quakerhouse.org
Quaker House was established 50 years ago in Fayetteville, N.C., a milestone commemorated in September. Its mission is two‐fold: to work for peace and to support individuals who have been harmed by military service. This work is done through the GI Rights Hotline, a military counseling program, and the Advocacy Team associated with Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL).
In recent months, Quaker House has also organized rapid‐response public actions. When President Trump came to Fayetteville for a congressional election rally on September 9, Quaker House organized community members in a demonstration calling on the president to act with greater compassion and responsibility. On January 4, the assassination of Iranian General Soleimani was protested and de‐escalation demanded.
Between September 1 and December 31, GI Rights Hotline counselors took 935 unique calls from active duty service members stationed throughout the world. There has been an increase in the number of calls received about conscientious objection discharges and education. The mental health counselor continues to see clients who are dealing with issues of domestic violence, sexual assault, moral injury, and post‐traumatic stress.
Quaker House lobbied government representatives (Representative Hudson’s staff in Fayetteville in August and three others in Washington, D.C., as part of an FCNL event in November) and wrote letters to the editor to support ending the 2002 Authorization for Use of Military Force.