3WINTER 2010

A newsletter of the Fellowship of Reconciliation

By Paul R. Dekar

IunderstandtheFellowshipofRecon-ciliation to be a grassroots movement ofpeoplewho imagineandworkactively tobuildacultureofpeacerootedinjustice.Acultureofpeaceisasetofvalues,attitudes,modesofbehavior,andwaysoflifethatrejectvio-lence and prevent conflicts by tackling their rootcausesandbysolvingproblemsthroughdialogueand negotiation among individuals, groups, andnations. The phrase has been widely used since2000,whichtheUnitedNationsdesignatedthe“In-ternationalYearfortheCultureofPeace.”Anum-berofNobelPeacePrizelaureateshelpedshapethegoalsofthedecade.Theprincipalelementsare: 1. Respect all life 2. Reject violence 3. Share with others 4. Listen to understand 5. Preserve the planet 6. Rediscover solidarity Anticipatingthe“DecadeforaCultureofPeaceand Nonviolence” (2001-2010), Richard Deatswrote,“IfthisDecadereachesitspotentialitwillbebecauseenoughpeopleandgroupstookitserious-lyanddevelopedcreativeprogramsandinitiativesallacrosstheglobe.Evenwhilewecontinuetoop-poseUSbombingsinYugoslaviaandIraqandworkforapeacefulsocietyathome,weneedtopromotethisgreatvisionofnonviolence.Oursteadfastworktoupholdthisidealwillsurelyonedaybearfruit.”(FellowshipMay/June1999,p.3) OnSeptember20,2000,designatedasthe“Inter-nationalDayforPeace,”IorganizedatimeofprayerinMemphis,Tennessee.Withwordssharedbycol-leagues elsewhere, I asked participants to imaginepeace, as follows: “Imagine being peace. Imaginebeing peaceful as a member of nurturing families

where feelings are shared honestly, an-gercanbeexpressedsafely,andeveryoneworks at solving problems peacefully; ofplacesofworship inwhichconflict isun-derstood to be a natural and normal op-portunitytosearchtogetherforresourcefulsolutions;ofschoolswherenoonebullies

anyone and everyone feels safe; of communitieswhichrespondtocrimebyworkingtofindwayscre-ativelyandappropriately to restorewhathasbeendamaged or destroyed; of nations in which every-onehasenough;ofsocietiesinwhichithasbecomesecondnaturetoconsidertheimpactourlifestylesand decisions will have on the earth. Imagine liv-inginaworldinwhichallpeoplearerespectedandlovedandallrealizetheiridentityaschildrenofGod.Imaginebeingpartofacultureofpeace.” Sadly, events on September 11, 2001 ensuredthatothersmarchedtoadifferentdrumbeat.Vio-lencehasbeentragicallyadominantfeatureofthefirstdecadeofanewmillennium. Nonetheless,membersofFORandouraffiliatesaroundtheworld,aswellasmanywhomightnotthinkoftheirpeacefulandcooperativelifewaysascontributing to building a culture of peace, haveseen their steadfast work to uphold the culture ofpeace ideal bear fruit. FOR members have pro-ducedexcellentresources.Wehavefacilitatedcul-tureofpeaceeventsaroundtheUnitedStatesandculture of peace programs around the world. Wehavesoughttomakereal inour livesthevisionofamovementthathasgrownoverthepasthundredyears from a relatively inauspicious start to an in-ternational movement. Communities around theworld, my own included, have created culture ofpeace networks. By applying the six principles oftheU.N.CultureofPeacemanifestoineverylevelofourlives,wecanensurethatthenextdecadeallowsustoseethevisionbecomeevermorereal.

Building a Culture of PeaceVolume 2010Summer Edition

Inside This Issue

NC Chair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

News from Shadowcliff . . . . 2, 12-13

2010 Peace Awards . . . . . . 3, 8-9

TFLAC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Iran . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Youth & Militarism . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

National Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Our Community . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-11

In Memoriam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Fellowship of Reconciliation

521 N . Broadway, P .O . Box 271Nyack, NY 10960

Telephone: 845 .358 .4601Fax: 845 .358 .4924

Web site: www .forusa .orgBlog: www .FORpeace .nete-mail: for@forusa .org

Printed copies of Witness are available for mailing . Please contact development@forusa .org .

WATCH FOR THIS NUMBER: #12436

The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has chosen FOR as one of 27 organizations to participate in its 2010 Peace and Reconciliation Charities Combined Federal Campaign (CFC). The 2010 campaign starts this September --

SPREAD THE WORD: When you make your charitable contri-bution this year, if you are a federal employee, please choose FOR - CFC 12436! http://www.peaceandreconciliation.org.Donations are Tax-Deductible.

By Mark C. Johnson, Ph.D

TheboysofBamiyaninAfghanistanwereup early, but not for school on this particu-lar morning. It was 7:30 a.m. in their villagebut9:30atnightattheBusboys&PoetsCaféinWashington,D.C.whereagroupwasgath-eredforaconversationbytelephonewiththeAfghan Youth Volunteer Peace Project par-ticipants. The D.C. participants were beingsewnintotheconversationthroughOlympia,WashingtonwhereanFORChapter initiatedtheprogramandeventatadowntownmovietheatre. Shane Claiborne and friends fromTheSimpleWayinPhiladelphiawereonthecall.Theothergroupsthatjoinedtheconver-sation were from Hartford, Connecticut andSt.Petersburg,Florida;andIwasonmylap-topathomeinStonyPoint,N.Y.Wewatchedclips of interviews and messages from theyouth on YouTube, and then paused to askquestions that were answered live. http://ourjourneytosmile.com/blog/ Theprogramwentfortwohours,thoughtheconversationhasbeengoingonformorethanayearandhasbeenwovenseamlesslyintothefabricofFORprogramslocally,nationallyandinterna-tionally. Doug Mackey, a member of the FOROlympia Chapter, arranged the global videoteleconference.OverayearagoDougvisiteda gathering of Christian Peace Witness inWashington, D.C. with SalamTaleb, an Iraqiex-patriotwhohadservedasapresstransla-torearlyintheIraqWar,toaskforsupportoftheIraqMemorialtoLifeinstallation,avisualreminderofthetensofthousandsofIraqici-vilianskilledintheon-goingconflictinIraq.FOR agreed to become the fiscal sponsorandtheprojectculminatedin5000markers,namesofpeoplefromtheestimated100,000civilian lives lost, displayed on the Mall infront of theWashington Monument. Next tothatinstallation,5500markersweresetintheground for U.S. military who had lost theirlivesasaconsequenceoftheIraqwar.Itwasastrikinginstallationthatdrewthousandsforquiet reflection on the cost of these wars intheMiddleEast.http://www.oly-wa.us/iraqmemorial/Home.php Nearly a year ago, Bob Cooke of the PaxChristi Chapter in Baltimore, called to in-troduceustoJoshStieber,ayoungIraqiWarVeteran who became a conscientious objec-tor in thecourseofservice in Iraq. Joshand

friend Connor Cruise walked andbicycled across the United Stateslastsummerandfalltolookforan-swerstothequestion,“Ifwarisnotthe answer, what is?” We housedJosh at FOR in Nyack as a part ofhisjourneyandintroducedhimtoDougMackey,whomhelatermetin Olympia, Washington near theendofhistour.SincethenJoshhasbrought an intelligent, touching,searching presence to the conversation withtheAfghanYouth,hehaslinkedinadevelop-ing relationship with Combatants for PeacefromIsrael/Palestine,andhehasknithiscur-rent internship with Peace Action in Mont-gomery County into the network. Josh orga-nizedthegatheringatBusboysandPoetsandishelpingtoplananationalspeakingtourofthe United States this coming summer withtheAfghanYouth. Itwasthe inspirationof JoshStieberandthe long history of conscientious objectorsthatbroughtustotheTruthCommissiononSelectiveConscientiousObjectionthedayaf-tertheDCinstallationoftheIraqMemorialtoLife.Rev.RitaNakashimaBrock,formerFORNational Council Member, worked throughher Faith Voices for the Common Goodhttp://www.faithvoices.org/ to convene theTruth Commission. Eight FOR staff and Na-tionalCouncilmembersattended,threeofusasCommissioners,andtherestasobserversand participants in the conversation. It wasa powerful exchange with conscientious ob-jectors,faithleadersfromacrossthecountry,doctorsandlawyersandacademicsthatwillresultinproposedlegislativeexpansionoftherighttoconscientiousobjectioninAmericanLaw.http://www.conscienceinwar.org/ It was my proceeding into the sanctuarywithShaneClaibornehttp://www.thesimple-way.org/ that opened a conversation abouttheAfghanYouthPeaceVolunteersandledtothePhiladelphiasiteonthevideoteleconfer-

