February 7, 1996
Issue
Resources
"The first step to knowledge is to know that we are ignorant." — Lord David Cecil Many readers have written to me seeking various kinds of information. In large part I have not been able to answer those letters because there are too few hours in a day. Fortunately, all but a few of those letters came from people who read this column. I want each of you to know that I have not forgotten your requests. The list that follows, in part or whole, should put you on the right track. One more thing: I respect and salute you for looking for answers to questions that far too few people in this world have taken the time to ask. Convictions About Racism in the United States of America is a series of 49 essays by Horace Seldon. He said it is "not intended to be comprehensive but instead to start people thinking. Whether discussing the definitions of racism as a white problem, or the language that is a symptom of racism, the essays demand attention to issues." It is available for US$8.50 from Community Change, Inc., 14 Beacon Street, Room 602, Boston, MA 02108, USA. A poster by Knowledge Unlimited is being sold to "[promote] the beauty of friendship, tolerance and diversity". Titled The Colors of Friendship, it was created by a 14-year-old Evansville, Wisconsin, girl. It is 46 by 61 centimetres and costs US$11.95 from Knowledge Unlimited, PO Box 52, Madison, Wisconsin 53701, USA. This Is How We Live: Listening to the Poorest Families contains accounts from the US and four other countries. It was published in 1995, is 175 pages and costs US$14.40. It is available from Fourth World Publications, 7600 Willow Drive, Landover, Maryland 20785, USA. Cooperative Security, edited by William Zartman and Victor Kremenyuk, examines "the roles of the US, the Russian coalition and the European Community in monitoring the relations and boundaries of so-called 'third world' countries". It was published in 1995, is 380 pages, costs US$17 and is available from Syracuse University Press. Also new from SUP is Preparing for Peace by John Paul Lederach, which presents training methods and philosophy for conflict transformation across cultures. It was published last year, is 146 pages and costs US$25. Write to Peace Work Magazine for the mailing address. American Friends Service Committee Literature Resources Catalogue carries "unique and varied selections of books about social justice, Quakers, peace, conflict resolution, women's and men's studies, African-American, Middle Eastern, Asian Pacific, Mexican, Latin American and many other topics; books for children in Spanish and English". Available from 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA. Breaking the Cycle: West Virginia Listening Project on Violence and Criminal Justice by Rick Wilson quotes some 50 people on their experience and insights on criminal justice, a national concern. It was published last year, is 124 pages and costs US$12.50. It is available from American Friends Service Committee, 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102, USA.[The writer is a prisoner on death row in the United States. He is happy to answer letters commenting on his columns. He can be written to at: Brandon Astor Jones, EF-122216, G2-51, GD&CC, PO Box 3877, Jackson, GA 30233, USA.]