NPYM Peace and Social Concerns Report annotated

#NPYM2014
RantWoman has NO desire to supplant the role of the NPYM webkeeper, but this showed up in email and RantWoman is wont to editorialize anyway so....

REPORT TO ANNUAL SESSION, NPYM
PEACE AND SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE
July 2014
As part of the Yearly Meeting restructuring process some years ago, a new Peace and Social Concerns standing committee was set up in 2009.It was to be composed of 5 members, serving terms of 2-year, with the possibility of serving a second term.  The committee experienced delays in getting going (health issues, non-availability of clerk), but members were able to pull together and begin to develop firm plans in early 2013, and soon were happy to welcome a new clerk.

Following is a brief listing of our work of this past year.
     -  Survey of 37 Meetings and Worship Groups in NPYM to learnabout peace and justice work being done locally.  In January 2014 theresults were put together and sent out to each group
(westernfriend.org/?  p=3286)
     -  Prepared an article for Western Friend by our member CimsGillespie, published in the July/August 2014 issue
     -  Sent messages to Meetings and groups in this area with background information on several issues and encouraging local groups  to take action on:
             1.  Authorization for the Use of Military Force
             2.  Torture
             3.  Drones
     -  Worked on developing a list-serve
     -   Developed plans to offer an Interest Group at Annual Sessionon:  "Spirit-Led Action for Justice and Peace in NPYM."

We have held two face-to-face meetings during the year, and 4
conference call meetings.

We have had some discussion about the ongoing work of this committee.

We would like to have more young people on the committee.  A question has been raised about being limited to six members.  Perhaps a range of 6 - 9 members could be considered, to allow more flexibility?

Also  a 2 year term may mean faster turnover than is useful.

Each committee member has been active and enthusiastic about seeing this work continue and expand.  We plan to update the Survey each year, and seek out other ways to facilitate and encourage work for peace with justice in the Pacific Northwest.

Kate Hunter, Clerk, Vashon Island Worship Group
Tom Ewell, Whidbey Island Meeting
Cims Gillespie, Eugene and Multnomah Meetings
Rose Lewis, Salem Meeting
Steve Willey, Sand Point Meeting
Ruth Yarrow, University Meeting

RantWoman comments:
RantWoman recognizes all the names here except one. RantWoman knows that everyone whose name she recognizes is well past 60. RantWoman appreciates the offerings of everyone present but STRONGLY encourages approval of a recommendation to increase the size of the committee and to 9-12 members, with specific direction to nominating committee both to aim for younger people and to encourage this committee to think about how it might draw younger people into its work.

RantWoman notes that:
    --Many young adults could benefit from internship experiences.
   --Other Friends have talked about short term internships to help with the work of planning annual session.
   --Other organizations such as FCWPP have talked about a similar need for interns who can do short-term stints.

RantWoman ardently wishes that people thinking about short-term internships for different Quaker organizations could put our heads together, figure out what is needed in general terms as far as meeting academic requirements,providing people short-term learning opportunities, and then work out a framework that individual organizations could adapt for their own purposes.

The list of issues the committee engages about are not the issues most urgent in RantWoman's thinking. However, in reading State of Society reports, RantWoman has formed the impression that lots of Friends are active in their communities. Is there value in this committee helping Friends with shared concerns connect with each other?

RantWoman thinks that if one wants to recruit younger participants it might be nice to have a sense of what younger Friends are interested in and working on and how that might mesh with  the committee's work. RantWoman is in Make it So mode, not Please sign me up mode but RantWoman does have the same concern about mutually meaningful involvement of opeople younger than herself in Friends Committee on WA PUblic Policy though and might be interested to think about possible synergy.

RantWoman thinks it is fine and in fact positive if this committee explicitly mentions its connections with or alignment with other Quaker organizations and encourages the committee to think about both communicating connections that exist and communicating its own identity. RantWoman wonders whether it would be useful to look at the websites of other Yearly Meetings to see whether there are standing Peace and Social Concerns committees and if so, how do they present their work.

RantWoman would probably sign up for a notices-only listerve as long as notices included contact info and specific asks Friends might further engage in.

RantWoman would be interested to hear whether these thoughts resonate with others.

RantWoman is also interested in live conversations about this report or other's Light on it.