ence. IsharedwithShanethat inpreparation for the program wehadacallbetweenadozenmem-bers of Christian Peace Witnesshttp://christianpeacewitness.org/ and the Afghan Youth inwhichtheyasked“WhydoAmeri-canChristianshateus?”Itwasthekindofquestionthatsendsachillupyourspine,bringstearstoyoureyes, and insists that you engage

as a person with the young teen asking thatquestionfromBamiyan. A related question was raised in conver-sation with Red Juvenal, a youth collectiveinColombiathatFORserveswithprotectiveaccompaniment via FOR Colombia. http://forcolombia.org/. There young adults areseekingtosecurearighttoconscientiousob-jectiontoserviceinamilitarywhichisheavilyfundedbyU.S.foreignmilitaryaidandwhichcontinuestoresultinmurdersbymembersofthemilitaryandparamilitaryofpacifistscivil-ians. The FOR-sponsored tour that broughtthese issues to U.S. college campuses lastspringisalsoapartoftheseamlesscloakthatwraps around communities and membersacrossthiscountry. As I finish this message I have just re-turned from the Interfaith UnderstandingConferenceatNazarethCollegeinRochester,NewYorkwhereasmanyas500peoplefrommorethanadozenfaithtraditions,including100NextGenerationinterfaithleaders,gath-eredforthreedaystoexplorethevaluesandmethodsofinterfaithdialogueandinterfaithactioninthisdeeplypluralistnation,embed-ded as it is in a world where faith too oftenseemstorenttheworldinconflict.Theclearmessagewasthatwhenloveisunderstoodasthemessagecommontoallfaiths,itwillmendtheworld.Afghanyouthmusthearthattheyareloved;andweshouldknowinourheartsthattheyloveus. Itiswoventhroughevery-thingthatwedoandthatweare.

2 WITNESS

NEWS FROM SHADOWCLIFF

Seamlessness

As Witness is now published online, you may have noticed something missing: our donation envelope featuring a photo of Shadowcliff on the back flap! We’re committed to decreasing our impact on the environment by decreasing our use of paper; however, to continue our work for peace and social justice, we hope you’re committed to supporting us! Please take time to make a gift of $50, $100, $250, $500, or more. Checks should be made out and sent to: Fellowship of Reconciliation, P.O. Box 271, Nyack, NY 10960. Occasionally, we acknowledge our donors’ names. If you prefer not to have your name published, please let us know.

SUPPORT FOR

3SummER 2010

Each year the Fellowship of Reconciliation awards an international, a national and a lo-cal peace prize to individuals or organizations whose work for to peace, justice, and reconcilia-tion is recognized as a life-long commitment. This year the International Pfeffer PeacePrizeestablishedin1989tohonorthosearoundthe world working for peace and nonviolentjusticewillbeawardedtoScottKennedy.Cur-rently a board member of the Interfaith PeaceBuilders,andatreasureroftheRefuserSolidar-ity Network, Kennedy is the cofounder of theResourceCenterforNonviolenceinSantaCruz,CA,andiscoordinatoroftheirMiddleEastPro-gram. His long and varied contribution to thepeacemovementincludesservingseveraltermsontheNationalCounciloftheFOR,establish-ingthenationalsteeringcommitteeofWitnessforPeaceinNicaragua,andhelpingtofoundthePalestinianCenterfortheStudyofNonviolenceinJerusalem. TheMartinLutherKing,Jr.Awardcreatedin1979torecognizeunheraldedpersonsorgroupsworkingintheUnitedStatesinthetraditionofDr. King, will be presented this year to MedeaBenjamin. Ms. Benjamin is cofounder of bothCODEPINK,awomen-initiatedgrassrootspeaceand justice movement, and the internationalhuman rights organization Global Exchange.She has been described as “one of America’smost committed – and effective – fighters for

humanrights”byNew York Newsday.AformereconomistandnutritionistwiththeUnitedNa-tionsandWorldHealthOrganization,Ms.Ben-jamin is the author/editor of eight books, andlivesinSanFranciscowithherhusbandandtwodaughters. Finally,the2010recipientsoftheNyackAreaPeacePrizewhichwasstartedin2006tohonoranorganizationorindivid-ual involved in significantpeace and justice work inthe local community ofFOR’s national headquar-ters are Tashi Dolma andTashi Rabten, founders oftheTibetanHomeofHope,a home and school forabandoned children in Ti-bet.“TheTashis”aretrainedmedical doctors who wereforced to flee their home-landofTibet in the1990’s.Fortunately for RocklandCounty, they rebuilt theirlivesintheareaanddevel-oped Health Centers andTibetan Healing Clinicsthatoffermassagetherapyand herbal medicine. Theincomefromtheirmedicalpracticesprovidedtheseed

moneyfortheorphanagetheyhavefoundedintheirhomeland. AllthePeacePrizewinnerswillbehonoredat an award presentation that will take placeduring FOR’s Annual Peace Banquet on Satur-day afternoon, October 2, 2010 at the historicRiversideChurchinNewYorkCity.Contactfor@forusa.orgformoredetails.

FOR Announces Peace Prize Winners for 2010: Peace of the Action!

Medea Benjamin

Scott KennedyDrs. Tashi Dolma and Tashi Rabten

4 WITNESS

TASK FORCE ON LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

Attorney General not interested in top commander’s responsibility

Article reprinted from http://www.forcolombia.org/monthlyupdate, April 6, 2010

Twenty months after Capitan GuillermoGordillo pled guilty in the February 2005massacreofeightpeopleinthePeaceCom-munityofSanJosédeApartadó,ajudgesen-tencedhimto20yearsinprison.Thisisthefirst ruling against an army officer for themassacre. Unfortunately, despite copious evidencelinking higher ranking army officers, par-ticularly Generals Mario Montoya and Héc-tor Fandiño, to the planning (Montoya) andtheexecutionandcover-up(Fandiño),actingColombianAttorneyGeneralGuillermoMen-

dozaseemsdeterminednottoadvanceinves-tigationsoftheirinvolvement.InJuly2008,CapitanGordilloconfessedthathe and his troops had taken part in a jointparamilitary-militaryoperation that resultedinthegrislymassacre.HeadmittedthatPhoe-nixmilitaryoperationhadbeenplannedandcarriedoutwiththeparticipationofparamili-tarydeathsquads.AndhetestifiedtoGeneralMontoya’sparticipationintheplanningoftheoperation. In his ruling against Gordillo, the judgealsousedasevidencethetestimonyofpara-military leader Diego Fernando Murillo,known as Don Berna“in which [he] acceptstheparticipationoftheHeroesofTolovaSelfDefenseBlocunderhiscommandintheactsbeingjudged.” Capt.Gordilloisnottheonlyofficerimpli-catingGeneralMontoya.According toCoro-

nelAcostaCeliandLt.JoseFernandoCastro(also suspects in a separate investigation),General Montoya participated in the designofthemilitaryoperationdemandingpartici-pationofguides–widelyunderstoodtomeandeathsquadmembers–asitwasrevealedinthetrialfor10additionalarmyofficers.Gen-eralFandiño,wastheheadofthe17thBrigade,units from which participated in the massa-cre,andheallegedlytookanactiveroleinthesubsequentcover-upoperation.Aninvestiga-tionofFandiño’srolethatwasopenedinSep-tember2008hasonlybeencollectingdustontheAttorneyGeneral’sdesk.Lastmonth,thevictims’ legal representative filed a petitionrequestingthearrestofbothgenerals,sotheycanbeheardintheinvestigation.ButactingProsecutor General Mendoza recently told aGlobalPostreporterthat“wehavetobecare-fulnottocalloneverysinglegeneral.”

