Fall 2005 • V ol. 86, No. 3 • A Publication of the American Friends Service Committee QuakerAction AFSC responds to the Work in Afghanistan Communities stand up Cindy Sheehan’s Iraq needs of Hurricane moves forward despite to anti-immigrant war protest stirs the Katrina survivors obstacles vigilantes conscience of a nation www.afsc.org What’s new Fall 2005 on afsc.org QuakerAction V ol. 86, No. 3 Announcing the new AFSC e-store! FEATURES Browse and purchase books, T-shirts, fair-trade items, cards, posters, videos, and more, from the convenience of 3 Starting over your computer. AFSC responds to the needs of hurricane survivors www.afscstore.org 4 Seasons of change Join the new AFSC Action Center We’ve revamped our Action Center, Work in Afghanistan moves forward with new ways to call for peace and despite obstacles justice. support.afsc.org 6 Vigilantes at the border AFSC photo Learn about the Mexican Communities stand up to anti- maquiladoras immigrant patrols P A G E S I X Read our original commentaries on strengthening cross-border links and corporate responsibility. DEPARTMENTS www.afsc.org/mexico-us-border Learn the truth about military 8 Currents recruiting News from around AFSC Use our form to opt-out from military recruiting and review our resources for youth considering the military. 10 Words from Our Sponsors www.afsc.org/youthmil/ Cindy Sheehan’s Iraq war protest stirs the conscience of a nation On the cover Rosenfeld Joyce Painting by Julie Paschkis (www. 11 Focus on Massachusetts PAGEP A G E ELEVENE L E V E N juliepaschkis.com) for AFSC’s 2005 Nuclear abolition gets a historic boost in holiday card. Find out more about the Massachusetts card and other holiday gift options on page 15. 12 Worldview: United Nations Correction: In the previous issue, an article UN conference focuses on about nationwide rallies on the second conflict prevention anniversary of the Iraq war stated that United for Peace and Justice (UFPJ) organized a rally in Ft. Bragg, North 13 Recommendations Carolina. In fact, the rally was endorsed by Staff picks: The sequel UFPJ but organized by Quaker House and a coalition of groups including the Fayette- AFSC photo ville Peace & Justice Coalition, North 14 Just Among Friends PAGEP A G E TWELVET W E L V E Carolina Peace & Justice Coalition, Military A message from AFSC General Secretary Families Speak Out, and Veterans For Mary Ellen McNish Peace. Also, the rally did not take place in Ft. Bragg but in nearby Fayetteville. Subscribe to AFSC’s email newsletter at www.afsc.org. Who we are Editor: Willie Colón Reyes National Offi ce The American Friends Service 1501 Cherry Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102-1403, Tel: (215) 241-7000 Quaker Action Consulting Editors: M’Annette Ruddell, Published by the Committee (AFSC) is a Quaker John Treat, Tony Heriza Southeast Region Great Lakes Region Pacifi c Mountain Region American Friends organization that includes people of 92 Piedmont Ave., N.E. 637 S. Dearborn, 3rd Fl. 65 Ninth Street Service Committee various faiths who are committed to Design: Gerry Henry Atlanta, GA 30303 Chicago, IL 60605 San Francisco, CA 94103 www.afsc.org social justice, peace, and humanitar- Design Consultant: Middle Atlantic Region Central Region Pacifi c Northwest Region ian service. Its work is based on the David Gerratt/Nonprofi tDesign.com 4806 York Road 4211 Grand Avenue 814 N.E. 40th Street belief in the worth of every person Baltimore, MD 21212 Des Moines, IA 50312 Seattle, WA 98105 Photography: Terry Foss and faith in the power of love to New England Region NY Metropolitan Region Pacifi c Southwest Region overcome violence and injustice. E-mail address: [email protected] 2161 Mass. Avenue 15 Rutherford Place 980 N. Fair Oaks Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140 New York, NY 10003 Pasadena, CA 91103 AFSC responds to the needs of Hurricane Katrina Starting survivors over s Gulf Coast residents organization and funds to assist aid distribution that led to major re- start on the long road to Quaker meetings in their work with form of federal emergency response recovery from the devasta- evacuees in various cities. procedures (see “Eye of the storm” on tion of Hurricane Katrina, Rebuilding from Katrina will take page 14). AAFSC’s response addresses both years of work. the short- and longer-term needs of The AFSC’s Southeastern and Cen- Holes in the safety net survivors. tral Regions are fielding assessment Katrina has exposed how years of To help with immediate relief, teams to see where AFSC can make the cuts in the social safety net and neglect AFSC earmarked $1 million for part- most strategic long-term commitments. of infrastructure have left some of the ner organization Interfaith Ministries Prior to reports from the assessment, country’s most vulnerable inhabitants for Greater Houston to cover