Friends Peace Teams
Dec.29, 2004
Dear Friends,
Last November I was able to attend the meeting of Coordinating Committee of Friends Peace Teams as the representative of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) in Indianapolis, IN.
I am moved to share with you how inspiring this meeting was for me. It is easy to feel overwhelmed and discouraged by the prevalent use of violence as a mode of communication in the world. How rejuvenating to find people so effective in creating alternate ways in areas plagued by violence and war!
These are critical times for us. There is so much work to be done, and so many good organizations to support. Because the IYM(C) relationship with Friends Peace Teams had lapsed in years past, I felt a responsibility to our Yearly Meeting to make sure this was a connection that we wanted to reestablish. As a Quaker, it was especially moving for me to participate in meetings that directly relied on the Spirit to heal differences, and uncover the future direction for the organization. I am comfortable that the members of the Friends Peace Teams Coordinating Committee are true in applying Quaker peacemaking tools with the greater world.
At present, Friends Peace Teams is on the verge of taking the next major step in the growth of their organization, and they are approaching this with care and prudence. This is an exciting time for them. If you feel moved to do so, I heartily encourage you to support them in any way to help them continue and expand their work.
Many of you are already familiar with the Alternatives to Violence Project. Friends Peace Teams has successfully adapted this program to a number of areas. They have adopted AVP in a number of venues to give people living in homes ravaged by war the means to successfully change their surroundings. Their future goals are to expand their programs in South and North America.
I found the report from the Great Lakes region of Africa to be especially inspiring. If any of you are looking for a group that does a tremendous amount of good with the smallest expenditure, I heartily recommend you look into the AGLI (the African Great Lakes Initiative) project of Friends Peace Teams. While we were in Indianapolis, we were able to hear about the most recent peacemaking activities of the African members. One report I found especially inspiring was from a group of Rwandan women called “Women in Dialogue”. Some of the members are Hutu, whose husbands are in jail for participating in the genocide. Some are Tutsi, whose husbands were the very ones killed. Apparently, many of the people in Rwanda feel a sense of hopelessness that another genocide cannot be prevented and is inevitable. These women decided that they themselves would “be the change they wish to see.” They meet together to use their peacemaking skills to change the interaction between the ethnic groups in their village.
For those who would like to learn more or find our about ways to help, I encourage you to read the latest AGLI newsletter that tells of this and other peace and reconciliation work. I also encourage you to check out their web page. (http://www.quaker.org/fpt/agli) David Zarembka, (founder of AGLI) told us that it is one of his fondest dreams that unprogrammed Quakers come to share the same interest in African issues and support for their Quaker brothers and sisters in Africa that the F.U.M. Friends already have.
Since our meeting in Indianapolis, the reports from AGLI continue to be exciting: we have since heard of villagers who have not talked to each other in over 20 years gathering together in AVP groups, meetings between Christians and Muslims in Burundi…. the news goes on and on. Like a prairie that grows after burning, it is deeply encouraging to hear of the growth of peaceful dialogue in areas devastated by war.
Other projects of Friends Peace Teams include Trauma Healing workshops for people scarred by the violence of war in Africa, as well as the creation of a “Reentry Manual” for people returning from peacework in foreign countries. This manual has been so successful that other peace organizations have asked to use it with their own returning workers.
In addition to our monthly phone conferences, the Coordinating Committee will meet again the second weekend of April 2005, in San Antonio, Texas. Until then, I intend to do whatever I can to spread the word about Friends Peace Teams, and the good work they do.
I want to thank Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) for allowing me to represent them on the Coordinating Committee. I am deeply grateful for the experience and will do my best to honor both IYM (C) and Friends Peace Teams by my service.
In the Light,
Deborah Dakin
IYM (C) representative, Friends Peace Teams Coordinating Committee