First Ruling Against Army for San José massacre

Last fall, the governments of Colombiaand the United States signed an agreementto grant the Pentagon use of seven militarybasesonColombiansoil.Theagreementbol-steredtheUnitedStates’militarypresenceintheAndeanregionatatimewhenprogressivemovementsinEcuador,VenezuelaandBoliv-ia struggle to reorganize their societies moreequally, and victims of Colombia’s dirty wardemandaccountability.Italsointensifiedthecontentious mix of militarism and free tradethat has characterized U.S. Latin Americanpolicy. Whatroledothebasesplayinupholdingfreetradeorthodoxyandadvancingthecoun-terinsurgency/anti-narcoticsprogramknownas Plan Colombia? How does the increasing

militarization of Colombia affect grassrootspoliticsintheAndeanregion,theCaribbean,and Central America?What is the impact ofthe bases on the lives and livelihoods of thepeoplelivingnearthem?

JOIN US AS WE EXPLORE THESE ISSUES IN COLOMBIA, ON THIS DELEGATION WE WILL:

• VisitseveralU.S.militarybases• Talk with Colombians who live and work

nearthebases• Meetwithhumanrights,labor,peasant,and

communitygroups• MeetwithU.S.andColombiangovernment

andmilitarypersonnel

Delegation Leaders: Lesley Gill, Ph.D. and Su-sana Pimiento Chamorro.

Dr.Gill’sresearchinLatinAmericafocuseson political violence, human rights, globaleconomic restructuring, the state and trans-formations in class, gender, and ethnic rela-tions.ShehasconductedresearchinBolivia,ColombiaandtheU.S.

SusanaPimientoChamorro,aColombian-Americanattorney,co-directsFOR’sColombiaProgram.BasedinBogotá,shehasundertakenresearchonmilitarybasesandplayedanac-tiveroleintheformationoftheColombiaNoBasesCoalition. Witness for Peace is a politically inde-pendent, nationwide grassroots organizationof people committed to nonviolence and tochangingU.S.policiesthatcontributetopov-ertyinLatinAmerica.WitnessforPeace’smis-sionistosupportpeace, justiceandsustain-ableeconomiesintheAmericas.

Delegation TO Colombia: July 24 – August 2, 2010

“Colombia: Military Bases, Human Rights, and Free Trade” – co-sponsored by Fellowship of Reconciliation and Witness for Peace

FOR mORE INFORmATION CONTACT:

FOR Colombia: 510.763.1403, forcolombia@igc.org

Lesley Gill: 615.322.2851; Lesley.gill@att.net

Ken Crowely: 202.423.3402; ken@witnessforpeace.org

By Jim Fine of FCNL Article reprinted from www.FORpeace.net, February 5, 2010

TheSenate’sapprovalbyvoicevoteJanu-ary 28 of a new Iran sanctions bill (S. 2799)poses a serious challenge to the Obama ad-ministration’s policy of diplomatic engage-ment with Iran in both the immediate andlong-termfuture. The bill now goes to conference whereSenate and House leaders will negotiate toreconciledifferenceswithabillpassedbytheHouseinDecember.Theadministrationmustdecide how strongly to press lawmakers tochangeprovisionsinthebillsthatwouldpre-venttheU.S.fromgraduallyeasingsanctionsinthefutureinresponsetopositiveactionsbyIran. The importanceofavoidingcripplingre-strictionsonU.S.diplomacywasunderscoredthis week by Iranian President MahmoudAhmadinejad’s announcement that Iran waspreparedtoacceptadeal toshipmostof itsenricheduraniumoutofthecountryinreturnforthefuturedeliveryoffuelrodsforaTehranreactor that produces medical isotopes. Iranagreed to the U.S.-proposed plan last Octo-berbut laterbackedawayafter thedealwascaught up in Iran’s domestic turmoil, withreformers opposing the plan and others, in-

cludingPresidentAhmadinejadandthechiefof the Iranianarmed forces, supporting it. IfAhmadinejad’sFeb.2announcementleadstoimplementingthedeal,itcouldsetU.S.-IranrelationsonacoursetoresolveconcernsoverIran’snuclearprogramandachieveincreasedcooperation between the U.S. and Iran, in-cludingonIraqandAfghanistan. One of the most restrictive provisions oftheIransanctionslegislationmovingthroughCongress is a measure in the House versionthat would prevent the president from eas-

ing economic sanctions until he can certifythat Iran has ceased “nuclear-related activi-ties,includinguraniumenrichment.”Iranhasa right under the non-proliferation treaty toenrichuraniumandmostanalystssaythatarealistic agreement with Iran would includecontinued Iranian enrichment in return forintrusive international inspections. Legisla-tionmakingit impossibletoliftsanctionsaslongasIranenrichesuraniumcouldpreventfutureagreementwithIran. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid hassaidhewouldconsiderchangessoughtbytheadministration,andaStateDepartmentoffi-cialhaspledgedto“workconstructivelywithconfereesastheyworkonthefinalversionofthislegislation,”buttheadministrationhassofarnotmadeclearhowhard itwillpress forchanges. NewquestionsaboutthedirectionoftheObama administration’s Iran policy wereraised, moreover, by its announcement lastweek that it was deploying anti-missile de-fenses in the Persian Gulf and neighboringArab states. Some observers have seen themoveasareversiontothepolicyoftheBushadministration,andexpressfearthatitcouldprovide Iranian hard-lines with a pretext tomove decisively to crush the Iranian reformmovement.

SummER 2010

IRAN

Iran: Sanctions Bills in Congress Threaten U.S. Diplomacy as Iran Appears to Accept Uranium Deal

5

2010 Iran Delegations

August 20 to September 5, 2010 (Application deadline has passed)

November 5 to 20, 2010 (Application deadline: August 1, 2010)

February 15 to March 1, 2011 (Application deadline: November 15, 2010)

May 1 to 15, 2011 (Application deadline: January 15, 2011)

For more information: iran@forusa .org

In early February, I met with a labor union or-ganizer from Iran who was seeking support for the rights of workers in Iran. One of his big-gest fears was that the implementation of ad-ditional sanctions would serve the interest of Iranian leadership making the case for foreign intervention as the reason for solidarity across all sectors in Iran. While it may appear that factions in Iran are sharp and irreconcilable there is a clear warning that movements in the direction of reform, and the well being of the Iranian public, would be severely affected by new sanctions. Jim Fine’s assessment below extends that analysis and provides background we should have in hand on the state of the sanctions legislation in Congress. – mcj

Until he extendshis circle of compassionto all living things,man will notfind peace. ~Albert Schweitzer

6 WITNESS

YOUTH & MILITARISM

Fellowship

Fellowship, a quarterly journal published by FOR, is the oldest continuously-published peace and justice journal in the nation. Your one-year subscription to the magazine is $40. Make checks payable to Fellowship of Reconciliation.

Selected excerpts are available online at www.forusa.org/fellowship.

Get your copy today!

By Ethan Vesely-FladArticle reprinted from http://forpeace.mayfirst.org, May 4, 2010

The Fellowship of Reconciliation was deeply saddened to receive the following informa-tion from peace colleagues in Afghanistan. We ask our supporters to take action to re-spond to a visa denial just issued by the U.S. State Department.

Abdulai recently applied for a U.S. visa,having received an invitation by the Fel-lowshipofReconciliation(USA)forapeacetour of the United States this summer. Hewashopingtomeethisnewfriendsface-to-face, as human beings do. Sadly, the most“powerful”nationonearthrejectedhim,forfearthathemightnotreturntohiswidowedAfghan mother and to the only home he’sknown--inamountainvillageinBamiyan,Afghanistan. “I know that others would have you think that my mother, my brothers, and I are bad people, but you should know that we’re just as sick of narrow-minded violence and corrupt, lying officials as you are.” Abdulaiwantstotalkaboutallthesethings,buthehasnotbeengiventhespace.Nospace

onearth?SincetheU.S.governmenthasnotallowed Abdulai to meet his friends in theUnitedStates,isthereanycountryonearthin2010thatispreparedtohostAbdulaiandtheAfghanYouthPeaceVolunteerstogetherwithPalestinian, Israeli Jewish, Iraqi, American,andotherinternationalpeacemakers? If you could help in any way to make this journey possible for these ordinary people, please contact us at journeytosmile@gmail.com or Mark Johnson at FOR, mjohnson@forusa.org; or by requesting your peace-seeking government to host Abdulai and his international friends, so we can have those warm conversations that give life meaning and love. Abdulai will be journeying with otherAfghan Youth Peace Volunteers and otherpeacemaker friends from the United States:the Fellowship of Reconciliation, September11thFamiliesforPeacefulTomorrows,andtheContagiousLoveExperimentandtheMiddleEast (Combatants forPeace) togivevoice tothoseeverydayhopesofordinarypeopleev-erywhere,ashediscovershisvoicetosay: “I am capable of speaking the plain truths, even if I tremble before the elders.” “I believe we have enough space to explore creative alternatives, especially in the face of death.” Butwhere,andamongwhom,canhefindthepeacewhichweallyearnfor?Hewantstoexplainthatinhisyoungsoulisadevelopingpictureofhowthelovehefindsamongfriendscanbringpeace,eventoAfghanistan. ThisinnervoiceinAbdulaiisnowanur-gent rumble, and if you would join him inspeaking to the world, we and Abdulai mayjusthearthegrowingthunder,thethunderofhumankind’sconscience. LoveishowAbdulaiwillaskforpeace!

