Want to find out what others are doing for Peace and Social concerns in Yearly Meeting?

Have some ideas on Peace and Social Concerns you want to share?

Need help doing something about Peace?

Come to the Peace and Social Concerns Committee Networking Day!

Saturday, 3/11/06, from 8:30 - 1:00, in the Community House at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, on Meetinghouse Road, just off Rt. 108 in Sandy Spring. Light breakfast will be provided from 8:30 - 9:15. Libby Garvey, a member of Friends Meeting of Washington, will speak at 9:45. Libby is an elected member of the Arlington County, Virginia, school board, and immediate past chair. During her seven plus years on the school board, she has developed many ideas about schools and peace. She has, for example, had to confront the No Child Left Behind Act's requirement that schools submit student information to military recruiters. From 11:00 - 12:45, we will have time to share and learn from others in BYM about peace and social concerns activities. In the past, this day has energized Friends to do things that they have felt led to do, but somehow haven't done. Clerks of Peace and Social Concerns Committees are especially invited to attend and bring a written list of their committees' actions and concerns during the past year. From 1:00 - 1:30 lunch (bring your own). From 1:30 - 2:00 John Salzberg will show a video of the new Friends International Center in Ramallah (West Bank).

Location: Sandy Spring Friends Meeting, 17715 Meeting House Road, Sandy Spring, MD 20860 http://www.sandyspring.org/

For more information, contact:
Ellen Atkinson, mewa42@aol.com,
J.E. McNeil, jmcnrick@yahoo.com
Ellen Arginteanu, elarg@rocketmail.com
or Bill Minis, musicnotwar@gmail.com

For 50 years conscientious objectors have not been required to serve in the U.S. military. However, they are still required to support the military through their taxes. In May, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga) introduced the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund bill (H.R. 2631) which would uphold the religious freedom of taxpayers who are conscientiously opposed to participating in war by allowing their taxes to be used for nonmilitary purposes. The bill would create a Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund into which the taxes of such objectors would go. The bill currently has 37 cosponsors. In the states covered by BYM only Rep. Elijah Cummings (Md-7th ) and Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) are cosponsors at this time. Similar legislation has been introduced for a number of years in the past

At Fall Interim Meeting Day, Oct. 22nd, the Peace and Social Concerns Committee will be drafting a minute in support of the legislation which it hopes to take to the business session for approval that day. It also will be discussing how to involve more Friends in passage of this important bill which supports a principle basic to Quakerism. Friends are encouraged to come to the P&SC meeting that day to discuss the bill and strategies for supporting it. More information about the bill can be found on the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund web site at www.peacetaxfund.org.

Conscription? Conscientious Objection! Lobby, May 16^th 2005

Washington, DC People of conscience speak out to make their voices heard in the halls of Congress against the reinstatement of the military draft. On May 16^th, 2005 the Center on Conscience & War (CCW) and other organizations will hold a national lobby day against the military draft and for the rights of conscientious objectors to war. Participants will meet in the Methodist Building in Washington; others will lobby at their Congress members' district office.

There are increasing signs of the return of the military draft. U.S. Troops are stretched thin across the globe with commitments in over 200 countries. Many National Guard and Reserve units are in Iraq and Afghanistan, and with the continual rise in casualties; many say they will not reenlist. Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) is likely to reintroduce a conscription bill in the Congress. In the wake of another "national emergency" (i.e. invasion of another country) there will be more serious calls for the draft. J.E. McNeil, Executive Director of CCW said, "Due to the lack of knowledge of many young congressional staffers, we need to educate Congress about conscientious objection and how a draft is never a viable option." May 16^th will be a day for voters to speak up and educate Congress about issues of conscience and put forth a strong voice against the draft.

Center on Conscience & War: The Center on Conscience & War (CCW), formerly the National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors (NISBCO), was formed in 1940 by an association of religious bodies. CCW works to defend and extend the rights of conscientious objectors. The Center is committed to supporting all those who question participation in war, whether they are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, documented or undocumented immigrants—or citizens in other countries. Telephone: (202) 483-2220 or (800) 379-2679 tsitther@nisbco.org

Draft Counseling Training

Friday, May 6: 7:30 p.m.

Free information session

General public welcome (Mandatory for training participants)

Saturday, May 7: 9 a.m._5 p.m. Training
 

Cost of Training: $50

For more information and a registration application, e-mail draft.counseling@gmail.com or call Bronna Zlochiver at (301) 260-0108 or Mary Ellen Atkinson at (410) 992-3255.

The second networking day of 2004 for clerks and other members of Peace and Social Concerns Committees will be held Saturday 9/25 from 9–1 at the Sandy Spring Meeting's Community House. All interested persons are invited to attend. The video “Preventive Warriors” will be shown from 12–1. Please call Mary Ellen Atkinson at 410/992-3255 if you plan to attend.

Malesi Kinaro, who works with David Zarembka and the African Great Lakes Initiative in furthering Friends efforts at peace making and reconciliation in East Africa, will speak at Sandy Spring Friends Meeting at 12:30 on Sunday 10/10. She will also speak at 4 p.m. on 10/ 10 at Friends House. On Friday 10/8 she will meet with students at Sandy Spring Friends School. Please consider attending one of these events and contributing as much as possible to help with the work of AGLI. For more information contact Mary Ellen Atkinson at 410/ 992-3255 or Virginia Floyd at 301/570-1018.

The Peace and Social Concerns Committee of BYM plans to meet at Interim Meeting on 10/30 at Goose Creek at 10 a.m. Anyone interested in the work of the Committee is invited to attend.

Events Marking Anniversary of Iraq War

The anniversary of the United States invasion of Iraq occurs in March and several events are being planned to register opposition to U.S. resort to war rather than diplomacy to address conflict situations. The American Friends Service Committee and other organizations are sponsoring the "Dover to D.C. Memorial Procession" March 14th and 15th. On Sunday March 14th at 12:30 people will gather at Camden Friends Meeting House in Dover and after a brief service a memorial procession will take place to the gates of Dover Air Force Base where the war dead arrive. After the ceremony at the Air Force base, a caravan will proceed to Baltimore for a rally. Then, on Monday March 15th there will be a gathering and observances at Walter Reed Army Hospital in Washington, DC, current residence of many U.S. Servicemen and women wounded in Iraq, followed by memorial procession to White House. For further information, check the peace pledge web site, http://www.peacepledge.org/resist/update3142004.shtm.

Then on March 20-21 events are planned in Washington; information may be obtained from the United for Peace and Justice web site, www.unitedforpeace.org/article.php?id=1359&preview=1.