uaker historian Jerry Frost recently talked about the depression and isolation AFSC founder Rufus Jones and former executive secretary Clarence Pickett felt during WW I and II- times of widespread, extreme American patriotic fervor. The parallel between then and now is disquieting.

Today, as AFSC continues its decades-long work "speaking truth to power" in efforts to respond to the September 11th crisis and its violent aftermath, I, too, at times have similar feelings. On a day-to-day basis the support of colleagues and family keeps these emotions under control. More importantly, it is truly humbling to know that so many of you are praying for me.

Taking the less popular stand is never easy. Friends like Thomas Garrett-a key figure helping free slaves through the Underground Railroad-and even Philadelphia founder William Penn, knew how lonely, even dangerous, holding to principle could become. Yet they too, held steady and helped change their world.

According to Frost, AFSC did its best work in times of war. Since the two world wars, AFSC has continued to help victims of war and natural disasters- but also has shifted its work to shed light on the reasons for the war or conflict.

Given that shift, what are we facing now, in this time of similar patriotic fervor? US bombs continue to rain down on Afghanistan, although we have neither been attacked by nor declared war on any foreign country. What does this mean for the people who support and those who carry out the work of the AFSC?

We have to have the courage to speak the truth and have the compassion to aid all the victims affected by the September 11th attacks and the subsequent military action.

We have to understand and communicate in a clear yet non-threatening way that hopelessness and poverty play a key role in these events; that traditional US foreign policy, which props up repressive regimes for economic self interest plays a key role in these events; and that the past decade of unilateral US world dominance plays a key role.

We also have to be tender to an American public who are angry and hurt. They have, through their elected representatives, given unprecedented power and money to President Bush to wage "war" against an unseen enemy. It is in this landscape, I believe, that we find our greatest challenge. How do we reach this public with our concrete message of stopping the spiraling cycle of violence? How do we reach them so that their hurt will be healed, their anger dissipated and their minds changed? How do we get them to understand that as A.J. Muste says "there is no way to peace. Peace is the way."

To accomplish this, AFSC kicked off its No More Victims campaign identifying three goals in the hours and days following the September 11th attacks: to change the hearts and minds of the American public who believe war is the answer; to mobilize those who agree that war will only do more harm and create more victims; and to lift up those whose voices were silenced . . . the poor, dispossessed, immigrants, minorities.

As the months went by the issues became more complex. AFSC's deep involvement in communities across the US and the world gave us a unique window into how those September tragedies and the subsequent bombing campaign affected people who were not in the news. The three initial goals evolved into more complex levels of activities leading to broader, more long-term goals. These activities include included humanitarian support and relief to all victims affected by these events, challenging the US and International organizations to build structures that promote justice, not war and fighting to protect US civil liberties and rights from restrictions enacted in the name of security.

To meet the challenges before us, AFSC continues the "No More Victims" campaign which involves a number of programs, activities, directions and projects that are coordinated by a team of dedicated, caring and experienced people.

STATEMENT: In the hours after September 11th, we helped craft and disseminate joint statements from Quaker organizations in response to the tragedies;

LOCAL ASSISTANCE: Our New York office gave enormous assistance to a shelter of elderly folks dis-placed by the attack and gave assistance to the fire, police and rescue efforts in New York City;

RELIEF EFFORT: Part of the "No More Victims" campaign was a Blankets for Afghan Refugees pro-gram that caught the hearts of Quakers and others around the country and reconnected them to AFSC. By December 31 we shipped more than one million dollars worth of blankets and more than 239 tons of much needed food and supplies to refugees in and around Afghanistan;

ASSESSMENT: We sent two representatives to Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan to assess how we could best help with relief efforts that are more long-term in their approach. As a result of that assessment, we opened an office in Kabul the second week of January;

POLICY: We have called for and are working toward the establishment of an International Criminal Court, reduction and control of small arms and a broader role for the international community;

SOCIAL ACTIVISM: Silent vigils and peace rallies are taking place all across the US; we continue to build new alliances with like-minded people and groups based on our work in diverse communities across the world; PUBLIC OUTREACH: Full-page ads highlighting a call for peace appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Roll Call, and the Boston Globe and other newspapers urging President Bush to rely on international law to bring the perpetrators to justice.

We continue to face numerous challenges as we work to build a world without war. We will count on guidance from the Spirit. We will also count on Quakers and people of other faith traditions to be our partners. We must remember . . . we are not alone.

"Never doubt that a small group of committed persons can change the world. In fact, nothing else ever has." - Margaret Meade

FGConnections Winter 2002 Home