Author: Kent Busse

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Nonviolent Communication

Nonviolent Communication (NVC) is a tool for peaceful communication that involves listening empathically and discerning both parties’ feelings and needs. Effective with family, co-workers, F/friends, and oneself, NVC is a technique developed by Marshall Rosenberg and explained in his book Nonviolent Communication A Language of Life. “What I want in my life is compassion, a flow between myself and others based on a mutual giving from the heart.”

Evanston Friends have shared the following invitation –

For a couple of years, Evanston Friends has held a Nonviolent Communication (NVC) practice group in which a core group of six or so has met regularly. This fall we wish to open our practice sessions widely to Friends, community members, and the greater Chicago NVC community. We will learn NVC basics in our fall practice sessions and invite you and anyone who may be interested to join us.

Thursday, September 20th we will focus on Giving from the Heart. Giving when we can do so with the joy of a young child feeding ducks. The four basic steps of observations, feelings, needs, and requests will be reviewed and practiced through roleplays chosen from recent situations encountered in our daily lives.

Thursday, September 27th and Thursday, October 4th will build on those concepts and introduce Communication that Blocks Compassion, judgments that alienate us from compassion.

You don’t have to attend all three sessions. Come when you can. No prerequisites. See how NVC affects your life. All are welcome. There is no fee.

Our Agenda:
6:30 we gather in the basement for an optional general check-in (about our week) and to eat our bring-your-own dinner.

7:00 we start our NVC specific check-ins (recent NVC opportunities/conflicts – acted on or missed; what is alive in us right now). Individual NVC check-ins often reveal situations for role-play. We also use exercises from the NVC workbook, Nonviolent Communication Companion Workbook by Lucy Leu.
9:00 we conclude.

On Friday evening, October 5 and Saturday, October 6 we will host a workshop on the basics of Nonviolent Communication.

PRESENTERS: Myra Walden, MA, certified trainer with the Center for Nonviolent Communication, and Carolyn Blum, MS, mediator and conflict coach.

CONTRIBUTION: Single registrant, $50 / Two or more registrants: $40 each

Fee reductions apply to those registering together with registration and payment postmarked by 9/29/12. Partial scholarships are available through work exchange. No one turned away for lack of financial means. Registration closes on 10/3/12.

CEUs: Seven continuing education units are available for LSW, LCSW, LPC, LCPC and LMFT.

PLACE: Evanston Friends Meetinghouse, 1010 Greenleaf, Evanston, IL 60202

TIME: Friday: Arrival, 6:45 pm, Workshop, 7-9 pm / Saturday: Arrival, 9:45 am, Workshop, 10 am – 4 pm (lunch not provided)

QUESTIONS & FOR REGISTRATION DETAILS: Michael Grygleski, michaelgrygleski@gmail.com, 630-510-1980

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Quaker Peacemakers Project: Sandra Tamari

20120922-181749.jpg Sandra Tamari is a member of the St. Louis Religious Society of Friends and currently resides in Glen Carbon, Illinois. Born in Jacksonville, Florida to Palestinian immigrants, Sandra is married to Steve Tamari, mother to two school-age children, and works as an admissions advisor to international students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Click the play button below to hear Sandra’s reflections on peacemaking.

[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/93916228″ params=”color=007aff&auto_play=false&show_artwork=false” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]

The Peace Resources Committee interviewed Sandra in front of a live participatory audience at the 2012 Annual Sessions of Illinois Yearly Meeting. Listen in to hear her reflections on being a peacemaker, feeling discouraged, the seeds of peace that lead her on this path, the security in life that comes from being raised with love, dealing with the isolation of detainment while in Israeli detention, life lessons from rocker Patti Smith, what the perpetual state of war today means for peacemaking, the role of participation and representation, raising children, and keeping hope.

Download Audio: QuakerPeacemakers_Tamari

Click here to learn more about the Quaker Peacemakers Archive Project where you can nominate Friends in Illinois Yearly Meeting you think should be included in this effort. The project aims to compile and preserve an oral history of Friends whose contributions to peace building offer wonderful opportunities for reflection. As Friends tell their stories in their own words, these recordings will capture and preserve unique and inspired personal acts and thoughts which enrich our Yearly Meeting.

Music: “The Big Ship” by Brian Eno (Another Green World, 1975)

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America By The Numbers: Clarkston Georgia

This Georgia town is the current home to QVS volunteer, Justin Leverett, where he is assigned as a communication specialist to a non-profit agency. Clarkston, Georgia is being called one of the most diverse communities in America with residents from over 40 countries speaking over 60 different languages:

[vimeo 46268046 w=400 h=300]

With animation and a cinematic lens, “America By The Numbers: Clarkston Georgia” presents Maria Hinojosa’s exploration of the lessons that can be learned from our newest Americans about democracy and getting along.

