Board Profile of Pete Shell
By Kenneth Alan Miller

Pete Shell has been active in the Pittsburgh peace and justice community for nearly 15 years. He is currently the president of the TMC board having been the co-president with Saleh Waziruddin throughout 2003. Pete is currently serving on the Anti-War Committee (AWC) and the Anti-Racism Committee. The AWC was founded just after 9/11 as the military build up for Afghanistan was beginning. He co-chaired the committee with Ali Hebshi before Ali moved to New Haven, CT, this past Thanksgiving. Pete’s expectation is that we will defiantly have more than 1,000 people in the street on March 20 to continue denouncing the military occupation of Iraq.

Pete has been involved with the Anti-Racism Committee at the TMC even longer than he has been involved with the AWC. He regularly contributes to the planning of the annual Rock Against Racism (RAR) events. Pete was particularly pleased that TMC was able to collaborate with Penn Avenue Arts Initiative (PAAI) this year putting together RAR. With the help of the PAAI many felt that RAR was able to galvanize a new level of community participation. With Pete’s involvement, the TMC Anti-racism committee has consistently been on the forefront of the struggle to stop police brutality in Western PA. We can expect a more integrated TMC board and a consistent effort from TMC to engage and build truly diverse coalitions. Pete would like TMC to be an organization that sets a standard for multi-cultural and anti-racist organizing.

KAM: Why should people join TMC?

PS: Your membership dollars support the New People; through it you’ll learn about peace and justice organizing throughout our region and how to contact one another. You’ll find people and groups combining progressive agendas. Your TMC membership dollars support the grassroots organizing of thousands of people.

KAM: What’s next?

PS: Here’s the short list: the economy still sucks for most people, we have ongoing war and occupations, and police brutality has yet to be stopped with guilty cops put in jail. There is a lot of work to be done.

KAM: What the best way to be a part of TMC? What does TMC do best?

PS: What we do well is network and share information, and what we need to do better is increase participation in the committees that make TMC work. The TMC staff works through the committees, the vision for TMC is set through the committees, the consistent work and the building of our community is happening in committees. The committees are the place where the board, the staff and the membership come together.

Board President, Pete Shell
(Photo by Marie Skoczylas)