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Section of the Americas
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July 15, 2010
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Greetings!
28 young people,
aged 16-18, are arriving today in Seattle for FWCC's Quaker Youth Pilgrimage. The
pilgrims, from Britain,
Canada, the
Czech Republic,
Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA, will spend a month in the Pacific Northwest. Please pray for them, for the four
leaders and for the volunteers who are working to support this
event.
I'd also
appreciate prayers for Jorge Arauz of Philadelphia YM, whom FWCC has sent to
Honduras to lead an AVP (Alternatives to Violence) workshop at Honduras YM's pastors' retreat.
Sincerely,
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 Salt & Light local events for October & November
Six or more FWCC events are being planned for this October and November on the World Conference theme Being Salt and Light: Friends living the kingdom of God in a broken world.
The first of these events will take place at West Knoxville (TN) Friends Meeting October 8-10. Felicity McCartney (Ireland YM) is one of the speakers at this weekend-long event. Felicity co-edited the book Coming from the Silence: Quaker Peacebuilding Initiatives in Northern Ireland 1969-2007 and will address the theme from the perspective of Friends as reconcilers.
Overnight hospitality will be available with local Friends, and there are hotels very close by as well. Child care will be available for children ages 12 and under.
All Friends are invited to attend. Look for online registration to start soon.
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Newest FWCC publications
Two new resource books have been published recently by FWCC. - Friends Directory: Meetings, Churches and Worship Groups in the Section of the Americas is available for purchase online. The Directory lists meetings and churches in the US, Canada and parts of the Caribbean and Latin America. It also contains yearly meeting contact information for all groups in the Americas. Click here for info and to purchase the Directory
- Friends Around the World provides an overview of the world of the Religious Society of Friends and is published by the World Office of FWCC. It provides a brief history of yearly meetings around the world along with contact information. This book is only available through online purchase. Click here for info and to purchase Friends Around the World.
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Magnifying our work on global change
FWCC (at the World level) has begun a Global Change initiative. Its coordinator, Samuel Mahaffy, writes:
"The horrible disaster on the U.S.
Gulf Coast is only the latest in a long series of tragedies triggered by human
greed and lack of care for the earth and all its inhabitants.
Friends worldwide are taking action. FWCC is
asking your help to engage more Friends in the process of naming what we as a
body might have to say about Global Change (interconnected environmental,
climate, economic, and social change). Is there a distinctive Quaker response? How might we serve as messengers
of the transforming power of God's love and hope?"
FWCC's Global Change Steering
Committee is encouraging the establishment of cluster gatherings in communities
of Friends around the world. They are
asking Friends including FWCC representatives and other supporters to step
forward and volunteer to organize Clusters. These gatherings may be a half day or a full day period of worshipful
sharing around six queries posted on FWCC's Global Change website. If you
are willing to help organize a cluster, please contact Samuel Mahaffy.
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 Next writers workshop in Bolivia for beginners
The next Committee of Latin American Friends (COAL) workshop for Friends in South America will impart basic writing concepts to Friends who are just beginning their writing ministry. This workshop addresses a need for basic training in writing that the COAL Executive Committee identified recently.
Esteban Ajnota of the National Evangelical Friends Church of Bolivia (INELA) will lead the workshop that will take place September 4-6, 2010 in La Paz. A second presenter will come from the Bolivian group CALA, Comisión
de Alfabetización y Literatura en Aymara (Committee on Literacy and Literature in Aymara.)
At least 30 representatives from the various yearly meetings in Bolivia and Peru are expected to attend.
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QUNO Geneva seeks new director
 With the retirement of David Atwood next year, a new director is being sought for the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva. QUNO staff
facilitate dialogue among UN stakeholders, help raise issues on the
international agenda, offer expert input and represent Friends' concerns. The
Geneva office focuses on human rights & refugees, global economics and
disarmament & peace. This role provides an opportunity to build on the
credibility QUNO has gained through over 50 years of quiet diplomacy and
detailed policy work. For more information please visit the QUNO website. Closing date for applications is September 30, 2010. |
Donating to FWCC online now easier
Our updated online giving page now allows you to make a gift by check (EFT), in addition to Visa and Mastercard. Any time is a good time to think about making a gift contribution to FWCC. Though things may seem quiet during summer months when many are away or on vacation in the northern hemisphere, we continue to work on new ways of sharing the FWCC message within, and beyond, the Americas. Please help us accomplish that by making a gift to FWCC today. |
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