Action Alert: Afghan youth denied U.S. visa

Abdulai, Photo courtesy of: Journey to a Smile

What is a Bequest?

Simply, a bequest is a gift you may contribute to your family and favorite charities through a will or a trust fund. A bequest can be set as a precise dollar amount, or, as a percentage of your estate. A gift can be specified as cash, appreciated stocks, or any other of your chosen assets.

If you would like more information on how to include the Fellowship of Reconciliation in your estate plans, please contact Bill Winston, Director of Organizational Advancement and Communications: bwinston@forusa.org, 845.358.4601.

NATIONAL COUNCIL

By Jennifer Newell

Prior to being nominated to serve onFOR’s National Council in the summer of2007, my husband and I downsized into ahomeontheOlympicPeninsulainordertogive more of our time to others. In the es-crowprocesswelearnedthatournewhousewas originally a national guard building ona minuteman missile site, and determinedtoreformourhometoaplaceofpeace.Ourfirst year was devoted to remodeling withgreenandrepurposedmaterials.Duringtherigorsofthosefirstmonthswereliedonpro-cessedfoodsformanyofourmeals.Ibegantofeelillthatfall. JustaftermyfirstNationalCouncilmeet-ing, I learned through a conversation withmy friend Corbin that the methods used toprocess foods can create excitotoxins. I didsome research about excitotoxins and dis-covered that John Olney, a medical doctorandneuropathologistknownforhisworkonbrain damage, coined the term excitotoxic-ity to describe when excessive amounts ofglutamate stimulate nerve cells until theydie.ThroughfurtherresearchI learnedthatthe food industry either adds MonosodiumGlutamate to foods or, breaks down theaminoacidchaintofreetheglutamates.Iar-rivedearlyfortheFebruaryNationalCouncilmeetingandwasintroducedtoCarolHoern-lein,aNyackresident,whotoldmeherstoryandhowshecametoknowthatglutamatescanbedamaging:http://www.msgtruth.org/

whatisit.htm.Istoppedeatingallsourcesoffree glutamates and all my symptoms wentawaywithinaweek. Inthesummerof2008ImetJeffreySmith,the leading spokesperson on the healthdangers of Genetically Modified Organ-isms(GMOs)and learnedthatGMOsare inatleast70%ofourpackagedandprocessedfoods.GMsoybean,corn,cottonseed,beets(for sugar) and canola, all have had foreigngenes forced into their DNA. The insertedgenes come from species, such as bacteriaand viruses, which have never been in thehuman food supply. Last May the Ameri-can Academy of Environmental Medicinestated,“Severalanimalstudiesindicateseri-ous health risks associated with GM food,”including infertility, immune problems, ac-celerated aging, faulty insulin regulation,andchangesinmajororgansandthegastro-intestinal system.They asked physicians toadvisepatientstoavoidGMfoods. In 1992, the Food and Drug Administra-tionclaimedtheyhadnoinformationprov-ingthatGMfoodsweresubstantiallydiffer-ent from conventionally grown foods, and,therefore,claimedthatGeneticallyModifiedfoodsaresafetoeatandthatnosafetystud-ieswererequired.TheFDAapprovalplusthefact that GM food appears to be the sameon the surface as the food we’ve been ac-customedtohasmadeitdifficultforpeopleto be aware of the harmful changes in ourdietarystandards. JeffreyM.Smithhaspre-senteddocumentedevidenceofthedangers

andisleadingacampaigntoheightenpub-licawarenessinordertoremoveGMOsfromour food supply. I’ve been working on Jef-frey’scampaignforthelastyearandhavere-centlybeenaddedtothestaffattheInstitutefor Responsible Technology. http://www.responsibletechnology.org/GMFree/Home/index.cfm Please be sure to watch the vid-eowhichpresentsshockingevidenceaboutwhygeneticallymodifiedcropsmayleadtohealthandenvironmentalcatastrophes,andwhatwecandoaboutit. The issues about the way our foods aregrownarefarreaching.Sincefoodproductionhaschangedfromasolar-basedagriculturetoapetroleum-basedbusinessendeavor,weusehugeamountsofoiltogrowandtransportourfoods.Themealsweeatareconnectedtotheissuesofpeakoil,globalwarming,healthcare,labor rights, international trade and farmerswhogosodeeplyintodebtthattheybecomeslavestocorporations. It can be overwhelming to consider ourchoices. Food choices are cultural and inti-mately personal. With informed hearts wecan engage our creativity to find new pathsinourkitchensaswellastoengageindialogwithothersasweexploreouroptions.Theseoptionscanleadustodeepenourfellowshipat thetableand inourcommunities. I inviteyoutoreflectonreconcilingyourrecipesandtotakethejourneyalongwithmeaswebringpeacetoourplatesandblessingstoall.

Be the change you wish to see in the world. ~Gandhi

Reconciling my Recipes

NC member and

Development

Committee chair

Martha DiGiovanni

in her classroom with

four of her students

and assistant Rich

Calderone in front

of Shawn Dell Joyce’s

painting Encouragement.

SummER 2010 7

2010 Guest Speaker: Medea Benjamin, co-founder of CODE Pink and Global Exchange

SAVE THEDATE!MARK YOURCALENDARS

October 2, 2010

PhOtO COurtESy: DianE GrEEnE LEnt

Join FOR in honoring individuals and organizations working on the frontlines for peace and social justice.

Fellowship of Reconciliation’s

2010 Peace Awards Banquet“PEACE OF

THE ACTION” Visit FOR’s website: www.forusa.org for upcoming details

Awards Banquet – Peacemakers’ Memorial Day – Art Show & Sale

The theme of this year’s Peace AwardsBanquetis“PeaceoftheAction.”Asaplayonwords,“PeaceoftheAction”speakstobeinga“piece”orapartofanactiveflow,andreferstoastateofwholenessorserenitywithintheac-tionormovementforpeace.Thisyear’speaceprizerecipientsallreflectanactive,strategicflowtopeaceintheirlivesandwork. As we celebrate our peace prize winnersinthehistoricRiversideChurchinNewYorkCityonOctober2,2010,wewillalsotaketimetoobserveaPeacemakers’MemorialDaybyacknowledgingandhonoringalistofpeace-makers who gave their lives, in the face ofviolence and mistrust, to birth a culture ofpeaceinthehumanfamilyandtheenviron-ment.JoinwithustoinaugurateOctober2nd(the birthday of Mohandas Karamachand

Gandhi) by lifting up those peacemakers inthe world and in your community that areclosetoyourheart. In addition to our Awards Banquet, FORNational will be hosting a series of events atour Shadowcliff headquarters that will focuson this year’s theme including our 2nd ArtShowandSale.Thisyear’sexhibitwillrunfortwo weeks, from September 25 to October 9,andwillofferforsalepaintingsandsculpturesfrom HudsonValley artists. [Note: Please seethe photo on page 6 which features Encour-agement,apaintingbyShawnDellJoyce,pur-chasedbyNCmemberMarthaDiGiovanniatour1startshowin2008.]Theartsaleisa50/50fundraisertosupportFOR’songoingeffortstoachieveajustandpeacefulcommunity. For more information about the AwardsBanquet, the Art Show and Sale or other“Peace of the Action” events, please contactJonetteO’KelleyMillerat jmiller@forusa.orgor845.358.4601x29.

