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Women and non-resistanceDuring WWII Mennonite women acted out their non-resistantlove in a variety of ways. Most obvious was their work inmaterial relief—canning, knitting, sewing and performing allmanner of organizational tasks to aid suffering people in wartornEurope. In the 1940s Mennonite women’s organizationsundertook massive aid projects which transported $71,000worth of clothing from Canada to England. Women inOntario organized their local sewing circles into the “NonresistantRelief Sewing Organization”—an indication that theythemselves viewed their material labour in the context of faith.Mennonite women were COs in less recognized ways than their menfolk. They worked toclothe and feed war sufferers. They lent moral support to Mennonite men in campsthrough letters, packages or their presence near the camps. They became breadwinners fortheir families. Mennonite women had to cope with the implications of being part of apeace church. As conscientious objectors, they put their non-resistant love into action andalleviated suffering in the world. —Maureen Epp, United We Stand, Divided We Fall,Alternative Service for PeaceA draft resister during the Vietnam War:the story of Sam SteinerThirty-eight years ago I was a new political refugee in Canada. I had been indicted by agrand jury in the U.S. District Court in Cleveland, Ohio, for failing to comply with anorder to report for and submit to induction into the armed forces of the United States.How does a mild-mannered twenty-one-year-old future librarian with an impeccableMennonite pedigree get himself into a mess like this?Christian faith as expressed by Mennonites—with its implications for all of life—was centralto my family of origin. The small church of that I attended in the 1950s cared muchabout love and mutual aid within the community. It cared about the eternal destiny ofthose within its midst and unsaved souls on various mission fields. But it seemed to careless about justice in the society around it. We prayed for peace. We wished for justice to gowith that peace, but we didn’t “fight” for justice.Reflecting on my experience, it appears to me that for several reasons Mennonites andother Canadian peace people have become too relaxed about their views of peace, justiceand war. We continue to forget the lessons Vietnam taught us about how governmentscreate “truth” that suit their own purposes. Have either Gulf Wars been any more aboutjustice than Vietnam was? Mennonites have not spoken with unity on these wars except tokeep their own hands clean. I watch and worry about this Mennonite response. (ReadSam’s full story in the Appendix section)Currently there are other American war resisters seeking refuge in Canada. To find outmore, go to www.resisters.ca/resisters_stories.html11 Stories and reflections