Peter Lems has been called ignorant, unpatriotic, anti-Semitic, a disgrace, a coward, a traitor and a freak.
A woman, holding the hand of a toddler and carrying an infant, once pointed to Lems during a Gulf War victory parade and told her child, "He’s bad."
Given people’s reactions, you might think Lems, 42, of the 1800 block of Catherine Street, is someone who brings trouble wherever he goes. But Lems is simply a peace activist.
For 15 years, he has urged governments here and abroad to seek peaceful, diplomatic solutions to conflict, beginning in the Middle East and, most recently, in Iraq as a program associate with the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). According to its Web site, the committee, founded by Quakers in 1917, seeks to carry out service, development, social justice and peace programs throughout the world.
Lems’ latest project is helping to organize Eyes Wide Open, an exhibit showing the human cost of war. The exhibit, which runs July 1-4 at Independence Visitor Center, Sixth and Market streets, will feature a pair of combat boots for every U.S. soldier killed in Iraq, as well as civilian shoes representing Iraqis who have died, including children.
"Many Americans think this war is being fought in a distant land and that it does not directly affect them," Lems says, "but we have all suffered a tremendous loss."
The exhibit also will feature a candlelight vigil at Independence Visitor Center, a panel discussion and workshops at Friends Meeting House, Fourth and Arch streets, and the film premiere of Arlington West at the Prince Theater, 100 S. Broad St. For dates and times, visit www.afsc.org.
Lems says Philadelphia was chosen to host the exhibit because of the city’s historical significance.
"The Declaration of Independence was signed here," Lems says, "and Iraqis are seeking independence. We must help them achieve that through nonviolent and diplomatic means."
Lems is excited Eyes Wide Open will coincide with the Live 8 concert, which will bring attention to African poverty, and other Fourth of July festivities which, he hopes, will entice "new crowds of people" to Philadelphia and the exhibit.
"It should be an extraordinary weekend," he says. "Providing relief for Africa and ending the war in Iraq are equally important issues and it will be great to see people coming together to support both."
LEMS IS ONE of five children born to an American mother and Holland native, who fled a Nazi work camp near the end of World War II. Lems spent most of his young life living in a Chicago suburb. He enrolled at Northern Illinois College, then left after a year to accompany his sister, Kristin, to Algeria where she taught English as a second language on a Fulbright Scholarship.
"While I was traveling throughout Algeria, Egypt and Morocco with my sister, I became intrigued by different countries’ fights for independence and by different cultures in general," Lems says. He returned to the states and attended Earlham College, majoring in history.
After graduation, Lems traveled to Ramallah, Palestine, hoping to teach, "but the Israelis had closed the schools," he says. He later found work as an assistant director for the Palestine Human Rights Campaign and then as director of the Palestine Human Rights Information Center before becoming director of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates.
During this time, Lems says his most important task was to help the Israelis "see Palestinians as people who were not getting basic rights" and to set up a network of resources and materials that could be accessed by international journalists and human rights organizations.
Five years ago, Lems began working for the AFSC’s Iraq Peacebuilding Unit. His job has enabled him to see a side of Iraq few Americans have seen.
In March 2000, he traveled to Iraq with a delegation of Quaker educators to determine the impact of United Nations’ sanctions on Iraq’s educational system. What he found, he says, was depressing. "Iraq was literally a welfare state," Lems recalls. "Everyone worked for the government – even teachers, who were paid very little."
Two years later, despite a $10,000 fine imposed by the U.S. Treasury Department against another peace activist who had violated sanctions by providing humanitarian aid, Lems returned to Iraq to oversee the restoration of a water treatment plant funded by AFSC.
Although Lems noticed an oil-for-food program, which started in December 1997, was beginning to have some positive impact, "there was still no infrastructure and Iraq was already a weakened country on its knees … struggling for survival."
Of most concern to Lems and other activists were the deteriorating conditions in education, health and water and sanitation.
"[During our visit], UNICEF reported that roughly 500,000 tons of raw sewage was being dumped into Iraq’s fresh-water systems," Lems says, adding childhood deaths were increasing as a result of drinking dirty water. �
During both visits, Lems became acquainted with Iraqis from all walks of life. In June 2002, he struck up a conversation with a soldier guarding the lobby of the Palestine Hotel.
"After I had explained why I was in Iraq and what we hoped to accomplish," Lems says, "the man asked me, ‘Why do Americans hate us?’"
Lems thought the question was profound because Americans were asking themselves, "Why do Iraqis hate us?"
Upon his return to the states, Lems was astonished to learn that President George W. Bush was asking Congress to approve a pre-emptive strike doctrine so that for an attack on Iraq without U.N approval. After all he had experienced, the idea that Iraq posed a threat to the United States was preposterous to Lems.�
For the last several months, Lems and other peace activists have been calling for a complete withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Iraq. He knows this is an unpopular viewpoint, particularly when many Americans view the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq as important strategies in the war on terror.
Lems says the United States has not restored order, protected civilians and provided food and water as required by the Geneva Convention, despite being there two years. He hopes, after America ends its occupation of Iraq, bordering countries like Turkey, Iran, Syria and Saudi Arabia will be more likely to recognize and help Iraq’s emerging government.
"The United States can still help Iraq by providing economic support and working through diplomatic channels to support their new government," he says.
Lems admits being a peace activist is difficult work. He draws strength from being a part of a community that opposes "global violence" and tries to offer alternatives to war. He also is inspired by those who have lost loved ones in Iraq, but still find the time and energy to campaign for peace.
And, Lems says, most of his experiences as a peace activist have been positive.
"Whenever people have taken the time to talk to us, they tend to respect our opinion even though they disagree," says Lems, "probably because we do not demonize President Bush, American soldiers or the Iraqis. Everyone deserves a peaceful world, so we are working on everyone’s behalf."
