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Spring 1969 160 North 15Th Strc~C't Pltiladelphia, Penn\?L/Vntiin 19102 ."X- NATIONAL EDITION

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Spring 1969 160 North 15Th Strc~C't Pltiladelphia, Penn\?L/Vntiin 19102 . American Friends Scrvice Committe Spring 1969 160 North 15th Strc~c't Pltiladelphia, Penn\?l/vntiin 19102 ."X- NATIONAL EDITION Nigeria and Biafra relief programs in operation stable and Red Cross teams havc nioved in, refugees who havc been hiding many months filter out, ragged, dirty, with their fcw possessions on their hcads. No doubt ninny of them havc died exiled from their homes, for those re- fly HETII BINFORD turning arc nicrcly skin and bonc froni "Our goal is to build all-American starvation or swollen from lack of pro- ricighborlioods," says Tony Edgerton, tcin or wracked by diseasc. director of the AFSC's community rcla- "It is the cliildren and old ones who tions program in Xenia, Ohio, Rich- havc suffcrcd most-the fornier bccausc mond and Muncic, Indiana. Tony has thcir growth rcquircments dcniancl pro- helpcd get public attention in thcsc cities tein urgently, the oldcr ones because focused on the nced for hettcr housing their reserves arc Icss." and for desegregated neighborhoods and Abiriba Joint Hospital schools. Through pcrsonal contacts, letters, spccclics. niovies lic 1i;is sparked Thc Riafri~Program is bascd ;it Abi- intcr-faith anti inter-racial groups to riba, and is co-sponsorctl hy the AFSC work on thcsc problcnis. and the Mennonite Centrill Conimittcc. "We also encouraRe individuals to 1 llc /\rncr~ci~nFr~cnds Service Com- year's crops from being planted. AI- tlerc tlie team has assumed administra- live up to their ideals and to take re- mittee has now established two separate ready the supply of staple bulk foods, tion of the Abiriba Joint Hospital and sponsibility for making their community relief programs, one in Nigeria, the with which the present supply of high- tlic over ten feeding stations it operates hettcr. Not to say 'Why don't they,' other in Biafra. protein concentrates must be mixed, is in a twenty-mile radius. but 'Why don't I,' " Tony comments. The Nigeria Program, with its field running- low. At present the Quaker-Mennonite "If people get personally involved in base at Lagos, is co-sponsored by the Second, the is strivingto provide team includes two doctors and a nurse, some kind of action program they help AFSC and the Friends Service Council medical services to groups of mothers with one of the doctors, Linford Geh- overcome the myths and fears in their of Great Britain. and children, many of whom have had man, acting as field director. Current own neighborhood. It's this kind of Kale Williams, executive secretary of no access to such services for more than plans call for the assignment of an addi- personal responsibility, I think, that the AFSC Chicago Regional Office, has ..am.. tional seven persons. The program is makes democracy really work." '1,. ycal. taken on the duties of program field 1 working in coo~eration with Caritas Tony started Fair Housing Councils k. director, and his wife, Helen, assistant One of the doctors with the team Internationalis (Catholic agency), which help people find homes of their director. The Williams' left at the reports: "As the front has become continued on page 4 continued on page 3 beginning of the year to start their six- month assignment, taking the places of the voting process and why the vote is Bradford and Jean Abernethy who re- Youth Service O~~ortunitiesvolunteers hel~build important," explained John Turner, one turned to the States in December. of the volunteers. "We also handed out Three doctors, four nurses, one sample ballots." mechanic, one generalist and the Wil- A little bit of confidence "'The registrars were very un-co-op- liams' are now at work in the Lagos Story and p1toto.r ~JJMIKE DZURA When the unit first arrived in Robe- crative and were always running out of area. When fully staffed (five more According to the United States Census son, less than 50% of the eligible voters registration material," said another volunteers are to be appointed) two Bureau, Robeson County is the seventh were registered. Consequently, a great volunteer, "and we watched them care- medical and food distribution teams poorest county in the country. It was deal of leg work was done going around fully to see that they filled the forms will be in operation. in Robeson County in September of the county talking to Indians, blacks out correctly. Finally, extra registration 1967 that the American Friends Service and poor whites about registering and commissioners were appointed, and Nigerian authorities Committee established a Youth Service voting. about 4000 people registered." The program will work in close as- Opporturiitics Program for eight