As violence escalates and reverberates in the Middle East, Friends feel a call to act. For many, that action includes working in their own community to distill their grief, fear, confusion, and concern into a collective and corporate statement of belief and action. Friends call these statements “minutes.”
“In the way of peace, we urge all people, including those who hold political power, to set aside violence and aggression and to seek humane and compassionate ways of resolving conflict.”
Pima Friends Meeting, Pima, AZ
On Capitol Hill, FCNL lobbyists and advocates are persistently pushing for a ceasefire, de-escalation, and humanitarian aid in Gaza. Meeting minutes remind us of the foundation of this advocacy. They encourage us to dig deeper and draw strength from our community and our values when the ins and outs of policy change feel frustrating or too slow.
“We recognize that in the United States we have a special responsibility to take action against the policies of our own country that contribute to the violence.”
~ Raleigh Friends Meeting, Raleigh, NC
These minutes are also powerful tools for advocacy. Meetings can share their minute with their members of Congress, quote the minute in a letter to the editor in a local newspaper, and share the minute publicly in their meeting spaces.
“We believe peace is more than the absence of war. There is no true peace without justice, and history shows us that people who are oppressed will continue to find ways to resist their oppression.”
~ Fall Creek Friends Meeting, Pendleton, IN
Are you part of a Quaker community that has approved a minute on this war? Have you shared your minute with FCNL? Please email minutes to quakers@fcnl.org, so we can share them publicly. What about with your members of Congress and local newspaper? How else could you creatively amplify your community’s voice in pursuit of peace?
If your Quaker community has not approved a minute on this war, is that an action they could consider? The many examples of minutes on our website can provide inspiration.
