A Loose Transcript from Roundtable on Hope

Glimpses of Hope in a Tortured World

Read Mabilde's poem, overview of torture
--Marie: lot more people willing to engage in conversation, more opportunity to provide facts--why is the world more interested in the issue of torture?

--Patrick: The vacuum from fasting allows other things to come in--awareness of others fasting, the men in Gitmo, learn more about the issue. Imagine what it's like to be in community in D.C.--helped to counteract solitary fast. Imagine relationship that grows with men at Gitmo--actions they're taking--what does our presence contribute--it is enough--shared dignity--this gives me hope, knowing men at Gitmo dedicated to 3 day hunger strike--efforts of those after being released to help those still in. Spent a lot of time reading articles and posting on facebook seemed like everyone was talking about it--hopeful that there is response, small changes at Gitmo, feels like there is a newness, even tho it's not enough--imagining that continuing.

Marie-580 articles re: Gitmo written during ten day fast.

Frank--snowball effect in unpredictable ways--Gitmo week for Occupy, maybe people more willing to engage--historical moment--ready to give voice and respond to stuff that's not right. Making juice, tho I was not fasting--neat to think about people across country and different parts doing things in different shades of orange.

Regina--unexpected moments: security man in park, Ray, vet against war, convo with man at exhibit who had so many disagreements and then said "thanks for good work you do". 2. Persevering human spirit--men in Gitmo fasting and resisting after years being held unjustly--not hopeful because it will necessarily end torture, but hopeful because human spirit can do that.

Kat--people who were closed seem more open--feel something in the Earth opening up.

Tim--echo dramatization and Ray--also people working on issues just blocks way from each other--different spirit, but so much energy! (Occupy Rahm protest vs WAT)

Annie--watching news about man who protested in spite of police violence. Hopeful that people act in spite of fear for standing up for human rights. Thinking of all those who do that--act despite fear--those tortured in El Salvador etc. Just those 20 seconds watching man with scar gave me hope--thinking of all these movements around the world.

Frank--can feel disconnected, how unaccountable--NDAA-- is anyone listening, does anyone care?--have distinct feeling that most irrelevant sector is belt of D.C.-we are accountable to one another--advanced form of democracy--not apathy but ready for interconnected sense with each other. Go from expecting action from politicians to expecting it from each other--it doesn't matter if political leaders give it to us--revitalization of public dissent in US--because we've seen Obama's lazy administration--we're not putting X in him anymore--care less about what he does.

Patrick--thinking since last Thurs. reflection- John N. working with torture survivor's--vicarious trauma AND vicarious resilience. I've held onto that--resilience of men at Gitmo after ten years of detention and God knows what else and still doing H.S. and how people act in face of so much bad--in so many ways.

Gus--to me there is no hope, but I believe in a just God, so I gotta say what would you have me do that doesn't have to do with the ends--the world is not available. To set myself up with expectations not logical-set up for despair. But if I recognize I must be just and ask for justice, doesn't matter what results are--I believe in a just God. Therefore I will attempt to be just.My hope comes from God, not in the world.

Patrick: Isn't that hope?

Gus: I can bring my mind and my body a little closer when I think about it that way--it brings me peace. It's insane to have expectations of this world. Faith, hope and love sums it up.

Patrick: Hope is absurdity

Marie: made me think of quote from planners I wrote over and over--must have faith in God AND faith in humans--that's what hope is. Teach-in: 3 torture survivors came and talked to us--how they survived, how they loved again. One of them , Gregory, for the first time shared publicly about personal experience of solitary confinement and shared his poems. One of the things I tried to work on during the fast was the hope in humans part.

Chris (walked in the door back from D.C.!): thought more about Gitmo than I ever have, read 7 books--it was dark. Discipline to act in context of community--could risk at whatever level I wanted to --37 arrested yesterday at gates--decided that instead of risking arrest to put my energy into the 92 hour cage vigil--very unseen at night, and at the same time, a good practice to be one of the forgotten people in isolation--a very powerful witness. But then I did get arrested, so I kind of ruined that (laughs). Encouraged by all of you from afar.