Peace and Social Concerns

Report 5/11/08 Article from Sunday Nation (Kenya's largest newspaper) about AGLI

Report by Deborah Dakin regarding the Friends Peace Teams Coordinating Committee meeting in Indianapolis this past November.

At a recent IYMC Quaker women’s retreat those present agreed to try to send post cards each week to the president of the United States and/or our congressional representatives and senators urging support for peace and justice issues. They invite others to join them in this witness.

The Clarion Alliance, a non-profit group in Iowa, has prepared a video, "Lies, Terrorism, Government Cover-Ups: Who Can Give Us Hope?" They are offering this video for the faith community and peace and justice advocates to use to build deeper discussion about U.S. foreign policy and its relationship to the roots of terrorism. This video is available for $10. To order the video, please contact Clarion Alliance, Burt Kisling, treasurer, 515-276-7293 or chday@aol.com

A Memorial Day Worth Remembering

I wish we could dedicate Memorial Day not to the memory of those who have died at war but to the idea of saving the lives of the young people who are going die in the future if we don’t find some new way, some new religion maybe that takes war out of our lives. That would be a Memorial Day to remember. Andy Rooney CBS 60 Minutes 5/29/05

Conscientious Objection and Draft

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee would like to have all the monthly meetings be made aware of the pending proposed legislation to reinstate the draft. Here is a short, informative article that also gives information on how to follow up. We are hoping many people will be moved to contact their representatives regarding this matter. (click here for article)

Supporting the Young People Who Just Say No - article from YES! magazine

Center on Conscience and War

FCNL - Military Draft

Central Committee for Conscientious Objectors (CCCO)

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

Friends Journal - Raising CO Consciousness in Our Youth by Alice Carlton and Curt Torell

Quaker House of Fayetteville, NC

Friends United Meeting - A Guide for Friends on Conscientious Objection to War

Teen Peace Conscientious Objector Project

Bruderhof Peacemakers Guide

Environment

      Earthcare committee 2009
      Penn Valley--Do we really need our cars?
    Quaker Earthcare Witness
      FCNL and energy
      The Earthwitness Journal
      Senator Grassley's response regarding climate change

"In 1987 the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development issued a call for creation of a new charter that would set forth fundamental principles for sustainable development." The result is The Earth Charter. In response to a letter from the Yahara worship group, the Peace and Social Concerns Committee is sending information related The Earth Charter to each Monthly Meeting for their consideration and possible discussion at next year's Yearly Meeting annual sessions. (more....)

Fair Trade

Fair Trade products at http://www.transfairusa.org/

"TransFair USA enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, consumers, industry and the earth. We achieve our mission by certifying and promoting Fair Trade products."

Bob Yeats' list of clothing that does not unfairly exploit the person who made the clothes

Coffee

Coffee During the 2003 annual sessions, the Peace and Social Concerns committee reported concerns about the deregulation of the coffee market. An excerpt from the minutes appears below, with the complete statement and letter found here.

Seventh Day – Saturday – 8/09/03 It has come to our attention that our consumption of coffee involves us in a human rights problem. A deregulated coffee market has led the multinational corporations which process and market coffee to pay the farmers and their families who grow and pick the coffee beans less than it costs them to grow the crop.

Fair-trade coffee can be purchased from:

Monteverde, Costa Rica: http://www.monteverdeinfo.com/monteverde-coffee.htm

http://www.paradisecafecr.com

El Salvador: http://www.oursisterparish.org/coffee.htm

http://www.justcoffee.org

Chocolate

This message may come too late for some of you, but it is important so I am sending it regardless of the time frame.

One of the many gifts that Larry Thomasson gave me was the information of one way in which children are being enslaved today and how I was contributing to their enslavement. I was horrified to learn that something I enjoy was associated with enslavement. Over the past few years I have consciously done my best to end my involvement with this enslavement. Even though this decision means that it costs me more to purchase one of my favorite treats, chocolate. Yes, I am talking about the enslavement of children in the cocoa industry.

I am hoping that you too will begin to support these children by purchasing Fair Trade chocolate products. Valentines Day is a time when many of us use chocolate as a means to express our love for family and friends. If you have not already purchased your chocolate please consider getting fair trade chocolate instead. Many health food stores including Wild Oats, and Whole Foods carry fair trade products. If you are comfortable ordering items on line below is a link to another option for purchasing your Valentines Day gifts:

Valentine's Day Chocolate is Here!

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/valentines2006.html

If you would like to learn more about the enslavement of children in the cocoa industry please click on the link below:

http://www.globalexchange.org/campaigns/fairtrade/cocoa/

Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative), Religious Society of Friends

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