young "We wrote a 15 page teaching guide sociation with the appropriate Nigerian men and women seeking something hcfore wc began the citizenship cduca- Watched for irregularities authorities and in consultation with worthwhile to do. Their first project tion classes. The guide included facts The drive climaxed with state-wide other voluntary agencies such as the was a voter registration drive and an about health and welfare regulations, elections in May 1968. The volunteers Nigerian Red Cross and the Interna- adult education program. the duties of local and state officials, drove people to and from the polls and tional Committee of the Red Cross.. watched at the polls for irregularities. The logistics for this were set up by They did the sanie for the run-off elec- the Abernethys who also established the tion on June 1, 196%. During the run- Lagos office-residence and purchased off election, YSO ' Bob Cates was the drugs and three trucks the teams "assaulted, intimidated and threatened" are now using. by a nicnibcr of a large landholding The emphasis of the AFSC-FSC family in tlie county. Thrs incident has teams will be in two vital areas. First, become the first tcst case of the 1968 instead of attempting to import food Civil Rights Act. supplies froni abroad, they are working Rob recallcd what happened that toward more effective distribution of day: "I was poll watching during the already available food stocks. run-off election when a man called me Large stockpiles of food await dis- over to hi? car, leaned out of the win- tribution on Lagos' piers while only a dow, grabbed my coat, yanked me down few hundred miles away millions of and asked me where I was from. Before children in refugee camps suffer from I answered, I asked him to let go of my severe malnutrition and starvation. coat, and then I told him my home is in The need for this distribution is Maine." The next thing Rob knew was heightened as a severe rainy season, the man had pulled a gun and said "Do the worst since 1892, prevented this Chas Bicking supervises some of the Rocklond, North Carolina day-core center children. cotttinrred on page 2 issues to focus on such as the schools, a number of women in the area of the Commission on its purpose and how it welfare and tenant farming. "I'm look- center. Now she has been encouraging All-American will operate. Forms have been distrib- ing forward to the paper getting into the these women to attend a sewing class. uted to persons who want to file a com- power struggle," he said. "Although I liked the children very contirrueci from page I plaint with the Commission about dis- Steve is presently on leave from the much, I felt at odds with the day care choicc in the neighborhood of thcir crimination encountered. YSO unit and receives his maintenance center's anti-Head Start philosophy, and choice. "This is the way to begin build- When l'ony found Richmond realtors salary from THE LUMBEE. He felt did not think I would be given an op- ing a healthy spirit of a real ncighbor- soliciting door to door for listings, that if the paper were to become con- portunity to introduce new ideas into hood," he says. attempting to play on the fears of white troversial, his being a YSO might inter- the program," she said. Therefore Pat residents, he worked to counteract the fere with the other volunteers. has been exploring state and county Typical week scare by meeting with residents, distrib- welfare rights and plans to work with uting literature and involving the city's Talks to student groups During a typical week lie may meet the first rural chapter of the National with city anti statc oBicinls on housing religous leaders. Tony talked to the Welfare Rights Organization which is Chas Bicking returned to Robeson, progranis nnci problcn~s,attend ;I work- mayor so he would understand the need operating in two communities in Robe- to combat "panic peddling." but set off again to make the rounds of shop at :I Friends Mccting, or tnlk to son County. colleges in tlie state, talking informally church committees. 'This past year he After threc-and-a-half years what met with high school classes anci itre the results of the AFSC's 7-ri-City to student groups about war, racism New directions and the draft. Duke, North Carolina ;tns\verc~i quc~tions on riots, Black progr;tm? "In Xcnia, at the beginning State, East Carolina University, and John Turner is another volunteer Power and integrated housing. He of last ycar, 23 Negro families had Pcmbroke State College are among the whose original activitics have led him in 5howcd m~\~ics--':A Matter of Color" rnovecl into six formerly all-white areas campuses hc has visited and led dis- new directions. As a result of his early ;tntl "Violence, Law and Conscience" with no fuss," says Tony, "and progress cussions.
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