“Peace of the Action”

8 WITNESS

Gandhi by sculptor Muriel Farlow, (2008 Art Show and Sale)

Fellowship of Reconciliation’s

2010 Peace Awards BanquetPeace of the Action

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The Fellowship of ReconciliationWorking for peace since 1914

10 WITNESS

By Carolyn Klaasen

My favoriteHolyWeekmoment thisyearhappened over the dinner table on a Fri-daynight. Itwasrightaftersundown,whichmeantthatinChristiantimeitwasstillGoodFriday and in Jewish time it was the begin-ningofShabbat.Myhousemate,RabbiLynnGottlieb, and I were nibbling on matza andremarking on the fact that Easter coincidedthis year with the anniversary of Martin Lu-therKingJr.’sassassination. Lynn said,“If I were preaching an Eastersermon,I’dpreachaboutMartin.” “Whatwouldyousay?”Iasked. In response, she started preaching. Shepreached about Martin, and Jesus, and howMartin exemplified what it meant to take upyourcrossandfollowJesus.ShetalkedabouthowhelikeJesusfinallylosthislifeconfrontingviolent systems of racism with nonviolence.ShearguedthathemightbethebestChristianwe’ve seen in the United States, and endedwith a challenge to Christians to respond totheEasterstorybyactinglikeMartin. “Amen!”Isaidtomyrabbi. LynnandIlivetogetherattheStonyPointCenter in the Community of Living Tradi-tions, a multi-faith residential communitydedicated to the study and practice of non-violence.Onedaywewillhave threehouseson campus — Dar Anwar al-Salaam, theShomerShalomhouse,andtheLuke6Projecthouse—thatwillgroundMuslim,JewishandChristian communities as we study and liveoutthebestofourownfaithtraditionswhilein community and solidarity with people ofothertraditions.Fornow,however,wearestillacommunityinformation.DarAnwaral-Sa-laamisalmostremodeledandreadyforresi-dents.ThispastJanuary,withnootherJewishresidentstokeeptherabbicompany,ImovedintotheShomerShalomhousewithLynn. I am an umpteenth-generation Presby-terianwithnoexperiencekeepingkosherorShabbat; and so, living in a house of Jewishtraditions has been a learning process that’sproduced amusing emails for my familyand friends back at home. In emails I’ve re-portedhow Idrove aroundwithnon-kosherDove chocolates in my car for a month be-causetheyweren’tallowedinthehouse,howI donned aTyrannosaurus Kvetch mask andan orange cape for Purim and tried to con-vinceothergoyimtowearfakewigs,howI’ve

grown pretty adept at six-stranded braidingfor our weekly challah, that my macaroonshaveattendedthreeseders,andthatIcantellmorebadJewishjokesthanI’veevercaredtoknow.(i.e.HowdoweknowJesuswasJewish?Hethoughthismotherwasavirgin,andshethoughthewasthemessiah.) TheseemailshomehavemadelifeintheShomerShalomsoundsoenjoyable thatmyfriendsandfamilymembersaskrepeatedlyifI’mthinkingaboutconverting.The last timeItoldmymotherthatIwassogladit’sfinallyshabbes,shereplied,“Youdoknowyouaren’tactuallyJewish,don’tyou?” OfcourseIknowI’mnotJewish;and,no,I’mnotconverting.Therichnessofourexpe-riencesashousematesliesinthefactthatweareeachrooted inourtraditionsandable tostand solidly within them even as Lynn livesonaPresbyteriancampusandIliveinaJewishhouse.Oureverydayconversations—thekindthathappenwhilewe’redoingdishes,or lin-

geringoverdinner,orcollapsingonthecouchattheendoftheday—haveanaddeddepthtothembecausetheyhappenataninterfaithlevel.Ahuntfortheweek’slectionarypassagesleads to conversation about what it’s like forhertovisitachurchandhearpartoftheTo-rahreadoutofitscycle.AsIdohomeworkformyChurchHistoryclass,Iendupdiscussingthings like the Crusades with a rabbi.WhenLynnandIgossipathomeaboutthegossipinourcommunity,shereferencesrabbiniclitera-tureaboutlashonhara,orevilspeech.ForthefirsttimeIspentHolyWeekdiscussingnotjustthecrucifixionandresurrection,butalsopo-groms,persecution,andthegoddessInana. After three months of having these con-versationswovenintomydailylife,Iamnot,much to my mother’s relief, converting. I’mstillaChristian,albeitonewhoattendsTorahstudymorefaithfullythanchurchatthemo-ment.ButbecauseIlivewithLynn,thewaysinwhichI,asaChristian,understandmyowntradition and engage with those from othertraditionsarechanging. Thissummer,asIshareahousewithsix-teen other young Muslims, Jews and Chris-tians during our “Farm the Land, Grow theSpirit” internship, I expect that our experi-encesoflivingandlearningtogetherwillcon-tinue to shape me.The families who join usat the end of July for our Multi-faith FamilyCampwillcreateanotherrichlydiversecom-munity for the five days they are present atStonyPointCenter.I’msurethatthissummerwill produce more funny stories to includeinmyemailshome,aswellasmoments likeLynn’sEastersermon,andthat’swhatexcitesme about being a part of the Community ofLivingTraditions. Our community discourseand understanding of nonviolence is con-tinuallyenrichedbyourexperiencesoflivingtogether.

Living in Community

10 WITNESS

OUR COMMUNITY

Co-Director and NC member Rick Ufford-Chase speaking to guests and FOR Staff at Shomer Shalom

The Community Living Traditions (CLT) is one of two communities that grounds the study and practice of nonviolence at the Stony Point Conference Center located in Stony Point, NY. The brainchild of co-directors Rick and Kitty Ufford-Chase, CLT will comprise three residen-tial communities: Shomer Shalom, Dar Anwar al-Salaam and the Luke 6 Project. Each com-munity, Jewish, Muslim and Christian, respec-tively, will be home to young adults who are not only committed to their spiritual, religious and cultural practices; but, also to peace and reconciliation. As the Community develops, members will share their revelations in these pages. First, is an article by Carolyn Klaasen. –jom For more information on the Community Living Traditions, call 845.786.5674, www.stonypointcenter.org.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb blowing the shofar at the opening of the Shomer Shalom House

SummER 2010 11

By Safi Kaskas, President and CEO of Strategic Edge, a management consulting

firm in Saudi Arabia

The following article is excerpted from the author’s

original essay written Jan. 20, 2010.

SinceSeptember11,WesternandMuslimscholarship has characterized the politicalrelationship between the Muslim world andtheWest as one full of tension and conflict.BarackObamaacknowledgedthisinarecentspeech at the heartland of Islamic scholar-ship, al-Azhar University in Cairo, in whichhesaid“…atimeofgreattension[exists]be-tweentheUnitedStatesandMuslimsaroundtheworld–tensionrootedinhistoricalforcesthatgobeyondanycurrentpolicydebate.” In this environment of tension, workingforreconciliationandpeaceislongoverdue.Infact,ifwearetopreventamuchlargerdi-sasterfromhappening,wehavenootheral-ternative but to work for better understand-ingandreconciliation.Itisnolongerpossibleto depend solely on America’s long standingtradition of constitutional rights, toleranceandminorityprotection. My Islamic faith has taught me that it ismydutyandIhopethedutyofeveryAmeri-canofgoodwilltotrytoworktowardspeaceand true reconciliation. Obviously, there arenoguaranteesforsuccess,astheagendaisof-tendictatedbyfanatics.Perhapshowever,itisnotthatthefanaticsareincontrol,butthatwe have failed to respond with the love thatourCreatorhascommanded. True reconciliation requires one to iden-tify and establish common ground with theother that will enable both to live togetherinpeace.Iwouldthinkitfairtodescribethepeople engaged in reconciliation as peace-makers.Truereconciliationandpeacemakingrequiresnothinglessthansincerityofheart. The first requirement is that one clearlyunderstands their own beliefs before tryingtofindcommongroundwithothersfroman-otherfaith.Ifneitherhasadeepunderstand-ingoftheirownbeliefs,thereconciliationwillinevitablybebasedsolelyonculturalorhu-manitariangroundswhichusuallyleadstoanagreement on general human moral values.Whilethisisgood,itdoesnotaddresstherootofaproblemthathasbecomedeadlyincer-tainpartsoftheworld. Onehastorealizethatreconciliationisnot

theologicalbutrelational.Attheheartofanysuccessfulreconcili-ation isGod’s loveandnotdoc-trinal issues. I am engaged withyoutoshowyouthatIacceptyouasyouare,whileIneedattentionfromyouandrespect.Thesere-lational needs, if placed at thefoundation of the reconciliationeffort,willputthediscussionontherighttrackthatwillhelpbothtogainappreciationforeachother. Reconciliation, by definition, is a con-scious effort based on common sense. Ifboth messages are from the same source, itwill make sense to find common ground forpeaceful coexistence. However, faith is notnecessarilylogical.Thereinlaysthedifficultyof engaging one that has deep commitmenttohisfaithwhilehopingandprayingthathegains appreciation for you and your faith.

