Dear Susan --

Joe Wanzala's thoughts, below, start it off for me ...

Pacifica's mission is more than "simply trying to attain peace and justice" (though that isn't simple).

The words in Pacifica's Articles of Incorporation sound a call that still rings true for me ... it is a big bell with many overtones and undertones. So, no list of objectives quite sums it up.

Mostly, for me, it is about reaching across time and space through the beautiful intimate medium of radio and touching peoples' hearts and minds so that we feel our common humanity and learn to care for one another ... or learn that we are not alone in caring.

If we care, then we add to the goodness in the world, and if we don't, then we add to the evil.

Sometimes it is music and poetry that reaches into a person's heart and opens it, sometimes it is passionate fiery speeches, sometimes thoughtful analysis is the path to the heart through opening the mind to understanding.

You know, I think we reach our listeners one at a time ... they hear someone or something some time on the radio that moves them. They then make a difference in the world because the silence that isolates people has been broken ...

Pacifica's mission is to break the silence.

--Carol

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At 10:44 AM 10/25/2002 -0700, Joseph Wanzala wrote:

I don't see Pacifica as simply an insitution that promotes 'peace, justice, civil rights, cultural richness' and people working together, which are all well and good. Surely there is more to what we are doing than simply trying to attain 'peace and justice'. To me, I see Pacifica it as a part of a struggle against the depredations of fascist capitalism which is on the advent of possibly its most ambitious offensive in its sordid history.

- Joe W.

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From: Susan Lee
Date: Fri Oct 25, 2002 8:20 pm
Subject: the Pacifica Mission: what does that mean for you

I thank you all for responding to the thread about what skills and qualities would be useful for people to have to be on the LB's and PNB. I'll try to post something about the discussion at the WBAI ByLaws meeting if it takes the conversation past where it went on the listserves.

There seems near unanimity about the need for understanding and adherence to the mission. Am I the only one that's not sure what this means? I've heard alot of rhetoric but how do you make a judgement about someone? What exactly will you base such a judgement on? How big a tent are we actually constructing? For instance, one producer is convinced that free speech radio (which is what the mission is for this person) would be constricted by many of the political people who this person thinks have a very narrow vision of the mission. So what does the mission mean ... really?

(And would you, if you're on a list serve that is not open to everyone, please note if your response is available to repost?)

Susan Lee