WAMM Activist: Kelly Telech

by Marie Simpson, WAMM

WAMM's work requires dedication, passion, knowledge, and energy from those who participate. In this issue and the June issue of worldwideWAMM, we continue to profile young WAMM activists who are up for the challenge.

Kinetic is a word that comes to mind when considering Kelly Telech. Kelly was born in upstate New York, then grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. She came to Minnesota via Arizona, where she taught on a Hopi reservation. While still in college, sitting quietly in a candle-lit room, Kelly participated in a peaceful vigil protesting our government's military actions in the Gulf War, while supporting the individual soldiers.

When living in Europe in 1989, Kelly was confronted with a European perspective on the United States and George Bush, our president at the time. She says young people there were so open, discussing how people in the U.S. knew little about life, the struggles, the cost. They saw connections between how people viewed intimacy and their personal politics. (Perhaps an interesting WAMM forum topic?)

A few years back, at the Ben and Jerry Festival in Loring Park, Kelly met Bobbi Wren Banks, a staff member for the national organization, Women's Action for New Directions (WAND). They discussed Kelly's desire to become actively involved in peace and justice issues. Bobbi told Kelly that she had a great opportunity "right here in River City," with a Minneapolis organization called WAMM. Within days, Kelly contacted WAMM and attended her first WAMM function, an annual meeting.

She joined and became active in the Military Madness Committee and Alliant Tech vigils. WAMM members who supported Kelly's early activism included Tammy McKenna, Jane Regan, Brigid MacDonald, and Sally Kundert. Since joining WAMM, Kelly has worked to update the WAMM phone tree, served on the Steering Committee for two years, and worked to develop and implement Arms Around the Earth.

Her future plans include redirecting some of her energies toward deaf and hard-of-hearing communities, facilitating a council at the school where she teaches, completing her master's thesis, continuing Arms Around the Earth with WAMM, and participating in WAMM actions, beginning with the Wednesday vigils to stop the sanctions against Iraq.

WAMM appreciates the work and ideas of dynamic young women like Kelly Telech. As an organization we must continue to welcome, support, and nurture new activists. The work can seem daunting without the empowerment that comes from standing as a collective, the sisterhood of WAMM.