I would like to express my deep gratitude for the financial support that made it possible for me to attend the Annual Meeting of the Friends Committee on National Legislation.

As in previous Annual Meetings I have attended, I was amazed by the how much FCNL is able to accomplish in a seemingly hostile political climate. From the outside, it is tempting to view FCNL as an admirable, principled organization with no real clout in a Washington dominated by corporate lobbyists, big special interest cash, and the risk-averse hawkishness of both major parties. But at Annual Meeting one hears from staff lobbyists who have built constructive relationships with Congressional staff from both parties and played a key role in stopping bad bills and even passing a few new ones. My favorite handout of the many given to participations was “FCNL’S Top Ten Congressional Accomplishments in 2006.”

Although FCNL goes to considerable lengths to remain nonpartisan, it was impossible to ignore the sense of optimism created by the election returns days earlier. In a session on engaging vocal outreach, attenders from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania discussed strategies for engaging their newly elected Democratic Senators.

The spiritual basis of FCNL’s work often goes unspoken (to the disappointment of some Friends), but Earlham professor Michael Birkel’s Friday night address took us deep into the writing of John Woolman in hopes of bridging the divide between Quaker “contemplatives” and “activists.” For me, political action among Friends tends to be more fulfilling than in other contexts because, in Birkel’s words, “our efforts grow out of a feeling sense of the conditions of others.”

One significant disappointment of the conference for me was Perry Cammack’s acceptance of the 2006 Ed Snyder Award on behalf of Senator Joseph Biden. My disappointment at the Senator’s failure to attend was compounded by his Iraq policy staff persons’ apparent discomfort with the situation. He thanked the gathered pacifists for their antiwar work and then proceeded to detail the senator’s reservations about setting a timetable to withdrawal from Iraq. Certainly honesty is preferable to simply telling the crowd what it wants to hear as politicians are so wont to do, but the dissonance between Cammack’s comments and the antiwar passion of the rest of the conference left myself and other attenders wondering why FCNL has bestowing its seal of approval on a lawmaker unwilling to take a clear antiwar stand.

The answer, of course, is that FCNL is engaged in a continual balancing act between what some have called “the politics of moral witness” and “the politics of the possible.” Senator Biden’s leadership is pressing for legislative language barring the establishment permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq was seen as a small but significant step in the right direction. Quite understandably, FCNL focuses much of its energies on pressing for such incremental changes while at the same time proclaiming a prophetic vision of the world we seek.

I am currently helping FCNL with year-end fundraising by writing personally to lapsed donors. Although no longer a member of the General Committee, I intend to stay involved in FCNL by organizing members of Sandy Spring Friends meeting for lobby visits with Senator Ben Cardin and Representative Al Wynn in the coming months.

Given the considerable cost of attending Annual Meeting, in future years BYM should consider taking the initiative in offered financial assistance to Young Adult Friends who have been nominated to the FCNL General Committee by BYM or by their monthly meeting. This would be a great way for BYM to support FCNL and Young Adult involvement.

Nathan Harrington,, Sandy Spring