spokane.
“We place an emphasis on peace and justice in the world and our local community,” said Liz Moore, director of the organization.
Shar Lichty, organizer of PJALS, coordinates the events of the organization.
“I work on statewide campaigns for marriage equality, abolishing the death penalty, and economic justice issues around the state budget,” Lichty said.
One goal of PJALS is to have a safe and just alternative to the death penalty in Washington State. There are currently seven people on death row in the state.
“It is an unjust and immoral policy that is not applied fairly or consistently across the board,” Moore said.
As a fundraiser for PJALS, there will be a screening of the movie “5 Broken Cameras” on Thursday at the Magic Lantern Theatre. It will be hosted by the Palestine and Israel Human Rights Committee.
The movie was made by Palestinians Guy Davidi and Emad Burnat and was filmed in Israel and Palestine. The film follows the life of a Palestinian villager as Israeli settlements threaten his village. There are daily arrests and night raids and one camera after another is shot at and destroyed. Each camera tells a part of his story.
Donations received from the screening will be used for the Maia Project, which works to secure clean water for children in Gaza where the water system has been destroyed.
The movie will be shown at the Magic Lantern Theatre on W. Maine Ave. on Thursday, Sept. 20 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $7.