Peace and Justice Committee

Annual Report

Submitted: January 12, 2011

The Peace and Justice Committee (comprised of Barbara Donachy (CC), Tom Kowal (CC), Joe Bartel, Tom Gilmore, Kearin O’Hara, Eric Smith, and Paula Van Dusen) has welcomed the additional participation of Laure Abercrombie, Robert Griswold (F&B), and Bruce Thron-Weber (W&M).

Since September, the committee has continued to sponsor Third Sunday Peace and Justice forums and a monthly Friends Committee on National Legislation letter-writing table. Two forums will be presented in January.

Committee members Joe Bartel and Kearin O’Hara have spearheaded a weekly Thursday night delivery of food and water to homeless individuals at the Samaritan House site in downtown Denver. At least three other meeting people have been involved in this effort.

Mountain View Friends Meeting has begun participating in the Interfaith Hospitality Network. Two MVFM members spent the night at Most Precious Blood Catholic Church with three homeless families between Christmas and New Years. Opportunities for participation through Most Precious Blood will continue throughout the year.

The majority of the work of the P&J committee has been directed toward the discernment of the Meeting’s Outreach contributions. Toward this end, the committee has developed a list of guiding principles and queries for decision-making, has gathered information on the work and budgets of the organizations that the Meeting has supported in the past, and is reviewing new organizations that have been proposed for consideration. Robert and Bruce, as representatives from Finance and Budget and Worship & Ministry respectively, have lent their wisdom and skills to this process. At our last meeting, the Committee began the allocation process and will be sending recommendations to the Finance Committee before their next meeting. The committee has discussed ways in which we might better educate and engage Meeting members and attenders about peace and justice issues and in providing financial and other support to the Meeting.

The committee considered ways of supporting Café Justo sales, including efforts to have only Café Justo served at the Meetinghouse, stocking a large quantity of Café Justo at the Meetinghouse, getting a freezer to do so, and encouraging purchase by Meeting members and attenders.

The committee discussed ways in which the Meeting can better address the needs of people within the Meeting, including ways of making people aware of the availability of financial help from F&B through the Sharing Fund.

Individual members of P&J have continued their work on issues of concern to the Meeting.

Paula reported on the November FCNL lobby trip to DC to ratify the New START II Treaty (ratified in December!!), cut Pentagon spending, and reduce nuclear weapons to zero in Colorado. During the same trip, participants approved the appointment of a new FCNL Executive Secretary after 20 years with Joe Volk and the coming year’s FCNL budget, learned where we can be effective in many of the issues FCNL is focusing on, and worshipped together.

Tom Kowal has continued advocacy and lobbying for comprehensive immigration reform and other immigrant rights issues, has provided ongoing support to Immigration issue development and workshops at FCNLs annual meeting, and has supported vigils at the GEO/ICE Detention Center. He has continued his involvement with El Centro Humanitario Para Los Trabajadores and has worked on developing Quaker service opportunities for youth and adults.

Committee meeting attendance has been high and the wisdom, commitment, and spiritual centeredness of members have made the meetings productive and rich.

In Peace,

Barbara Donachy, Co-convener