OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology

The OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology is a multipurpose organization active mostly in Arkansas and its surrounding states in the United States. It was founded by retired University of Arkansas English professor James R. Bennett in 2001. Besides organizing peace demonstrations and forums on issues like climate change in the Fayetteville, Arkansas area, it sponsors awards programs that have recognized literary and peace work on local, national and international issues.

OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology
Founded2001
FounderJames R. “Dick” Bennett
TypeNonprofit
FocusPeace, social and economic justice, equality, healthy environment
Location
  • Fayetteville, Ark.
Area served
Mostly Arkansas, Missouri, Kansas, and Oklahoma. But addresses global issues.
Executive Director
Gladys Tiffany
Revenue
$88,904 (2017)[1]
Websiteomnicenter.org

Formation

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As an English professor at the University of Arkansas from 1965 to 1997, Bennett incorporated peace issues into his courses. While teaching, he joined the local Peace Organization Committee, a group that protested the Vietnam War, and continued engaging in such activities throughout his career. When he retired, he founded the OMNI Center with help from friends, including Dana Copp.[2][3]

The first office was in the basement of the Presbyterian Church’s university campus ministry. They liked the "OMNI" name since it signified being inclusive of all people and issues. They originally called the organization the "OMNI Center for Peace and Justice" but later added "Ecology" to appeal to environmental groups like the Sierra Club.[4]

Activities expand as OMNI grows

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The organization grew following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Besides organizing large protests, members developed educational activities. An open mic event and a commemoration for the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki began in 2001. The commemoration became an annual event to honor the dead from all wars, while open mics also became regular occurrences.

OMNI hired a paid executive director starting in 2012. Gladys Tiffany became the director in 2013 and spearheaded new programs, including a low-power radio station run by volunteers, activist training workshops, women’s support groups, and movie screenings. The group collaborated with other community organizations to stage events such as a Civil Rights Roundtable and lent financial support to other projects. [5]

In 2019, OMNI began a new student activism support group at the University of Arkansas to mentor students. In January 2020, about 100 people attended a demonstration organized by OMNI and the Arkansas Nonviolence Alliance in Fayetteville to protest a potential war with Iran. [6]

International PeaceWriting Award

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Bennett established the International PeaceWriting Award program in 1999 to recognize fiction and nonfiction book-length works that focus on the causes, consequences, and remedies of wars, as well as those covering nonviolent peacemaking and peacemakers. After forming OMNI two years later, that center became one of the sponsoring organizations of those awards, along with the Peace and Justice Studies Association of Georgetown University.

Honorees of the program, who received a cash prize along with recognition, include:

Arkansas Peace and Justice Heroes Award

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In 2004, OMNI and the American Friends Service Committee started the Arkansas Peace and Justice Heroes Award program to recognize advocates throughout the state. Honorees who have been recognized at a formal banquet include:

References

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  1. ^ "IRS Form 990 2017" (PDF). Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  2. ^ "OMNI leaders". OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  3. ^ "OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology Records Addendum". University of Arkansas Libraries, Special Collections Department. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  4. ^ "OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology". Central Arkansas Library System Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  5. ^ "OMNI seeks world peace with new strategies". The Free Weekly, Jan. 23, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  6. ^ "Antiwar protesters take a stand in Fayetteville". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, January 5, 2020. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Jacob David George". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, October 1, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2020.
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