To Witness Against War -and Vårberg Violence...

By Heléne Hedberg

Helene here speaking. I left the walk a week ago now to go back to Sweden. A rather busy schedule awaited me here but I finally made some time to wrap things up for you and tell of what the WAW-walk was like for me. -The Swede…ha ha.

Let me just begin by saying that I was very glad to hear of how the encounter that some of you made at Fort McCoy the other day turned out peaceful and rewarding. I had just picked up Thoreau’s Walden and Civil Disobedience and I’ll now continue reading it with the gleaming image of the thirteen walkers crossing the line. Thank you for doing it and putting peaceful, creative nonviolent means into practice. Excellent writing Jeff.

Okay, so I came to Chicago somewhat burned out and discouraged from this year’s first hand experience of the increasing violence among some of the Iraqi youth in this southern ghetto-area in Stockholm called Vårberg. At the same time I was filled with great anticipation for what the walk would do to me personally. And maybe not so much if it would challenge me but how.

Less than a week before I left for Chicago I went to court to testify “against” one of the boys concerning our most violent incident at the afterschool center in Vårberg where I’ve been working with the youth for two years. A week before that I met with Marten who had just gotten his own apartment outside Stockholm. A young boy who came to Sweden by himself as a refugee after his family’s separation and who, after celebrating Christmas with us, I consider my little brother :) I went to the kid’s summer party at the afterschool center thinking that with the speed they’re growing in I’ll be happy if I just recognize the youngest ones, Ari and Ben, by the time I get back… It was an intense week which now, looking back on it, makes a pretty good outline for what made me wanna come do this walk.

And like I said during one of our presentations (and since our walk has enjoyed overwhelmingly positive response), for me every cheerful honk along the road has meant saying the war is not worth the pain that I’ve seen in the kids in Vårberg. The pain that they’ve carried with them from a wartorn Iraq. It’s meant saying the war is not worth the ugly scenes Ahmed came back from Baghdad to Stockholm with. It’s meant saying it’s not worth the death and bombing of Marten’s older brother. It’s meant saying it’s not worth the loss of a young generation of beautiful, innocent Iraqi kids growing up.

Whatever polished ideals and brave ideologies I may have to claim for my pro-peace/anti-war stand on Iraq they would still only make a skeleton image of the very human face to war. To suffering. I think we need to fill our reasons with faces. That’s what I wanna do. That’s what drew me here and it’s what I think the walk has challenged me personally to keep committing myself to.

Also, when I move to Vårberg this August together with some friends I’ll remember not to do it by myself. I’ll remember the powerful testimony that an encouraging community of folks driven by love for people and longing for peace can make together. I’ll remember the walkers. Off the top of my head - walker and voices friends: Kathy, Bob, Dan, Jeff, Leah, Tim H, Mike, Mary, Alice, Josh, Lauren, Paul, Laura, Joel, Hiwa, Mark, John, Gerald, Tim B, Steve, Jim & Jeanie. Thank You.

Ps. I’ll see you in Chicago again :)