Peace and Social Concerns Committee, 4/3/17

Present: Dan G (clerk), Jane J, Connie B, Frank G, George M, Ruth H, Claude T, Roger C, Ka R

We began with a period of silence.

1. We spoke with great concern about the proposed closing of the Northampton office of AFSC which Jeff N has led so ably. It is not very clear what reasons the national office has for these closings.  Ruth and Roger agreed to make this the focus of the letter writing on April 16, expressing how WMass AFSC has deepened our peace and justice work both at Meeting and beyond.  We consider that Jeff and the office have been of immense help in the grass-roots organizing that has been evident in The Valley. Ruth will speak with Jeff to find out more about this proposed move.

2. In considering a replacement for Miryam as the FCNL liaison, Ka and Connie agreed to take this task on, working jointly.  The Handbook has a clear description of the responsibilities of the liaison. Clerk Dan will give the nomination of Ka and Connie to Ann for consideration in the next available meeting for business.

3. Our proposal, that the meeting minute its support for the Safe Communities Act, was revised slightly in accordance with a suggestion from Dan and others, and then approved for sending to the meeting Clerk.  (Attached as page two of these minutes.)

4. Because of a scheduling conflict, Jan H could not present Right Sharing for consideration at this meeting, but Roger presented the Nonviolent Peaceforce for the “Friends Concerns: Other Organizations” (FC:OO) section of the budget. It was approved. We also approved the Cambodian Water Project for the FC:OO. Roger will contact the meeting Clerk with these recommendations. 

5. We appreciate that Katherine G has been heavily involved in recent activity having to do with refugees, immigrants, and undocumented people. We felt that her work has the nature of a true Leading and that we would do well to support it by giving her the $2000 mentioned in minute 7a of January, which says, “We ask Peace & Social Concerns to bring to a future meeting for business a recommendation for how this donation should be allocated.”  We will bring this proposal to the meeting Clerk.  Before going to the meeting for business we will confer with Katherine  about this and find a way to present our request to the meeting in a manner that is comfortable to her.  Frank has been in contact with Katherine and we presume he will contact her.

6. The proposed talk by Pat Hynes has been postponed until the Fall.  Other ongoing matters are Virginia H’s proposed talk in May, and Andy G’s look into a Habitat project for us.

We closed with a period of silence.


 From the Peace and Social Concerns Committee
Authorized by the Committee in its minutes of 4/3/17
To be presented in the meeting for business of 4/9/17 by Roger Conant
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The Peace and Social Concerns Committee recommends that Mount Toby minute its support for the Safe Communities Act (S.1596, H.3052) currently in the Massachusetts legislature, and that the Clerk communicate this support to our Massachusetts legislators, the Governor, and local media. The Committee proposes this wording:
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We of Mt. Toby Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) strongly urge that our Massachusetts legislature pass, and that the Governor sign, the Safe Communities Act (S.1596, H.3052) which would prohibit state collaboration with the federal government for the purposes of creating a Muslim registry and would ensure that state resources are not used to enforce federal immigration law. We are called to love our neighbors as ourselves and cannot support the recent federal executive policies restricting immigration and accelerating deportation which put our friends, neighbors, and fellow human beings in unconscionable jeopardy.

The Safe Communities Act includes the following provisions:

●     Ensures no state support for a Muslim registry.  Prohibits access to information in state databases for use in any federal registry program based on national origin, religion or other protected characteristics.

●     Ensures Basic Due Process Rights for people detained in state and local facilities for civil immigration violations. Requires informing detainees that they have the right to decline an interview with ICE agents, and to have their own attorney present (at their own expense) if they so choose.

●     Uses police resources to fight crime, not separate familiesEnsures that state, local and campus police don’t participate in immigration enforcement activities, including inquiries, investigations, raids, arrests or detentions that are based solely on immigration status.

●     Prohibits agreements with DHS that deputize local officers as immigration agents, including county officers in Bristol and Plymouth sheriff’s departments.