USD Magazine, Winter 2002

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"What can one person do in an increasingly violent society! Even if one of us remains peaceful, we can make a difference. We have to meditate on peace ... and develop as much sympathy for the Taliban as the people who died in Washington and New York." - Buddhist Leshke Tsomo, religious studies professor

"Our sense of safety has changed, and our sense of possibility has changed." - student Aisha Taylor, Associated Students "We in America talk of freedom, but we do not see that some people have not been free in generations. We talk of peace and human rights, and yet demand that the worl.d stop knocking at our affluent door for help to have peace and human rights. One week before Sept. 11 , the United States walked out of the Worl.d Conference Against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerances. I was there." - Dee Aker, director ofWorld Link, a USD sponsored program that brings high school students together to discuss peace and justice "Americans love to throw around the word spiritual, but to be spiritual is hard work. It's not about sitting around and lighting candles, but looking into ourselves and seeing what good we can bring out of this tragedy. " - The Rev.Jose Pimentel, University Ministry chaplain

"Back in the early 90s, the Taliban was fighting the Soviets, and most of the worl.d, including the United States, turned a blind eye to their ideological framework. My gut feeling is if there had been a sustained program of social and economic development within Afghanistan, they would have been less receptive to the likes of bin Laden setting up terrorist camps in their country. " - Ali Gheissari, religious studies professor

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