April/May 1983 RAIN Page 7 alysis and its resulting personal distancing. The women’s movement, emphasizing sisterhood, collectivity and personal experience, has given many women the confidence to change their lives, to begin to overcome the passivity, self-hatred, and lack of trust engendered by a capitalist system. Row- botham believes the development of process to be one of feminism’s biggest contributions. On the other hand, the women’s movement has sometimes been too subjective, lacking economic theory. The solution is to join both movements together into socialist feminism. As a North American socialist feminist, I appreciated hearing about some of the political problems I have in common with my British sisters. I also have been pleased to see how, over the years, things have changed in the Left — the mixed political groups I’ve joined have all been affected by feminism, promoting female leadership, emphasizing the importance of meeting process as well as content, and incorporating personal sharing into meetings and conferences. The women’s movement gave me the courage to change, to develop my skills, and to get involved with mixed groups. Working with political groups. I’ve experienced my share of frustrations, but I’ve also been able to develop my intellectual and communications skills, get support and recognition, and feel a part of history as we struggle through difficult economic and political times. Making changes — personal, social, political — isn’t easy, but we can’t do it alone. —Natasha Beck Natasha Beck is a Portland socialist feminist activist who has done clerical work and currently teaches women’s studies. ACCESS: PEACE Report from Beirut; Summer of ’82 22 minute videotape (Vz or %) or 16mm film (color) Saul Landau, James Abourezk American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee 1731 Connecticut Ave. N.W., Ste. 400 Washington, D.C. 20009 No charge for rental; no purchase available Beirut is bombed and burning. Amal Shamma’s face is thin and pulled tight, and the tension and sadness in her eyes is vivid. Berbir hospital where she is a doctor is being continually shelled by Israeli aircraft causing the war injured to be reinjured. Dr. Amal Shamma is an American citizen working under dire conditions—hospitals under constant shelling and medical supplies cut off because the city is surrounded. She fears that the next loud explosion will be right where she has worked hours to save someone’s life. "Report From Beirut” documents the effects of this terror on the civilian population of the city. Families are separated, wandering through the rubble to find each other. Ibe only water available is from a muddy bomb hole. Children sing loudly to drown out the sound of bombs. More than 18,000 civilians die; more than 30,000 are wounded. The impact of war becomes very real to those of us who have not known war. The purpose of this film is world peace. Anyone who shtu-es this goal would do well to see this film and show it to others. Dr. Amal Shamma raises some penetrating questions about Reagan’s power to stop the war, and the role of the U.S. in the Middle East. It is inspiring to see a strong woman at the heart of this film, going to the heart of an issue, a war—to work for peace. —Linda Sawaya Linda Sawaya, a Lebanese-American and former RAIN co-editor and graphic designer, is a graphic artist at Oregon Public Broadcasting. Reweaving the Web ofLife: Feminism and Nonviolence Pam McAllister, Editor New Society Publishers 4722 Baltimore Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19143 $8.95, 1982, 440 pp. At "seven minutes to midnight” women are coming together with the rage of feminism and the compassion of nonviolence to mend and reweave a web of peace and of life. This collection of poems, essays, and songs by more than fifty contributors has taken the feminist community by storm, and is being reviewed by journals across the country. It challenges feminists to reclaim nonviolence in the face of nuclear war and sexual assault; it urges pacifists to struggle for the empowerment of women as the essential step toward rebuilding our world which has been so ravaged by patriarchy. In our attempt to understand the complexities of violence and oppression in our society, we dis-' cover that our nonviolent feminist resources provide a radically effective means for change. —Penny Fearon Penny Fearon is a former RAIN intern who is currently working with the U.S. Geological Survey. Aint No Where We Can Run; A Handbook for Women on the Nuclear Mentality Susan Koen and Nina Swaim WAND of the Upper Valley Box 421 Norwich, VT 05055 $3.50,1980, 74 pp. 'This book provides an excellent overview of the health, economic, social, and political effects of nuclear technologies on women. A strong feminist analysis coupled with well-documented technical information offers a personal and scientific understanding of nucle2ir weapons production and nuclear power plants. The authors explore the lives, feelings, emd experiences of numerous women who are struggling against nuclear development. Local and national action suggestions and organizing strategies emphasize the wide range of women’s activity on this issue. The book concludes with a list of groups and organizations involved in opposing nuclear technologies, as well as resource lists of relevant books and periodicals. —Ada Sanchez
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz