Since Randy (Porter) died over three years ago I find myself asking God “what would you have me do today?” when I arise on the weekends.  (Weekday mornings are focused on work at Riley Hospital for Children).  This has made me more sensitive to listening for the Inner Light.   But also makes me feel less organized, which I once thought was a bad thing.

This morning I awoke still wondering how it is possible for us to have “food deserts”, and how the closing of the food store chain Double 8 in inner city neighborhoods recently is affecting my friends at KI.  I’ll know more later, since I plan to attend the discussion about this there at KI this afternoon.  How have we allowed conditions to deteriorate to this point?  Run down neighborhoods, no work on basic infrastructure, no local employment, poor schools, minimal public transportation, poor air quality, social and cultural stagnation, no hope.

I received the following image via Instagram from Lucy Duncan.  Accompaniment is one of the main parts of the new Small Group Social Change Ministry program that we are beginning to implement at North Meadow Circle of Friends.  Lucy and Greg Elliott from AFSC are the main people involved.  I discussed this program in Iowa last week, first during a presentation to Des Moines Valley Friends meeting 7/19, then during Peace and Social Concerns committee meetings at Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) during that week in Iowa.

Accompaniment

These all blend together, because KI is at least one community North Meadow plans to accompany as part of our Small Group Social Change Ministry.

Last night President Obama spoke for half an hour by phone to activists who support him.  He described how the Iran deal is a good deal for the United States and all the counties who joined in the negotiations in good faith that they would all agree to the deal.  This is the agreement that the international community hammered out and supports. If Congress defeats this bill, that will likely end any influence the United States could have in the Middle East. Opponents of the bill only offer that we need a “better deal”, but have nothing to offer as to what that could possibly be.  Those who say we should continue with sanctions don’t understand that is not possible now  Sanctions only work when the international community supports and enforces them.  That won’t happen if they see the U.S. cannot agree on a foreign policy, as would be evident if this bill is defeated. There is also the question of who the sanctions hurt, which is the people of Iran, not their leaders.  This feeds the movement to join terrorist organizations.  An improved standard of living for the Iranian people should help mitigate that. The President specifically asked us to speak out to support this deal.  “In the absence of your voices, you are going to see the same array of voices that got us into the Iraq war, leading to a situation in which we forgo a historic opportunity and we are back on the path of potential military conflict,” he said.

Many issues related to peace and nonviolence were considered by the Peace and Social Concerns committee, of which I am co-clerk with Sherry Hutchison, at the annual sessions of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative).
Many of our concerns related to the Middle East. We approved supporting the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement (BDS) AFSC has been working on, to try to pressure Israel to stop oppressing the Palestinian people. We also approved a minute and a letter to be sent to our Congressional representatives related to the recently negotiated deal to limit Iran’s nuclear capabilities in exchange for easing sanctions against Iran. The fate of the deal is likely to determine how peace progresses, or not, in the Middle East.
We also worked on the concerns related to gun violence, and approved a minute urging Congress to allow the Centers for Disease Control to fund research into the public health effects of gun violence.
One slogan often heard in the streets of our cities during protests this past year is “no justice, no peace”. In our country it seems much of our peace work has been focused on addressing economic and racial injustice here.

ADVICE
We seek peace within our own lives. Sometimes there are barriers to peace within families and meetings, and among individuals. Anger and frustration may result in hurtfulness which leaves physical, sexual or emotional wounds. Healing and forgiveness are possible when our hearts are opened to the transforming love that comes from the Spirit Within. The violence we oppose is not only war, but all unloving acts.

Friends seek peaceful resolution to conflicts among nations and peoples. Wars can easily erupt when nations depend upon armed forces as an option for defense and order. To oppose war is not enough if we fail to deal with the injustices and inequalities that often lead to violence. We need to address the causes of war, such as aggression, revenge, overpopulation, greed, and religious and ethnic differences.

QUERY
• What are we doing to educate ourselves and others about the causes of conflict in our own lives, our families and our meetings? Do we provide refuge and assistance, including advocacy, for spouses, children, or elderly persons who are victims of violence or neglect?
• Do we recognize that we can be perpetrators as well as victims of violence? How do we deal with this? How can we support one another so that healing may take place?
• What are we doing to understand the causes of war and violence and to work toward peaceful settlement of differences locally, nationally, and internationally? How do we support institutions and organizations that promote peace?
• Do we faithfully maintain our testimony against preparation for and participation in war?