Usuallythemostproductivereconciliationisdoneone-on-oneandnotinpublic.Afterall,youarehopingandprayingthatGodtouchestheotherperson’sheartandbringhimastepcloser.This is not easy when an audience iswatching and positioning is at play. A goodstarting point is what is obviously [shared],suchasthebeliefinOneCreator. What is required is a lot of soul search-ing,acriticallookatourownvaluesandourplace on this earth.What is it that we wantofourselvesandothers?TheEarthisgettingsmallereverydayanditisgettingverycrowd-ed.Hence,weneedtorisetotheoccasionbypresentingourselvesandIslamtoourneigh-borsinsteadoffearingthemandhatingthem.The self-glorification we have been engaged

inforthelastfewhundredyearswillnot bring peace to our world. Weneed to make ourselves known toourChristianneighborsinorderforthemnottocontinuetofearus.LetushumblyexaminewhattheQur’anrequiresofuswhenweengageoth-ersinthisreneweddiscussion:The Family of Imran 3:64Say, ‘People of the Book, let us arrive at a statement that is common to us

all: we worship God alone, we ascribe no partner to Him, and none of us takes oth-ers beside God as lords.’ If they turn away, say, ‘Witness our devotion to Him.’

The good news is that enlightened ele-mentsinbothIslamandChristianitycanalsohelpeachother,bybuildingbridgestounder-standingandlong-termpeaceandstability.ItbehoovesthefollowersofJesustotaketohearthis teachings:“You shall love your neighborasyourself.”Jesusraisedthiscommandmentdramatically when he said, (Mt 5:43) “Youhave heard that it was said, ’You shall loveyour neighbor and hate your enemy.’” Hechanged (Lev 19:18)“love your neighbor” to(Mt5:44)“Loveyourenemies,”expandingtherangeofhisfollowers’lovefromtheneighbor-hoodtotheworld.….ThisistheJesusthatIknow and I love the same way I know and IloveMohammadandhismessageasrevealedintheQur’anwhichalsoteachestoloveone’senemy:

Fussilat 41:34 “Good and evil cannot be equal. [Prophet], repel evil with what is better and your enemy will become as close as an old and valued friend.”

ReconciliationisajourneythatGodputsyou on and leads you through. It is neitherforthefanaticnorforthefaintofheart. It isfor those that have the deepest faith in Himandthedeepestlovetowardotherhumanbe-ings—thosewhoaretoohumbletojudgeoth-ersandreadytoextendalovinghandtowardthem. Intoday’sworld,IholdtheviewthatitisofhighestimportancethatpeopleofgoodwillanddeepfaithengageinreconciliationeffortsinordertosparebothMuslimsandChristianstheagonyofconflictandalienation.Foritisnot enough to love God with all our heart,mindandsoul,ifwedon’tloveourneighborlikeourselves.

Reconciliation: The choice of peacemakers

“Reconciliation is a journey that God puts you on and leads you through.

It is neither for the fanatic nor for the faint

of heart. It is for those that have the deepest faith in Him and the

deepest love toward other human beings…”

12 WITNESS

By Preston Davis, 2009 FOR Communications Intern, Union

Theological Seminary graduate student

Nuclear weapons do not typically topthelistofthegeneralpublic’sconcerns;buteveryfiveyearsanextremelyimportantpro-ceduretakesplacetocurtailthepossibilityof nuclear proliferation – the review of theNuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Many intheinternationalpeacecommunity,howev-er,recognizethataddressingnuclearweap-ons only every five years does far too littleto rid the world of nuclear weapons. TheFellowshipofReconciliationisoneofthosewhoareaskingfortheswiftandimmediatedisarmament of all nuclear weapons. FORdemonstrateditscommitmenttothiscausethefirstweekendinMay,precedingthere-viewofthetreaty.

OnFriday,April30,FORhelped organize the Inter-national Conference fora Nuclear-Free, Peaceful,Just,andSustainableWorld.The conference took placeatRiversideChurchinHar-

lem, Manhattan. Attended by hundreds ofnuclearabolitionistsfromaroundtheglobe,the event concluded Saturday evening withanaddressfromU.N.Secretary-GeneralBanKi-moon. That same day, FOR teamed upwithUnionTheologicalSeminary’sStudentsforPeaceandJustice,toprovidetheday’sat-tendeeswithrefreshments,jazzmusicandabitofeasefromtheheavyworkoftheday. The energy from the conference carriedover to Sunday. With the help of Religionsfor Peace, the United Religions InitiativeandPaxChristi,FORorganizedanInterfaith

Convocation for the religious communitiesinvolvedintheweekend.Morethan400at-tendedtheoverflowevent,whichwasfacili-tatedandemceedbyFORexecutivedirectorMark Johnson. The convocation shared thevoices, sacred texts, and faith-based state-ments on nuclear arms and nuclear war ofmany different faith traditions and faithcommunities.PBSReligion&Ethicsfeaturedaprofileoftheconvocationviewableontheirwebsite. The spirited weekend culminated ina rally, march and festival. Beginning inTime Square, more than 5,000 abolition-ists marched to Dag Hammarskjold PlazajustoutsidetheflagsoftheUnitedNations.Demonstratedthroughvariousmusicalactsand story tellers the festival captured andcelebrated the passion and fortitude of theactivistspresent.

Report on the Int’l Conference for a Nuclear-Free, Peaceful, Just, and Sustainable World

By Ethan Vesely-Flad, editor of Fellowship magazine

InMay2010,JulietBernsteinannouncedshe was stepping down as convenor of theCapeCodFellowshipofReconciliation(CC-FOR).Afewweeksshyofher97thbirthday,theindefatigablepeaceactivistsaidshefeltit was time for a new person to coordinatethe active chapter, which holds educationprograms and other events throughout theyearandpublishesamonthlynewsletter.“Thisisapersonwhohasworkedforsocialjusticeallherlife,unflaggingly,”saidtheRev.Ken Campbell, a CC-FOR steering commit-teemember. And a long life it has been. “Juliet oncetold me she remembers as a child drivingwith her mother to vote when women firstreceived the franchise,” recalled MarilynSneden,anotherchapterleader.“Thatexpe-rience appears to have endowed Juliet withthespirittoworkallherlifeforthecausesofpeaceandjustice,”saidSneden. Indeed,“remarkable”isthefirstwordthatcomestothelipswhencolleaguesareaskedto reflect on Bernstein’s legacy. Noting thatmany justice seekers become beaten downthrough years of activism, Campbell said,

“Butyetshe’samazinglypositive;shedoesn’tget discouraged.” Bernstein has always re-alized that “the struggle continues, and wemoveon,”headded,citinghercommitmenttokeepworkingforpeace. Her tirelesseffortshavesometimespaidunexpecteddividends.CC-FORmemberBobWinter,whoalsohandlesmediarelationsforthechapter,sharedthefollowingstory: “In1993,FORwascontactedbyagroupof prisoners at the state prison in Gardner,Massachusetts, who were interested in be-cominganaffiliate…[ourchapterwas]askedtotalkwiththem.JulietwasenthusiasticandI agreed to drive.We had a member at thattimewhohadpreviouslybeenaprisonwar-den;shevolunteeredtogowithus. “After some correspondence, we agreedtomeetwiththeofficersofthegroupandaprison administrator. When we arrived, weweretoldthattheyhadnotrealizedhowfarawayCapeCodwas(2.5-hourdrive)andhadarrangedforustospeaktotheentiregroupof about 60 men so we could avoid makinganothertriprightaway. “We were totally unprepared, but got agoodreception.WemostlytalkedaboutFOR:itspurpose,history,andsoforth.Julietspokelastandsoundedmorelikeaunionorganizer,

tellingthementhattheyshouldbeawareoftheirrights,howtheycouldorganizeapeti-tiondriveandnegotiatewiththeauthorities.Themen loved it,buthadtopointout thatthingslikepetitionswerecontrarytoprisonregulations. “We made one more follow-up trip andwere better prepared.We made a favorablereport to national FOR and then [nationalstaffer] Doug Hostetter visited them. OnJune8,1993,theGardnerFellowshipbecameFOR’sfirstprisonaffiliate.” Fromcreatingapeacepresenceatthean-nualCapeCodJuly4thparadetoorganizingincarceratedmeninprison,JulietBernsteinhas been a tireless champion of peace andjusticeforyearstoonumeroustocount.FORhonors Bernstein’s legacy as she passes onthemantletothenextgenerationofCC-FORleadership.

