This year in our P & SC meetings we repeatedly pondered the deep and pervasive roots of militarism in our culture, recognizing and identifying some of its many manifestations and searching for ways to reverse them. We recognized that a sense of powerlessness and futility can often discourage us as we take small individual steps. Yet we also recognized the importance of taking those small actions, and supporting one another in doing so. Much, or perhaps all, of the outward work of our committee this year reflects that concern and awareness.

Peace and Social Concerns has continued our practice of offering Friends an opportunity to write postcards on the 2nd Sunday of each month. Our committee chooses the topic each month, and provides information on that topic, stamped postcards, and the necessary addresses (generally legislators). Some of this year’s topics were: opposition to eliminating the MA state income tax, opposition to cluster bombs (42 postcards were written on this topic!), opposition to “extraordinary rendition” (a euphemism for sending people elsewhere to be tortured), urging President Obama to order the EPA to reduce carbon emissions, and urging legislators to redirect funding from war toward social needs.

We arranged for a visit to Mt. Toby by Ruah Swennerfelt and Louis Cox of Quaker Earthcare Witness. On the evening of December 13th, our committee hosted a potluck supper followed by Ruah and Louis’s delightful and thought-provoking skit about living out John Woolman’s values in the 21st century. The event inspired the creation of two groups which met weekly for about a month and a half, on Sustainability and on Voluntary Simplicity.

In January, we hosted an 11:40 hour about the American Friends Service Committee. The hour included brief presentations on the national AFSC (David Ahlfeld), regional AFSC (Adele Smith-Penniman), and Western Massachusetts AFSC (Jeff Napolitano), with time for questions and comments from those present.

We invited Aggie Mitchkoski to speak to our committee about the “Minute on Peace” sent to meetings by the NEYM Peace and Social Concerns Committee. NEYM asked each monthly meeting to find a meaningful way to bring the Minute to our meeting community. Through the work of Ministry and Worship, at Mt. Toby this took the form of an extended Meeting for Worship on March 15th. Members from P&SC and W&M facilitated an 11:40 Hour on the Peace Minute, the results of which were carried to the NEYM meeting in Portland.

With Georgana Foster’s very hearty endorsement, our committee has offered to bring FCNL concerns to the Meeting once per month. Georgana will continue to give the FCNL announcement on other Sundays, as she has done so faithfully for years. (Not being sure we could be as stalwart, P&SC thought it best to commit to just a single Sunday monthly for now!)

In the spirit of encouraging ourselves and each other in the small (but sometimes challenging!) steps we take toward a more peaceful world, we put up a participatory poster in the Fellowship Room, titled “Steps to Simplicity and Sustainability… lead us to Peace.” Post-it notes are provided so Friends can jot a note and stick it to the poster, sharing an effort they’ve undertaken, be it people-powered lawn-mowing or riding the bus instead of driving. We encourage everyone to stop by and read it and add a note of your own. We also revived the large carpooling map, trying to encourage Friends to use fewer vehicles to travel to Meeting. We recognize the many layers of resistance to carpooling, but continue to feel it’s important to encourage the practice.

Currently we are in the early stages of working with other area churches and organizations to plan a local “350” event on October 24th. Groups around the world will be hosting events on that date to highlight the urgent need for major action to reverse climate change.

We continue to appreciate the opportunity to deepen our connections to one another through our work on the Peace & Social Concerns committee.

submitted by Susan Conger, clerk of Peace & Social Concerns