Glass Web Projects, with animator Andrew Burger, just finished working with me to produce this video of the story of the Keystone Pledge of Resistance.
Keystone Pledge of Resistance

I am co-clerk of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)’s Peace and Social Concerns committee.  We just finished our annual meeting sessions, and the approved reports and minutes follow:

Peace and Social Concerns Committee Report  2015

Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee reports from our monthly meetings reflect a great deal and variety of work in areas of interest and concern to Friends.  One monthly meeting asked that all of these reports be shared among all of us, which was done just prior to the beginning of our annual sessions.

This has been a year of numerous traumatic events related to injustice, as well as an increasing level of concern and response by Friends as well as many others.  There is a sense of an increasing engagement by more of the public in social justice and peace work.

Outrage at the killing of so many people, particularly people of color, by police, as well as the violent, militarized response of the police has ignited nationwide conversations and actions, such as Black Lives Matter, and the President’s order to stop providing certain military surplus equipment to police departments.

This has caused many Friends to look more closely at our historic positions of privilege, and for ways to address the consequences of that.

The consequences of climate disruption  have become increasingly evident by  more extreme weather patterns.  The positive side of that is that more people are paying attention to this, and we are heartened that Congress is beginning to bring forth legislation to start to address this, finally.  We especially appreciate the very long and patient work in this area, including building faith based coalitions, by the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL).

We were moved by and appreciate the work of Junior Yearly Meeting to help us address our ongoing concern regarding changes in our environment.  Their project of selling flowers to raise money to support FCNL’s efforts related to the environment was beautiful both spiritually and artistically.

We were very fortunate to have Hannah Evans from FCNL, and Brant Rosen, Jon Krieg, Kevin Rutledge and Kathleen McQuillen from the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) spend much time with us, including attending our Peace and Social Concerns committee meetings.  Their insights into many issues have been extremely helpful.

Kevin Rutledge described his work of “bird dogging” Presidential candidates when they campaign in Iowa.  Iowa is uniquely positioned for interaction with the candidates.  By asking carefully crafted questions to the candidates in person, the candidates, press and public are often educated about issues of concern to Friends.  We urge monthly meetings to invite Kevin to train them how to do this, and then do it.

Hannah Evans educated us about the recent policy to detain families seeking asylum in the United States.

The recently negotiated deal to limit Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons is a welcome result of years of patient diplomacy.  We encourage Friends to urge Congress to approve it.

Brant Rosen, Director of AFSC’s Midwest office,  talked to us about AFSC and the situation in Palestine/Israel.  An increasing depth and breadth of violent response in so many arenas is of great concern to us.  We are heartened by so many examples and stories of Friends’ work this past year on so many issues related to peace and justice.  This is a great opportunity for us to continue and expand our commitment to lives  of nonviolence.   Direct actions of nonviolent civil disobedience are happening increasingly, in an increasing number of social justice areas.  This is an  opportunity for Friends to teach others about nonviolence and civil disobedience.

Stories of this work by Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Friends are a very powerful tool to teach others  about this.  We encourage Friends to share their stories on the Quaker Story Project as an effective form of peace and social justice education.

We ask that Friends continue to be mindful of the ongoing concerns and minutes from previous years.

For the committee,

Jeff Kisling, Sherry Hutchison, co-clerks

Minutes approved

Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement

Working for peace entails working for justice.

The state of Israel continues to expand its occupation of Palestinian land, continues to imprison Palestinians without trial, continues to rob Palestinians of water and other vital resources, and continues to violently deprive Palestinians of basic human rights.  By our economic and military support of Israel, we and all Americans are complicit.  Our faith compels us to respond.

Therefore, we support the Palestinian civil society’s call of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement to boycott products made in Israel’s West Bank settlements and to divest from companies that support Israel’s military occupation and repression of the Palestinian people.

Carbon Fee and Dividend

Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) supports a carbon fee and dividend approach to accelerate the necessary transition from fossil fuel to renewable sources of energy.

Detention of Families Seeking Asylum

Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends (Conservative) believes the recent practice of detaining families seeking asylum in the United States is both immoral and illegal.  We support community based alternatives to help these families.

Gun Violence Research by the Centers for Disease Control

We, along with many other Americans, are concerned about of the number of Americans killed every day by guns.   It is disturbing, therefore, to realize that Congress has effectively banned the use of federal funds to study the public health effects of gun violence.   While many more children are killed by guns than by cancer, Congress funds the study of cancer but bars the study of gun violence.  This is outrageous.