A Remarkable Woman: Juliet Bernstein

NEWS FROM SHADOWCLIFF continued

Juliet Bernstein (left) presents Cape Cod FOR’s Olive Branch Award to Sarah Thatcher. Photo courtesy: Robert Winter.

SummER 2010 13

By Linda Kelly

On Groundhog’s Day of 2009 I took themorningofffrommyparttimejobasDevel-opmentAssistantfortheFellowshipofRec-onciliation(FOR)tohavebiopsiestakenonthetwolumpsfoundinmyrightbreast.Thefollowing day, I told my supervisor, JonetteO’Kelley Miller, Director of Development atFOR, that Iwasappointedtocall theWom-en’sWellnessCenterfortheresultsandthatIwasabitanxious.Jonette’sresponsewastooffertopraywithme.Theprayerwasimpro-visationalandinherwords,soIdon’trecallpreciselywhatwassaid,butIdorememberthat I felt emboldened as I headed out ofJonette’sofficetomakethecall. MydeskonthesecondfloorofShadow-cliff, FOR’s national headquarters in Nyack,NY, is by a window that looks out over asprawlinglawn,throughaphalanxoftreestoawideexpanseofthemightyHudsonRiver.TheriverwaschoppyandasgrayastheFeb-ruaryskythatday.Istaredatthewhitecrestsbreakingontheripplingwaterwhileanurseputmeonholdtofetchthedoctor. “Mrs.Kelly?” “Yes.” “Well,Mrs.Kelly,bothlumpstestpositiveforcancer.” “No. Are you sure you’re reading my re-ports?”

“Yes,Mrs.Kelly.” “No,but…No.” “Yes.Werecommendthatyou...” Icontinuedtogazeattheriverwhilethedoctor instructed me to line up a surgeonand, as the unfathomable seeped into myconsciousness, I surrendered. My nervesuncoiled, my muscles and bones relaxed,and a profound peace washed over me as Ithought,“Oh,thisismywalkwithGod.” What followed was an extraordinaryjourneyofhealingandpersonalgrowth,thehallmark of which was making choices ona many-forked road. There were so manycrucial decisions to make: lumpectomy vs.mastectomyvs.nosurgery,full lymphnodedissection vs. only sentinel node, aggres-

sivechemovs. lighterchemovs.nochemo,radiation therapy or not, hormone therapyor not, and then there were numerous al-ternativehealingmodalities toexplore.Thejourneywouldhavebeendizzyingif itwerenotforthatinitialexperienceofpeaceIhaduponreceivingthediagnosiswhileseatedatmyFORdesk.Thatprofoundacceptanceorpeacebecamemyreference,mycompass. EachtimeIstoodataforkintheroad,mymindthrashedaboutalltheoptionsandtheirbenefits, drawbacks, statistics, side effects,doctors’ opinions, other peoples’ opinions,myfamilyhistory,mycurrentfamily’sneeds,my needs, and so on. My heart would race,myteethandfistswouldclenchateachjunc-ture while I gathered information. It wasn’teasy,butIcametobelievethattheinternalwar was imperative as darkness defines thelight.Fortunately,Iwasblessedwithastrongsupportnetworkoffamily,friendsandwon-derfulFORcoworkers toholdmyhandandboostmyspiritwheneverIfeltlost;however,I did have to make my choices on my ownwithmyowninternalguidance.Invariably,amomentwouldarrivewhenmyhead,heart,gut, and soul would line up like a compassneedle with the North Star, and I could goforthingoodfaithasIwalkedinPEACE. To share with Linda about her healingjourneypleasevisitherblog“LumpLessons”athttp://ellekelly.wordpress.com/

PEACE Guides the Way

In the attitude of silence the soul finds the path in a clearer light, and what is elusive and deceptive resolves itself into crystal clearness. Our life is a long and arduous quest for Truth.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

14 WITNESS

AN EVENING OF HAITIAN CULTUREART AUCTION/SALE

JULY 17, 2010 ~ 3:00pm-8:00pm

Shadowcliff on the HudsonThe Fellowship of Reconciliation

521 N. BroadwayNyack, NY 10960

Advance Tickets: $25.00. Door: $30.00. V.I.P.:$75.00

ContactMary Heckler / Tom Morrison: 845-358-460 ext. 32Facebook Page: My Haiti - It’s about the Children

Proceeds to benefit: Ecole Classique Bon Samaritain in Digue Matheux (School) & La Maison des Petits in Diquini (Orphanage)

My Haiti ~ It’s about the Children

SummER 2010

IN MEMORIAM

Miriam Becker, a lifetime worker to make the world a better place and a de-voted member of FOR since July 1995, died on December 13, 2009. Miriam resided in Williamsville, NY and is sur-vived by her husband Eugene

Becker, son Robin Becker, and grandchild Melissa Manning. She is predeceased by daughter Vivian Grossman.

Kathleen Burgy, 94, a humanitarian, poet, peace-maker and member of FOR since December 1984, died in her home in Mill Valley, CA on December 2, 2009. Kathleen’s extraordinary life is character-ized by a passionate commitment to the causes of world peace, justice and human dignity which took her all over the world in service through the Red Cross, the United Nations Relief, American Friends Service Committee (Quakers) and, finally, as a so-cial worker in San Francisco. She is survived by her brother Col. John M. Regan and several adoring nieces and nephews.

Rev . Robert E . Grimm, 87, a key leader in ef-forts to foster better relations among people of various religious traditions and a member of FOR since June 7, 2004, died at home in Buffalo, NY on August 17, 2009. Rev. Grimm was executive director of the Buffalo Area Council of Churches – a forerunner of the current Network of Reli-gious Communities – and an active volunteer in other ecumenical and interfaith organizations. A long time advocate for religious tolerance, Rev. Grimm was a passionate and tireless worker for peace and justice. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Roberta, two sons, three daughters, and two sisters.

Frank Hanawalt, 87, an educator, administra-tor, lifelong civil rights advocate, and member of FOR since March 2000, died on August 18, 2009. Frank believed that all lives have equal value and he walked the walk. While principal of Seattle’s most racially diverse High School during the tur-bulent 60’s, Frank withstood hate mail and death threats for inviting Rev. Dr. Martin Luther, Jr. to speak to the students. Frank recalled that partway into his speech, King stopped and looked out at the audience, an equal mix of African Americans, whites and Asian Americans, and said, “You are a beautiful student body,” and the youth erupted into cheers. He is perhaps most famous for being the principal that expelled Jimi Hendrix for cutting too many classes, but service was the mainstay of Frank’s professional and personal life. He is prede-ceased by his wife of 50 years, Jean; and survived

by three sons, one sister, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Marion Waxelbaum Kaufman, 93, beloved mother of FOR’s National Council Vice Chair, Dr. Gus B. Kaufman, Jr., died on March 3, 2010. A life-long resident of Macon, Georgia, Mrs. Kaufman was actively involved in a number of local orga-nizations as well as an author of four books about Macon’s Jewish history. She was devoted to her family and to Temple Beth Israel, Macon’s Reform Jewish Synagogue, of which she was a member all of her life. Mrs. Kaufman is survived by her hus-band Gus, two daughters and a son in addition to Gus, Jr., four grandchildren, a brother, and nieces and nephews.

Bruce Edward Kohler, 59, an FOR supporter, died in his home in Glastonbury, CT, on Febru-ary 2, 2010. Bruce was described as a remarkable, gentle man with a passion for unilateral peace in the world. He was a devoted attendee of peace vigils to end the war in Iraq and actively protested to all levels of government the inequities he felt could be eradicated. Bruce is survived by three sis-ters and brothers-in-law, a niece and nephew.

