Gila Friends Meeting reactivated our Peace and Social Concerns Committee a couple of years ago, after several years of inaction. Many “social concerns” had begun attracting our attention, and we wanted to act on them. Then during one of our committee meetings, someone asked about the “peace” part of our mission. What would we do about “peace”? And thus, it began.
This short story imagines a growing mutual understanding between an advocate of gun rights and an advocate of gun regulation.
Advice and encouragement to Quaker meetings that are in the midst of conflict.
The following text is the keynote talk delivered remotely by Kenya Casanova to North Pacific Yearly Meeting on July 23, 2020.
Dear Mary:
Thank you for your visit to Maui. The time was so pleasant that I was shocked to find four hours had sped by, leaving me to dash to a meeting of my homeowners’ association (HOA). I hope the remainder of your trip was pleasant.
In your Quaker meeting, you may have experienced events similar to these: a Friend doesn’t want to be on a committee with another Friend due to a past conflict; two Friends complain about a third party, whom they find to be impossible (yes, it does happen); a Friend speaks up in business meeting about a conflict that is going on, and no one responds or takes any follow-up action.
Lists of helpful ideas concerning approaches for seeking to resolve conflicts.
Report on a primary-school program in Dzerzhinsk, Russia, co-sponsored by Friends House Moscow.
