Category Archives: Mutual Aid

Ghastly Future

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

Even though I’ve been led by a concern for our environment since my teenage years, which has taken many forms, I have often found what we are facing to be nearly overwhelming. Despite seeing the perilous path we are on, … Continue reading →

Posted in climate change, climate refugees, immigration, Mutual Aid, revolution, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Multisystem Failure

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

By far the largest system failing is our environment. The Biden administration announced the goal of greenhouse gas reduction of 50% from 2005 levels by 2030. It is an outrage that legislative proposals consistently fail to even begin to address … Continue reading →

Posted in capitalism, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Concentration camps versus abolition

Posted on April 18, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

This is some follow-up related to yesterday’s post, Today Where I try to answer yesterday’s question, “what will you do?” I had forgotten to mention my reaction to writing the Des Moines Mutual Aid Bail Fund phone number on my … Continue reading →

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, police, Quaker, Quaker Meetings, race, Uncategorized, white supremacy | Leave a comment

Making New Worlds

Posted on April 16, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

This week the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has been offering a series of online events related to “Making New Worlds – Pursuing Peace with Justice.” What does it mean to dismantle systems to create justice? What is the Quaker … Continue reading →

Posted in abolition, American Friends Service Committee, Black Lives, capitalism, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, Quaker, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Des Moines, Police and Protest

Posted on April 9, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

I hadn’t known much about police and protests in Iowa before becoming engaged with Des Moines Mutual Aid (DMMA), which is closely connected to the Des Moines Black Liberation Movement (DesMoinesBLM). The trial right now of former Minneapolis police officer, … Continue reading →

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, police, race, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Abolition of police and prisons

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

I’ve been participating in Zoom discussions of the Quaker Abolition Network, initiated by Mackenzie Barton-Rowledge and Jed Walsh. The following is from an article they wrote for Western Friend. Mackenzie: Let’s start with: What does being a police and prison … Continue reading →

Posted in abolition, Black Lives, civil disobedience, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Mutual Aid, police, prison, race, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

#NoDAPL IOWA 7 years

Posted on April 2, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

I am grateful for the video at the end of this that my friend Christine Nobiss and the Great Plains Action Society created about the work of so many to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL). A decision is expected … Continue reading →

Posted in #NDAPL, abolition, American Friends Service Committee, Black Lives, capitalism, Dakota Access pipeline, decolonize, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, Great Plains Action Society, Indigenous, Mutual Aid, Native Americans, police, Quaker, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Decolonizing, Soul Repair and Mutual Aid

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

One of the concepts Vanesse Julye spoke about during Quaker meetings last weekend was that in order for healing among groups to occur, there needs to be acknowledgement of the common history among those involved in the trauma. Between those … Continue reading →

Posted in decolonize, enslavement, Indigenous, moral injury, Mutual Aid, Quaker, race, soul repair, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

A path away from racism

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

This past weekend I participated, via Zoom, in a series of sessions where mainly White Quakers heard presentations by an African American Quaker woman, Vanessa Julye. Her presentations, and our small group discussions were on the subject of Quakers and … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Lives, decolonize, Mutual Aid, Quaker, Quaker Meetings, race, Uncategorized, white supremacy | 2 Comments

Choice and Change

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Jeff Kisling

How is it there are things that seem obvious to me, that other people don’t see at all? There have been times when I find some things I once believed ended up not being correct. What is correct or right? … Continue reading →

Posted in Black Lives, capitalism, decolonize, Des Moines Black Lives Matter, Des Moines Mutual Aid, enslavement, First Nation-Farmer Climate Unity March, Great Plains Action Society, Indigenous, Mutual Aid, Quaker, Quaker Meetings, race, Uncategorized | Leave a comment