As our representative in Washington, we ask you to restore the money that the Center for Disease Control has previously used to fund independent research on the danger of guns to public health.

Iran Deal

Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) supports the peaceable agreement among world powers, including the United States and Iran, to dramatically curb Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing international sanctions against Iran.  We hope this will be the beginning of many more peaceful negotiations.

Junior Yearly Meeting Addresses climate change with fund raiser for FCNL climate work

We are deeply moved and appreciate the contribution of Junior Yearly Meeting to our ongoing concern regarding changes in our environment.  Their project to raise funds for FCNL’s efforts to address environmental concerns by selling flowers was both spiritually and artistically beautiful.

Indy Friend shares about small group ministry 

Indy Friend shares about small group ministry

Jeff Kisling is an attender of North Meadow Circle of Friends in Indianapolis, a member of Bear Creek Friends Meeting, and the co-clerk of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative.)

Photo: AFSC / Jon Krieg

Jeff Kisling shares about “Quaker Faith in Action” with members of the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting.

Photo: AFSC / Jon Krieg

Jeff Kisling of Indianapolis shared this presentation about “Quaker Faith in Action” with members of the Des Moines Valley Friends Meeting on Sunday, July 19, 2015. He is co-clerk of the Peace and Social Concerns Committee of the Iowa Yearly Meeting of Friends (Conservative).

Jeff is a close ally of Erin Polley, who directs AFSC’s peacebuilding work in Indiana and provides leadership for Indiana Moral Mondays.

Jeff shared about the following lessons he’s learned:

• People are yearning to know how to work for justice.
• Social consciousness/awareness is rising.
• People are coming together in many places to address various issues.
• An activist group is emerging.
• Embrace your passion. Art in particular can be useful in suprising ways….
• Money is losing its importance.

The lowering of the Confederate flag on the Capitol grounds in South Carolina today is deeply symbolic.  While the horrific deaths in Charleston created the moment for this historic action, the discussions and decisions this stimulated have been shaped by a movement that has been growing since the killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson last year.  Black Lives Matter and the ongoing nonviolent, peaceful demonstrations have forced long needed conversations and actions.  All those who came out and engaged in discussions of privilege and discrimination helped make this happen.

I have a personal connection to this.  Todd Zimmer, who trained me to be an Action Leader in the Keystone Pledge of Resistance, and also led the Change the Course training I attended in Louisville, was then working with the Rainforest Action Network.  Much of that training focused on nonviolent civil disobedience direct action planning and execution.

Figure 1Todd Zimmer on far right

Figure 2Todd Zimmer with Des Moines Mayor Cownie

Todd organized the act of civil disobedience by Brittany Newsome, who was arrested after she scaled the flagpole to remove the flag last Saturday.

The NAACP praised Newsome as a “courageous young woman” and asked for leniency from prosecutors.

“We commend the courage and moral impulse of Ms. Newsome as she stands for justice like many NAACP activists including Henry David Thoreau, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and numerous Americans who have engaged in civil disobedience,” it said. “The NAACP calls on state prosecutors to consider the moral inspiration behind the civil disobedience of this young practitioner of democracy.”

Figure 3Brittany Newsome arrested

Nonviolent civil disobedience direct actions continue to be effective as tools to help promote social justice and change.

Meeting for Worship is the subject of the advice and queries being considered this month by Bear Creek meeting and distance members.  While Meeting for Worship  can be bring a sense of peace and revitalization, it can also feel kind of edgy, maybe a little apprehension.  Because we might discern the will of God.  And then we must make the choice of whether to obey, or not.  As he does so often, Thomas Kelly expressed this well.  “Where the will to will the will of God is, there is a Child of God.”

Your comment about how we’re hoping on some level certain problems go away does have some merit—I think it’s a pretty human response, if not a good one.  Our response is to try to find ways to put our faith into action.  That’s why I’m so interested in the AFSC small group social change ministry program, whose purpose is just that.  One goal is to try to get those who don’t usually engage in social justice activities to become engaged, because having their spiritual insights is important, and makes social actions more impactful.

Also, it can look like you are ignoring things when in fact your faith is that you trust God will help provide an answer.  Sunday my Godson had a bad personal experience, which resulted in he and his daughter temporarily moving into my small apartment.  I did all I could, but much was beyond my control.  I was getting pretty stressed until I reminded myself to trust in my faith.   Yesterday all was resolved.