The Puget Sound Women's Peace Camp: Education as an Alternative Strategy

Abstract

From the outset, a major goal of the Puget Sound camp was education, coupled with a desire to establish good relations with the surrounding community. I will elaborate on these goals later in this paper. A major encampment was held during the summer of 1983. That September, a core group of campers moved into a rented house a few blocks from Boeing and maintained the camp in that location until September, 1984. During that year, the camp evolved as a feminist nonviolent training center, as well as a site from which to stage continuing protest actions at Boeing. Although a second summer encampment was held in 1984, far fewer women participated. The Puget Sound camp women no longer maintain a presence at Boeing, but they do continue peace and social justice actions in the area, primarily in coalition with other groups.