Smith, Caisons '08 Peacemakers
Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright to Speak

From Peace Talk Spring 2008

To honor persons who have a strong and long-term commitment to peace and justice, NC Peace Action, a state affiliate of National Peace Action, has established a Peacemaker Award.  Mary Lou Leiser Smith, Allyson Caison, and Walt Casion are to receive the 2008 Peacemaker Awards.

The Peacemaker Awards will be presented on May 20, at the NC State University Club, Raleigh.  Social hour will be at 6:00 PM and dinner at 6:45 PM.

Mary Lou Leiser Smith, longtime educator and Middle East peace activist, is the Coordinating Director of the Coalition for Peace with Justice, an interfaith, intercultural organization dedicated to education and advocacy for a just peace in Israel and Palestine.  She serves as Vice-Chair of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions-USA and provides leadership on the Advisory Board of the US Friends of Hope Flowers School in Palestine.  Mary Lou remains current with developments by frequent work travels to Israel-Palestine.  Recognition that Mary Lou Leiser Smith has received in North Carolina includes the International Human Rights Award, the Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Peace and Solidarity Award, the News and Observer "Tar Heel of the Week," and the SWOOP Sisters of Strength Nomination for Entrepreneurship and Social Justice.

Allyson and Walt Caison have been married 25 years.  During that time, they have been active on a variety of peace and social justice fronts.  In the 1980's, they helped found the Coalition for Alternatives to Shearon Harris and fought against the startup of the Shearon Harris nuclear power plant.  They also worked with the Inter-Faith Council of Churches to develop and staff community shelters for the homeless.

Through the 1990's, Walt and Allyson were organizers in Smithfield-Selma.  They worked to improve mental health services for disenfranchised citizens - Allyson as Executive Director of the Johnson County Mental Health Association and Walt as a psychologist.

Most recently, Allyson and Walt have helped organize and state 2006 and 2007 Fayetteville Peace March and Rally, and the 2007 Smithfield Peace Rally.  As members of NC Stop Torture Now, they work to end CIA "extraordinary renditions."  Allyson is a leader of the Triangle Code Pink.

Colonel (Ret.) Ann Wright is the Keynote Speaker.  After college, she spent 13 years in the U.S. Army and 16 additional years in Army Reserves.  Colonel Wright has a law degree and a Master's in national security from the U.S. Naval War College.

In 1987 Colonel Wright served as the U.S. Deputy Ambassador in Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, and Mongolia.  She received the State Department's Award for Heroism for evacuating 2,500 people from the civil war in Sierra Leone, the largest evacuation since Saigon.

On March 19, 2001, Colonel Wright sent a letter of resignation to Secretary Colin Powell stating that the Iraq war would be a disaster.  Ann is co-author of Voices of Conscience.  She has been speaking out for peace, has picketed Guantanamo, and has been arrested numerous times for peaceful protests of the Iraq war.