Peace and Social Concerns

October - November  2008

Dear Friends,

One thing we have talked about is our desire for ways to keep our concerns alive. We discussed at yearly meeting the advantage of having our crafted letters and minutes to re-send, distribute, adapt, and use in many ways so our personal voice can be added the larger group's actions.  A recent example of this is that our IYM(C)  earthcare minute has been published in the Nov./Dec. issue of "Befriending Creation", the publication of Quaker Earthcare Witness.  If you don't receive it, it can be seen on their website at: <www.quakerearthcare.org> Members of the earthcare committee continue to work at getting this minute out to as many people as possible. This is one way to feed the conversation that all of us have agreed is vitally important right now. 

If you are so moved, I encourage you to also think about people and places you can share this minute (as well as our other letters and minutes) with.  The earthcare subcommittee always welcomes others to join them with this concern.  Please  make sure to pass this on to any members in your meetings who might want to join with them.

There are three attachments with this summary.  Two are appeals. Please share them as you are so moved:

1. Texas Area Friends:   This appeal is from our FUM Friends who are

helping people recover from Hurricane Ike. It is a good opportunity to help those in need.

(When Bob and I were in Houston last month for our son's wedding, I learned that the bodies of only a very few out of many known missing had been recovered from the Galveston area. Many  people are still missing, and many were probably washed out to sea and will never be found.) Texas experienced a great disaster and the need is great.  We so are fortunate that our FUM Quaker Friends have the means and structure in place for disaster assistance.

2.  The other attachment is the AFSC statement regarding the situation in Congo. Obviously the fighting there is much in the news these days.

Those of you who heard Theoneste Bizimana speak at our last yearly meeting might remember him discussing his work in North Kivu (and specifically in Goma- where some of the worst violence has been occuring).  The e-mails I have been receiving from the area have been blunt:  "Please pray for us".

This is the same area Theo told us about where he was trying to raise money for their program of "healing companions" for women who had been raped as an act of warfare. Yesterday the news spoke of the escalation of both the army's and rebels' terrible atrocities against women. When I listen to the news, I can't forget Theo's compassionate talk to us last summer.

Every where I took Theo, he talked about the need for healing companions because of the ongoing violence against women.  One time I asked him, "Are you ever afraid when you go to North Kivu?"

He waited no more than a few seconds and then said, "Of course."

End of conversation.

I encourage us to hold our dear Friends doing this important peacework in Congo in the Light.

Immigration continues to be a large concern for a number of monthly meetings.  Iowa City members helped the Peace Center host a program on immigration this past weekend. Whittier members were part of the International Fair put on by a Cedar Rapids Interfaith group that served as an education resource for the community.  (this same group also provided beautiful "History of Immigration in Iowa" banners for Eastern Iowa Gathering!)

Meanwhile, the needs for many in Postville remain great.  Those of you following the news know that many of the workers had their power cut off by Alliant Energy this past week and some needed to seek temporary shelter in the Decorah skating rink. The energy company gave a short reprieve- but only for a week.  Agriprocessors has declared bankruptcy, banks and companies are scrambling for their money, and all production at the plant has been suspended.  The former CEO is in jail on charges of bank fraud. The situation for many (in fact, the whole town) remains very tenuous.

Last but not by any means least, Penn Valley sent not one but TWO wonderful, inspiring P&SC reports to me since yearly meeting, one of which is attached. They have followed up with our idea of passing on our ym letters and minutes, they have signed on to National Religious Campaign Against Torture (NRCAT- the same organization that the yearly meeting has signed on) and promote that valuable work. They have followed up immigrant concerns in their own neighborhood.  I find their report inspiring and know you will too!

Please forgive me for taking so long in sending out a summery of all our good work. My schedule (and computer) just didn't allow it.  Please don't let my tardiness getting this done discourage you from sending me your news. I have every reason to believe that it will be easier to attend to this in a more timely fashion from now on.

love,

Deb