Michael Leff, chair of the Department of Com-munications at the University of Memphis, inter-nationally known scholar of rhetoric, and friend of FOR, died after a brief illness on February 5, 2010. The list of awards for Michael’s many publications and scholarly accomplishments is long, and yet his greatest joy was found in watching his graduate students succeed in their own careers. Michael was a demanding though convivial teacher who inspired students and colleagues by his encour-agement of their initiatives and by his dedication to the study of rhetoric in society. A celebration of his life features his scholarship and teaching, but what drove both were his humanity, his humor, and his kindness.

Betty MacFarlane, 77, a longtime active member of the Oregon FOR, died in her home in Portland, OR on December 11, 2009. Betty’s lifelong com-mitment to social justice was a result of working with migrant worker children in her early years and was lived out through medical missionary work in Iran, and involvement in a variety of peace and justice organizations. Music, songwriting, and the friendships Betty made through music were cen-tral in her life, next to the love of her family. Betty is survived by her husband Bob, four children, and seven grandchildren.

Frank Ostrowski, representative to the United Nations for the International Fellowship of Rec-onciliation (IFOR) and a member of FOR since June 21, 2000, died in Atlanta, GE on January 25, 2010. An openhearted and visionary man, Frank’s reports from the UN were eagerly read by col-leagues in the international peace movement. He was also the author of the book Beyond Systems: Achieving Peace Through Our Shared Humanity which was published in 2006. Frank is survived by his wife, Sarah Lopez, two sons and their wives, and two granddaughters.

Bill Sutherland, 91, friend of FOR and the unof-ficial ambassador between the peoples of Africa and the Americas for over fifty years, died peace-fully on January 2, 2010. A life-long pacifist and liberation advocate, Sutherland became involved in civil rights and anti-war activities as a youthful member of the Student Christian Movement in the 1930’s. While serving four years at Lewisburg Federal Correctional Facility as a conscientious ob-jector to WWII in the 1940’s, he developed life-long friendships with Ralph DiGia, Bayard Rustin, George Houser, Dave Dellinger and other eminent peace workers. He went on to lead a colorful and dynamic life of peace and justice pursuits that included involvement with War Resisters Interna-tional, Peace Brigades International, the American Friends Service Committee, and the American Committee on Africa. Sutherland is most noted for being a pioneer in the liberation struggle in Africa, his efforts to achieve an end to colonial-ism and global apartheid, and his commitment to revolutionary nonviolence despite a close associa-tion with those engaged in armed struggle. He is survived by three children, many grandchildren, scores of family members and friends, a loving partner, Marilyn Meyers, and two “adopted” sons.

Elvin Lawrence (Larry) Swift, 81, devoted member of FOR since January 1, 2005 and be-loved 22 year employee at FOR’s national head-quarters, died peacefully on March 14, 2010. A son of Methodist missionaries to Singapore, Larry also became a Methodist missionary in his early years and taught English in Japan. He returned to the US and ran work camps in Philadelphia, PA to build housing in disadvantaged communities before coming to work at FOR. Larry enjoyed sing-ing bass in his church choir and taking walks in nature, and chose a simple lifestyle while leading a life of compassionate service. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Haruye, two daughters and their husbands, two grandchildren, a brother, two sisters, a sister-in-law, and several nieces and nephews.

15

Weekly Activities at FOR/Shadowcliff 521 N. Broadway, Upper Nyack, NY 10960:Sundays: Live and Let Live Alcoholics Anonymous,

10-11am Young Peoples Group Alcoholics

Anonymous, 8:30-9:30pmMondays: Nicotine Anonymous, 7-9pmWednesdays: Buddhist Meditation, 7-9pmThursdays: Young Peoples Group Alcoholics

Anonymous, 8-9pmFor more information: 845.358.4601

JUNE

June 20: World Refugee Day

June 22 - 26: US Social Forum II: “Another World Is Possible; Another U.S. Is Necessary!”Detroit, Michigan http://www.ussf2010.org/

June 26: UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torturewww.un.org/events/torture/

June 28 – 30: 1st Annual Hudson Youth Leadership AcademyA social justice-themed day camp sponsored by Creative Re-sponse to Conflict and Me to We.Rockland Community College, NYTo download registration form, please visit www.crc-ny.orgEmail inquiries@crc-global.orgOr call 845-353-1796

JULYJuly 1-7: Church of the Brethren and Mennonite Annual MeetingsPittsburgh, PA

July 2 – 5: WWFOR Conference at SeabeckWith keynote speakers Shauen V.T. Pearce from FORUSA on “Opening Doors and Building Bridges” and Jo Ann Bowman “Living the Vision of Peace and Justice” http://www.wwfor.org/seabeck/

July 7 – 10: Leadership Forum at Silver Bayhttp://www.leadershipforumatsilverbay.com/

July 12 – 17: Light to Live In: The Biblical Call to Peace Rooted in Justice. A Conference for Peacemakers sponsored by the Baptist Peace Fellowship of North AmericaKeuka College, Keuka Park, NYwww.bpfna.org/conference

July 17: “My Haiti – It’s All About the Children”Hudson Valley FOR fundraiser for Haitian Children featuring a Haitian Art Auction, Food & Music FestivalNyack, NYEmail: mheckler@forusa.org

July 17: International Justice DayAnniversary of the 1998 adoption by the United Nations of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

July 23 – 25: *United National Antiwar Conference (National Assembly)Albany, NYhttp://www.nationalpeaceconference.org/

July 24 – August 2: Colombia: Military Bases, Human Rights, and Free Trade. Delegation to Colombia - Sponsored by Witness for Peace and the Fellowship of Reconciliation, info@forusa.orgContacts: Lesley Gill 615-322-2851, Lesley.gill@att.net Ken Crowley 202-423-3402 ken@witnessforpeace.org

July 28 -31: *Peace Among the PeoplesElkhart, Indianahttp://liveforpeace.org/node/72

AUGUSTAugust 6: Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of HiroshimaPeace Pagoda (Myohoji Nipponzan) - 6:45pmMark C. Johnson will speak as a follow-up to the Nuclear Non-proliferation TreatyGrafton, NY

August 9: Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing of Nagasaki

August 17: International Youth Dayhttp://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/un/international-youth-dayhttp://www.un.org/esa/socdev/unyin/iyouthday.htm

August 20 - September 5: FOR Delegation to IranEmail iran@forusa.org

August 25-29: Veteran’s for PeacePortland, MEhttp://www.vfpnationalconvention.org/

SEPTEMBERSeptember 21: International Day of Peacehttp://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/

September 23 - 25: FACING RACE 2010 national conferenceMcCormick Hyatt Regency in Chicago, ILhttp://www.arc.org/facingracefacingrace@arc.org

OCTOBEROctober 16 - 17: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

October 17: World Food Daywww.fao.org/wfd/

NOVEMBERNovember 5 – 20: FOR Delegation to Iran(Application deadline: August 1)Email iran@forusa.org

November 20: Universal Children’s Daywww.unicef.org

DECEMBERDecember 1: World AIDS Daywww.unaids.orgwww.worldaidscampaign.orgwww.worldaidsday.org

December 10: UN International Human Rights Day

For more information on Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR)-sponsored Programs, visit the FOR website: www.forusa.org

12 WITNESS

CALENDAR OF EVENTSNational Council Members

Nabil BayaklyWilliam Bontrager

Dennis BrickingAndrea BriggsLaurie Childers

Paul R . Dekar, ChairDaniel Delapava

Martha DiGiovanniDaniel S . FrasierJanice GallagherLucas Johnson

Gus Kaufman, Jr ., Vice ChairJeremy LoweGreta Mickey

James E . MurphyJennifer NewellJanice OrcuttPeggy Rivers

Rabbi Michael RothbaumBill Scheurer, Vice TreasurerSarah Schindler, Treasurer

Rev . Sam SmithPhil Stoltzfus

Rabbi Karen SussanRick Ufford-Chase

Executive Director: Mark C . Johnson, Ph .D .

Witness is published on-line two times a year by theFellowship of Reconciliation

Comments and letters are welcome . If you have news to share, or an opinion or comment, please e-mail, telephone, or send by mail . We will publish all items as appropriate for Witness readers and subject to space availability .

Editor: Jonette O’Kelley MillerEditorial Assistant: Linda Kelly

Fellowship of Reconciliation

521 N . Broadway, P .O . Box 271Nyack, NY 10960

Telephone: 845 .358 .4601Fax: 845 .358 .4924

Web site: www .forusa .orgBlog: www .FORpeace .nete-mail: for@forusa .org