Peace and Social Concerns meeting, 3/16/15

Present: Chris M, Beth A, Susan C, Adele P (clerking), Carol L, Roger C, Jane J, George M, Dan G.

1.We began with a time of silence and mentions of gratitude.

2. Susan offered to do letter writing on April 12.

3. Beth suggested Centro de Amigos Cuaqueros para la Paz (CAP, see note below) for the Friends Concerns: Other Organizations part of the budget and handed out information about it. We agreed to recommend CAP to the meeting.

4. Beth also proposed that we consider the Nolumbeka Project (http://nolumbekaproject.blogspot.com/) for the same consideration. She agreed to create a document about her proposal, and to circulate it for our committee. We will consider it at our next committee meeting.

5. The movie held on March 12^th , Michelle Alexander’s talk about “Mass Incarceration: The New Jim Crow,” was very enlightening and powerfully presented, and the dozen or so attendees stayed for a good discussion afterward. Dan and Roger will choose the next (and last) film, for the April 9 showing.

6. There was a preliminary discussion of having a Sunday morning book discussion group, formed around Michelle Alexander’s book.

7. We reviewed and reiterated the decisions in our minute last month concerning the need to get advanced committee approval of expenses from our budget.

8. If we can do so, we want to cosponsor a talk by Mel Duncan, cofounder with David Harsough of the Nonviolent Peace Force (http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/), and to publicize it in the newsletter. We believe it may be in Northampton on April 8. Roger will check this with Anne Moore of Northampton Friends.

9. Chris offered to compile, organize, and summarize for us the bills in Massachusetts related to carbon tax.

10. Jane described the Young Friends pipeline pilgrimage, April 1-12 (http://www.pipelinepilgrimage.org) in which some of us are planning to participate. She agreed to write a note for the newsletter about it and to find out how we might support the project. Roger will help her with communications.

11. On Saturday, Dan and Roger visited the Not Bread Alone service project (http://www.firstchurchamherst.org/not_bread_alone.html), on the ground floor of the Amherst Congregational Church, and Dan stayed to work the day. They need volunteers and will need more when the college term ends and student volunteers leave. The workday is long but can be split into shifts. It is well organized. Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are the days of operation. Bob (who runs it, on Saturdays at least) suggested our participation on second Saturdays of the month. Dan offered to write an article for the upcoming newsletter, and we will consider him as the coordinator of this effort.

12. The Rights of Nature: Dan has gone to the Religious Education Committee and he told us that there would be a discussion on April 5 about the rights of nature. Adele proposed that in our April meeting we put that matter on the agenda, with Dan bringing to us what happened at that RE discussion.

13. Jane J has agreed to join our committee! Her email address will be emailed to this committee in a separate emailing.

14. Adele reported that the AFSC wants to have two representatives from our meeting. She recommended that we spread the word about this need, particularly (I think she said) for men, people of color, and young people.

15. Jane brought to our attention an effort to counteract those who are entering schools at the 50^th anniversary of the Vietnam war with jingoistic material, perhaps “celebrating” that war. If she can send us information about this effort, she will.

16. The Committee’s name change matter came up again, and we remembered that Quaker Witness for a Just World had been considered favorably before but without full agreement. No complete agreement was reached this time either. It will be early on next month’s meeting but with a time limit.

17. Beth agreed to clerk the April meeting.

We closed with a time of silence.

See description of CAP at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Centro-de-los-Amigos-Cu%C3%A1queros-para-la-Paz/421251411289423?sk=info&tab=page_info Click on “See more” for English