Bridges of Peace

Dear friends,

Last Tuesday, March 8, 2011, the 100th anniversary of Women's Day International, over twenty women rallied together at the River Parks Pedestrian Bridge in Tulsa, Oklahoma U.S.A. in our first "Join Women on the Bridge" campaign.

Photos by Debbie Viuf

Despite the drizzly weather we dressed warmly carrying our umbrellas, signs and banners. Radio and TV stations were there too and we were grateful for much news coverage of the event which brought more attention to the issues of women in war-torn countries, for which we were rallying.

Women met on bridges in over 200+ events in the world, from Afghanistan to Mexico, Australia to Russia, and France to China, making a statement that "Stronger Women Build Bridges of Peace." (Women for Women International)

Our special guest speaker here in Tulsa was Leah Farish, a civil rights attorney, who has worked with the women in northern Africa. She brought a quilt with bright orange and yellow squares that the women of Algeria had made. Leah had promised them she would tell everyone she could about what was going on there. Before the end of the rally, a woman spontaneously suggested that we hold on to the quilt and pray for those women and all women in war-torn areas of the world.



New friends were made that day. Women, from teen-agers to some in their eighties, came together in a show of solidarity for our "sisters" who are suffering.

The dozen white balloons were let go. We watched like children as they drifted off into a sky that seemed to know that heaven and earth had bridged together that day.

Peace to everyone,

Sheila