Right Sharing of World Resources

The Right Sharing of World Resources Committee is composed of about nine members nominated by the Nominating Committee and appointed by the Yearly Meeting. In addition, individuals may be co-opted to serve on the Committee, particularly from those local Meetings not otherwise represented.

This Committee works to keep alive throughout the Yearly Meeting membership the challenge to simplify our lives and to work in partnership with our sisters and brothers in the U. S. and throughout the world for a more equitable distribution of the world’s resources. In doing so, this Committee works with the independent Quaker organization Right Sharing of World Resources, Inc. The Committee facilitates the coordination and exchange of information to meet these concerns. It provides support for community development and self-help programs throughout the world. The Committee raises funds for these programs through activities such as simple meals.

The Committee also works with Monthly Meetings to address these concerns. It may also bring to the attention of the Yearly Meeting other international and domestic concerns that affect relationships between the economically developed and less-developed countries or the relationship between people with greatly different economic means wherever they may live.

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Manual of Procedure, July 2004, p33

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God calls us to the right sharing of world resources, from the burdens of materialism and poverty into the abundance of God's love, to work for equity through partnership with our sisters and brothers throughout the world

"But just as you excel in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us -see that you also excel in this grace of giving ... Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. Then there will be equality, as it is written: He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little did not have too little." 2 Corinthians 8:7, 13-15, NIV

Taking 2004, Right Sharing of World Resources' fifth year as an independent, Quaker organization as an opportunity for reflection and visioning, the RSWR Board of Trustees completed a six-month strategic planning project. The project resulted in four strategies which will guide RSWR in the next three to five years:

• Continue with the best practices of the previous five years
• Increase RSWR's presence among North American Quakers, with special attention to young Friends
• Move toward increasing involvement in decision-making by project partners
• Explore a paradigm shift from wealth, economics-based development to sustainability, with a new understanding of resources.

We also note the following highlights:

• $240,000 disbursed to 51 projects, including four in response to the tsunami disaster in south India. Thirty (59%) of the projects are in (south) India; 14 (27%) are in Kenya, all with Quaker partners; six (12%) are in Sierra Leone; one (2%) is in the Philippines
• Fifteen (29%) of all project partners are Quaker
• A 10% increase in total income from the previous year. Individual Friends households provide 75% of RSWR's income, Monthly Meetings and Churches provide 12%, Yearly Meetings 3%, and special events (e.g. Simple Meal) 4%. The balance of the income is from interest and restricted gifts.

RSWR continues to provide Friends the means by which we can examine our life of plenty, to provide a practical outlet to assist and empower some of the poorest people on the planet (some of whom are Quakers), and to come to a deeper understanding of economic discipleship as part of our individual and corporate life as a faith community.

Right Sharing Of World Resources, 232 College Avenue, Richmond, Indiana 47374-5360 765/983-1879; rswr@earthlink.net; www.rswr.org