PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE REPORT 2008

“For as in one body we have many members, and not all members have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members of one another.  We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the exhorter, in exhortation; the giver in generosity; the leader in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness.” 

the Letter of Paul  to the Romans, 12:4-8

As each us strive to develop our individual gifts to be “as one body in Christ”, there are many places and ways to direct them.  Our committee offers the following concerns that have been brought forth to us. The following minutes are not only a public statement of our convictions, but can serve as a springboard for discussion and actions by individuals and monthly meetings.

Minute # 1.

The following minute is a statement of concern and suggestion for action about a set of issues that are affecting us now and will increasingly affect all of us in the future.  Friends are encouraged to prayerfully consider how they will each respond as individuals, families, and meetings.

Proposed Minute

Humanity is no longer in a right relationship with God's creation.  Because of our numbers and the way many of us live, we are using resources and impacting the environment in ways that cannot be sustained, the primary example being our dependence upon fossil fuels.  Society’s consciousness of this has recently been heightened by rapidly increasing oil prices.  People are becoming aware that the way of living that we have become accustomed to cannot continue.  If we don't make changes voluntarily, they will be forced upon us.

There has been an unspoken assumption that it is acceptable for developed countries to use a disproportionate  amount of resources compared to underdeveloped countries. As oil supplies dwindle and prices soar, there is a growing potential for conflict to arise world-wide over remaining oil supplies.  Vast resources are required, not only to produce personal automobiles, but for the infrastructure to support them, including highway systems, parking, car washes, supply stores, repair shops, auto insurance, licenses, sales lots, highway patrol, and gas stations.  Exhaust from all types of vehicles contributes to greenhouse gases and global warming.

Our communities are built on the assumption that we all have the means to travel great distances to get food, go to school, work,  and meeting. This has an enormous impact on oil supplies.

Friends could help provide leadership by redesigning our communities and lifestyles in such a way that we can forego automobiles.  Improved systems of inter- and intra-city mass transportation will be one key to this.  There are organizations working to expand and improve rail passenger transportation. Creating more bicycle trails and encouraging the use of bicycles is important.  

The challenge of giving up automobiles is much greater in rural than urban areas but the factors at work are the same.  If those who do have alternatives to personal automobiles would use them, it would help those who need more time and resources to develop their own alternatives. 

The ease and relatively low cost of long distance travel by air has led to a sense that rapid travel over long distances is normal and acceptable. This has made the air travel industry a major contributor to global climate change. Friends are encouraged to avoid air travel and to work to reduce the need for long distance travel.  We need to explore ways to do business remotely.  This is a new area that will require trial and error to see what does and does not work for us.

Our eating habits also should be considered.  It is estimated that the food for an average American meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to the consumer.  Studies have shown that the livestock industry contributes more to greenhouse gas emissions than transportation does.  We need to eat locally grown food whenever possible.  Community garden plots, community supported agriculture, and re-learning how to preserve foods will help, as will reducing meat consumption.

Friends are encouraged to work with the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and their local, state, and national representatives to help pass environmentally responsible legislation, including government support for improved mass transportation, and blocking construction of new coal and nuclear fission power plants.  We have seen the unintended side effects of legislation promoting the increased use of ethanol.

We encourage Friends to be examples as we explore creative ways to promote renewable energy, reduce energy consumption, recycle, and facilitate the use of local foods and products.  There is an urgent need to curb oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions dramatically, right now.  Until some of these physical and social changes occur, it may be difficult for some Friends to give up their cars.  Doing so as soon as possible is our goal, and could be a catalyst for change of the magnitude needed to reduce the current rate of environmental damage.  

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Minute #2. 

We ask the Yearly Meeting to endorse the following minute:

“Any voice that calls us back to the mount of human sacrifice, in whatever form it takes in its myriad disguises, is not God's.  It is time for us, ... to come down to the place of promise, where we can see that no moral value attaches to sacrificing any human life for any cause, with the possible exception of one's own.”  -Bruce Chilton

The messages we receive from our political leaders and the media on a daily basis are that “the war in Iraq is succeeding,” “the surge is working,” “we are finishing the job,” “fewer Americans are dying.”  The goal is described as “the withdrawal of American troops from Iraq as the Iraq government is capable of defending itself.”

Our own peace testimony belies the assumptions that this definition of success is based on.  Peace cannot  ever be achieved through violent means.  We cry out for a response that reframes the relationship between the United States and Iraq.  We recognize that “the war” is in reality an occupation and call for a complete withdrawal of all US troops and private contractors.  Likewise, we call for a reversal in the policy of establishing permanent bases in Iraq. 

In Afghanistan, we decry the call for “redeployment of American troops” and instead support civilian and non-governmental organizations that are working for peaceful solutions to the violence by addressing the underlying social and economic problems of the Afghan people.