the ex- we assume that our work will focus on in harm’s way when disaster strikes. pense of feeding evacuees in Houston’s the working poor and African Ameri- AFSC is mobilizing public opposition Astrodome. Staff also made contact can and immigrant communities. to cuts in safety net programs through with Friends meetings along the Gulf A national coordinator and up to 15 our campaign for a “moral budget” (see Coast to see how we could best assist crisis responders and situation assessors “Campaign to save Social Security” on them in their relief and recovery will begin short-term operations and page 8). In September, AFSC helped efforts. lay the groundwork for longer-term generate 4,000 calls to Congress, asking operations in one or more affected com- them to fully fund federal programs Initial relief work munities in the Gulf region. that help people meet basic needs. As this issue of Quaker Action goes Finally, there are important issues AFSC will monitor how aid is to press, the Board of Directors has to be addressed that go far beyond delivered and recovery work is framed approved a short-term response plan AFSC’s work to deliver relief and help to help ensure that New Orleans and for Hurricane Katrina totaling more in the recovery. Natural disasters exac- the other cities of the Gulf are rebuilt than $2 million. The plan combines ini- erbate inequities that existed before the for all their people. We will also use this tial relief work, recovery phase startup catastrophe. Furthermore, the priori- opportunity to expose the short-sight- funding, and work to help the public tizing of counter-terrorism over prepa- edness of policies that overlook poor understand the policy failures that mag- rations for natural disasters played a people and people of color. nified Katrina’s destructiveness. major role in the disorganization of the Working with Interfaith Ministries federal response. Weeks of television For more information about AFSC’s for Greater Houston, we expect to help images have given Americans painful response and how you can help, log Rick Bowmer fund evacuee resettlement once the evidence of these truths. onto www.afsc.org/hurricane/ AP/ Astrodome has been emptied. In addi- When Hurricane Camille hit the hoto: hoto: P tion, we have reserved funds for a ma- Gulf Coast in 1969, AFSC called jor grant to a partner African American national attention to racial inequities in Quaker Action l FALLF A L L 2 0 0 5 l 3 Seasons of change Work in Afghanistan moves forward despite obstacles BY PATRICIA OMIDIAN fghans are hard at work— eral areas where we have schools are child program in most of the commu- building, repairing, fixing, becoming snow bound. nities. Once a month, a selected group Aand mending things that are AFSC work in Afghanistan has of children receive training in mine broken. The open wounds of war in three program areas, all of which are awareness, children’s rights and respon- Kabul are slowly being closed. Yet, I interconnected. The school program is sibilities, and other topics. In turn, the wonder if these wounds are healing. the most visible, with physical struc- children train friends and classmates on When we hear of the war continuing tures being built in communities that that month’s topic. in the southeast and the east, we know request them. We also have sister school arrange- that healing has yet to begin. We prefer working in more remote ments with Quaker schools in the Nonetheless, hope still exists areas where other nongovernmental United States. The children write let- here for peace and nationwide organizations may not work. In these ters to each other, share diaries, and development. areas the communities are particularly exchange gifts. The Afghan children AFSC’s Quaker Service Afghani- appreciative and usually work hard to look forward to letters from their stan builds schools and has programs make sure they have a for children in Bamiyan, a province school that meets their that is a full day’s drive from Kabul, needs. Unfortunately, where we are based. We find it difficult schools are often too to travel there more than once a small once they are month. built because there are Stress levels rise as we work full out so many children and over the summer months. Afghani- no way to count them stan’s climate means that all our work all or plan for all the in rural areas only happens between returnees. April and October. By November sev- We have a child-to- A bridge that connects two worlds by Cong Wang hat might the green, misty hill country of North sored to build or furnish in Afghanistan.) Carolina and breathtaking mountainous heartland of These writings and the captions of the photos will be trans- Afghanistan have in common? Very little, a fi rst-time W lated into English, Pashto, and Dari (two offi cial languages in outside observer might conclude.