Somebody pointed out to me that we don’t tell Omni’s real stories enough. We’ve done a lot of things in the past that the affected people would remember, but we didn’t think to publicize. Since May this year is our 20th ANNIVERSARY! And we won’t get to have the big party the occasion deserves Omni members and friends may find it interesting to recall some of this history.
Most people know us for events and protests. Another thing we’ve done for years may really be more important to creating a culture of peace. We think of it as the “start stuff for peace” model, meaning that we’ve helped a number of other groups start up. Some of whom did their thing and ended, and others are still around making Fayetteville and Northwest Arkansas a more progressives and exciting place to call home.
First, when we say “progressive” we have a specific definition in mind. Progressive values for Omni folks include the rights and well-being of people, and planet, and communities everywhere. Our vision is “a world that works for all,” and the importance of that has gotten even more clear as we realize how racism, sexism and all the “other-isms” have been used to control, oppress and extract from the people, planet and communities of life that we all depend on. We’ve also come to see that progressive values can help us build a culture of peace, where the absence of progressive – authoritarian values – are deeply bound to oppression and a culture of war that none of us can tolerate ever again. Every pronouncement by conservative pundits reminds us of that as if they’re working hard to help us remember what we want to leave behind.
So here are some of Omni’s projects over the years. How many of these do you remember? And which ones did you show up for? If I missed your favorite thing it’s not because it wasn’t wonderful. I just couldn’t get everybody in. So please write a blurb in the comments so your fav is also included.
Our first fiscal sponsorship was the Fayetteville Goddess Festival – started by Vick Kelley and Diana Rivers
They showed up at an Omni Board meeting in 2006 asking if we could sponsor a festival about the divine feminine. The goal was to create balance in a world that had it and needs it deeply. It’s inherently a peace vision. They’ve organized festivals every March since, except the 2020 festival that was canceled at the last second when covid hit like an anvil from the sky. Next year, if fortune smiles, the festival is planned to be held at Mount Sequoyah as a beautiful outdoor event with music, vendors, workshops, tents, banners streaming, and many happy people, still social distanced if necessary.
KPSQ Community Radio, 91.3 FM – started by Joe Newman
If you’re one of the few who haven’t listened yet, find KPSQ at 97.3 FM, or at www.kpsq.org to listen online. There are around 20 local producers creating great and diverse programming you won’t find on other stations. After years of stalling, covid made space for me to start a new show called “Peace Has Roots” that airs intermittently on the Community Hour Sundays at 1:00 pm. Check it out!
Here are more projects we fiscally sponsored. Every one led by deeply committed community folks, all doing important work for peace, justice and the environment. You’ve no doubt heard of some of these:
- TriCycle Farms – lead Don Bennett and friends. (Surely you know about TriCycle!)
- Seeds That Feed – leads Alyssa Snyder, Margaret Thomas, Aron Shelton (CareSharing on wheels)
- Soldiers Heart – lead Vela Giri (powerful work going on quietly in Madison County to help people suffering from PTSD related to war)
- MayDay Kitchen – lead Alex Tripodi and friends. (500 mutual aid meals per week for food insecure folks)
- Black Action Collective – D’Andre Jones and Lance Reed and their Board. (Connecting the whole community around race equity and caring)
Besides groups we fiscally sponsor, there have been so many other things we’re proud of:
- Annual Omni Members and Friends Gathering – Kelly Mulhollan, Gladys Tiffany, Dick Bennett, so many others (2007-2019 — Sure am missing the lasagna and the hugs)
- Citizens Climate Lobby / Citizens Climate League – Robert McAfee, Shelley Buonaiuto and MANY others
- Earth Day Celebrations – usually Kelly and Donna Mulhollan
- Hiroshima Nagasaki Observance – Dick Bennett, Kelly Mulhollan with help from many more
- HOWL – Her Words Outloud – started by Mendy Knott (Women writers group still going on years after Mendy moved back to Ashville)
- Omni Peace Heroes Awards – 2007-2014 more or less? – Gladys Tiffany, Susan and Karen Idlet, Lauren Hawkins, Dick Bennett and others
- People Power of Washington County – leads Gladys Tiffany, Lauren Husband, Laura Villegas, Trudi Rust, Carol Widder and many friends
- Student Life Project formerly Omni UA / Omni FHS – leads Kimberly Brasher, Sydney Golding and Taylor Bridges (UA students getting ready to change the world)
- The Peace Gardens Tours – a Dick Bennett, Emily Katz, Janet Titus, Lauren Hawkins project
- Vegetarian / Vegan Potluck – Dick Bennett and Dan Dean started it. Many kept it going until covid
- World Peace Wetland Prairie – lead Lauren Hawkins with help from friends
There are too many to list ‘em all, but here are a couple more that have stood the test of time AND survived covid by going online.
- Climate Change (Book) Forum. – lead Lolly Tindol – (Climate change study and action group that’s been going on for about a dozen years. We took “Book” out when we started using other media and research articles in addition to books)
- Open Mic for Peace – Kelly & Donna Mulhollan (very first project Omni started back in 2001!)
- Collaborations. And finally, there are a lot of wonderful collaborations we’ve been part of over the years. Here are a few of those that stick out most in my memory:
- Canopy Refugee Resettlement Project
- Center for Workers and Their Rights
- Citizens First Congress / Arkansas Public Policy Panel
- Engage NWA
- Quaker Meeting – Fayetteville Friends Meeting (Quakers) who share our building
- University of Arkansas Race Equity Training Project with Race Forward
- So many more of these doing important work than I can remember
There’s no room to include all the amazing activities over the years. Weaving a network of progressive care among all the people and groups of Northwest Arkansas has been an endless inspiration for those of us who got to watch it all unfold.
Omni’s moving into its second 20 years in a world that’s radically different than it was in 2001 when we started. Hopefully, we’re moving out of the deepest covid phase and can begin to plan for a future ready to confront the big hairy challenges coming up with the kind of creativity and resilience Omni folks used from our beginning. We can do it if we remember that we’re in this together.
Thank you to all of you Omni folks and friends. You’re awesome and amazing, and I can’t wait to see what we decide to do in the future.