Our current administration proclaims that “all options are on the table” in relation to Iran and its nuclear capability.  Based on the belligerent  language spoken by our government, many people fear that the United States is poised to attack Iran, or support an Israeli attack on Iran, in the next few months. An attack on Iran would be disastrous not only to our own country, but for the entire Middle East, and worldwide stability.  Even  the threat of such action hinders any peace process.  Based on our belief that that there is that of God in everyone, we insist that our government end any consideration of attacking Iran as well as any support of an Israeli attack on Iran.  Further, we call on our government instead to vigorously pursue diplomatic negotiations with Iran so that our brothers and sisters there can live without fear.

(end of minute)

We urge monthly meetings and individuals to make use of this minute in their peacemaking activities.  It is imperative that we all work to change the dialog that speaks only of military options in response to the world's problems.

We offer the following letters for proposed legislative action:

We ask the following letters to be sent on behalf of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative), as suggest they can also be used as models for similar letters sent by individuals and monthly meetings:.

Letter #1.

Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the IYM(C) requests the following letter be sent to Senators Harkin and Grassley with a copy to Governor Chet Culver, addressing the unfair treatment and dangerous conditions without adequate health protections the day laborers involved in flood cleanup must endure:

Dear Senator __________:

Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) met near West Branch, Iowa, July 29^th to August 3, 2008; we Quakers from Iowa have been examining social justice issues.  Several members from the Cedar Rapids area have called our attention to the unsafe and unfair labor practices being used by subcontractors hired by the city of Cedar Rapids as well as others throughout the area who provide the day labor for flood cleanup.  This has also been covered in the media, including the Cedar Rapids Gazette.

We ask that issues of accountability of subcontractors in disaster situations be investigated through Senate hearings, or by the Government Accounting Office.  As Iowans, we believe in the fair treatment and safe working conditions for all who work in our state, including those with and without immigration documentation papers. Prohibition of unfair labor practices is necessary to alleviate the suffering of those who work for us, and well as ensures the well being and safety of everyone.

Thank you for your attention to this issue.

__

Letter #2.

Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the IYM(C) requests the following letter be sent on our behalf to all Congressional Representatives of  the Yearly Meeting, asking that they sign on as co-sponsors of HR 1078, the call for a Global Marshall Plan to demonstrate the commitment of the United States to international peace and prosperity.

Dear Rep. __________:

A new group called the Network of Spiritual Progressives has issued a

charge for our country.  This is to restart a Global Marshall Plan for

our world.  This plan would provide the basis for approaching our friends

and foes in a positive manner by building them up rather than destroying

this earth in war and bombing.

The name of our group, the Network of Spiritual Progressives, indicates

our reliance on guidance from our faith and values to go forward at this

time.  In accordance with these values we ask that you consider

co-sponsoring HR 1078 so our government can go ahead with helping the

world rather than destroying it.

Thank you for always looking for ways to strengthen our ties to all the

people of this earth.

(Enc.  copy of HR 1078 & Booklet)

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Peace & Social Concerns offers the above minutes and letters as peacemaking tools for all of us. We request that individual monthly meetings and members of the IYM(C) prayerfully consider adding their own voice to any of the above issues as they are moved, so that a chorus might form to help convince our fellow citizens and elected representatives of the need for their attention and action.

PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE BUDGET

Peace and Social concerns offers the following budget as our response to the concerns brought before us during the IYM(C) 2008 Yearly Meeting.  We ask that monthly meetings and individuals learn about and consider how they might also contribute or support the following organizations doing God's work listed below.

 Our budget of $1,100 included no carry over from the previous year.  These are the requested disbursements for this coming fiscal year:

Alternatives to Violence Project (split evenly between the IA and NE programs)                                   $100          

AFSC (earmarked Immigrant Voices, Central Region)                                                                                                    $50

Frontera de Cristo                                                                                                                                                               $50

Friends Peace Teams (earmarked Peacemaking en las Americas)                                                                             $100

Iowans Against the Death Penalty                                                                                                                                     $35

Nebraskans  Against the Death Penalty                                                                                                                           $35

Missourians to Abolish the Death Penalty                                                                                                                       $35

AFSC (earmarked Peace Education Project, Central Region)                                                                                       $50

Monteverde Friends School                                                                                                                                              $50

Ramallah Friends School                                                                                                                                                     $100

National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund                                                                                                                         $50

New Covenant Peace Center                                                                                                                                             $45

Quaker Earthcare Witness                                                                                                                                                 $100

National Religious Campaign Against Torture                                                                                                 $100

St. Bridget's Hispanic Ministry                                                                                                                                           $100

Catherine McAuley Center                                                                                                                                                $100

                                                                                                                                                                                                 $1,100 

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead.”  James 2:26

These words lay a foundation for us as faithful members of the Religious Society of Friends as we continue to visit in prisons, serving our soup suppers, helping in medical clinics, and teaching in the schools.  There is no shortage of “the least of these” that ask for our care, our help, our friendship, our presence.  The need around us is great, and the opportunities are plentiful to meet our neighbors as we seek a living faith.