Every Friday evening at the intersection of 1st Street and Lincoln Highway, about 20 to 30 members of the DeKalb Interfaith Network for Peace and Justice meet to protest the war in Iraq.

Members are armed with signs such as, “War is not the answer” and “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Occasionally, cars driving by honk repeatedly.

“We’ve been here in rain, snow, bitter cold, windy and hot weather … but we’re always here,” said Cecile Meyer, co-coordinator of the network.

The network has been gathering since Dec. 7, 2001 and has not missed a Friday, Meyer said. The group was started about 20 years ago when the United States became involved with wars in Central America.

During those wars, the network created the Central American Fund of Human Development to help victims of the war.

“Every war that comes along, we’re against,” Meyer said. “Peace and justice are our two big issues.”

Lolly Voss has been a network member for four years.

The more we hear from the Washington warriors that things are wonderful, the more we know they are not, Voss said.

“We listen to victims of the 9/11 families who said, ‘Our grief is not a cry for war,’” Voss said.

The network is a part of many networks across the country, Meyer said. The groups’ goal is to have some affect on national issues.

The network wants to try and prevent war as the United States’ response to terrorism, said Jenny Tomkins, co-coordinator of the network.

“[The United States] needs to examine its own foreign policies and figure out why other countries may dislike America,” Tomkins said.

The network is also involved in other national and global issues.

“We visited Nicaragua in the early ‘90s and fell in love with the kids,” Meyer said. “[The CAFHD fund] has helped with women’s education and health clinics there. We have been selling well over $100,000 a year to these projects and have obtained some grants.”

The group also puts out a newsletter about four times a year to around 400 people.

“We sponsor a peace table at DeKalb High School once a month to give students an alternate plan to the military,” Voss said. “We want them to realize they have other choices.”

The network often attracts new demonstration participants. Meghan Morgavan, a junior journalism major, participated for the first time Friday.

“I feel its important to speak out,” Morgavan said. “I feel like I’m actively working the gears of democracy. I think more students should [speak out], but maybe they feel it won’t help.”

The network meets from 5 to 6 p.m. on Fridays and their meeting ends with a peace circle at 6 p.m.

“We end the evening by forming a circle and singing, ‘We will live in peace,’” Meyer said. “We like to hope things will end that way.”