Click here to learn more about the project and PBS broadcast times near you.

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Seeking Peace: Preserving Apples

Saturday, October 13
10am – late afternoon/early evening
Illinois Yearly Meeting Meetinghouse & Kitchen
McNabb, IL

THIS JUST IN: Peace Resources Committee is thrilled to announce the generous contribution of apples from Tanner’s Orchard of 740 State Route 40, in Speer, IL. We will be gifted all we need for the workshop, so come join us for a day of learning and fun! (posted 9/14)

Thanks to the gracious planning assistance of Beth Schobernd, Grayce Mesner, and Mariellen Gilpin we – the Peace Resources Committee – invite Friends to gather at the Yearly Meetinghouse for a day of storytelling and apples. This is a Peace House on the Prairie program, the first of many we hope to facilitate. The day will include:

– apple prep* with worship sharing around several apple-themed queries
– period of sterilizing jars and cooking apples
– an exploration of an assembly line process
– queries while the apples simmer
– processing apples with Foley mills
– processing apples with blenders/food processors
– boiling extra jars
– filling jars
– possibly learning about other ways to preserve apples (at least a small demo)

*apples will be prepared for processing with Foley mills and food processors, so some apples will be washed & cored while others will be washed, peeled, chopped and freed of seeds.

The day will proceed at its own pace. The goal is to share knowledge, learn more about each other and this fruit, listen to each other’s stories and walk away having made a delicious treat for ourselves and our loved ones. Especially in this year of drought, let us celebrate food and our access to it. This is an opportunity for us to build & deepen our community; we who haven’t yet been taught, we who desire a refresher, and we who want to share past experiences of preserving apples.

There are about a dozen Friends who have already expressed interest. We ask that those excited to participate please RSVP by October 1: email PRC clerk Breeze Richardson at breeze.richardson@sbcglobal.net.  This will ensure we arrange appropriate hospitality, purchase enough apples, and confirm the necessary equipment. The day will be free to all who wish to attend, with the opportunity to overnight at Clear Creek House. Our shared midday meal will be potluck.

Friends are encouraged to bring the following items:
– a paring knife/peeling knife
– cutting board
– preferred mixing bowl
– your personal Foley mill, food processor, or blender*

*If a participant wants to know more about these options we can provide additional details about what might be used. Some of those attending are purchasing needed equipment both for use in this workshop and future personal use with these new learned skills.

We will provide:
– enough apples to provide multiple quarts of applesauce to each participant
– sugar, cinnamon
– jars and lids
– some structure and queries to get us started…

The day will begin in the Meetinghouse Kitchen, and possibly expand to the outdoors if the group is big enough to divide into smaller worship groups & some want to prep apples outdoors (at the possible risk of attracting bees).

There is a need for some Friends to gather Friday evening or earlier on Saturday morning to wash down counters, sweep, and clean the necessary pots and accessories. Thanks to Beth and Diane who are kindly taking inventory of cooking pots and appliances during Fall Work Weekend.

We look forward to spending the day with you!

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Democracy, Earthcare Witness, and Holy War

Three remarkable events over the next three months:

Healing the Heart of Democracy
Noted writer, teacher and activist Parker Palmer and one of the definitive voices of the heartland and progressive spirituality, singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer, will be presenting a evening of song and spoken word on “Healing the Heart of Democracy: A Gathering of Spirits for the Common Good” through a a three-stage journey of hope celebrating ‘we the People’, exploring the power of ‘The Broken-Open Heart’, and inviting reflection on ‘How The Shall We Live.’ This evening with these two Quakers will be on Saturday, September 29 at the Crimi Auditorium in the Institute for Collaboration at Aurora University (407 S. Calumet Ave., Aurora, Illinois).  The event is free. However, reservations are required as seating is limited.  To register, please visit auartsandideas.com, email artsanddideas@aurora.edu or call 630-844-4924.

Quaker Earthcare Witness
The Quaker Earthcare Witness October Gathering and Steering Committee meeting will be held at the Cenacle in Chicago, October 4-7, 2012. The theme, for this year, will again be Food and Biodiversity and will be commemorating 25 years of bringing earthcare concerns to Friends. In addition to ILYM’s Noel Pavlovic and Jim Kessler, farmer and environmental educator from Iowa Friends United Meeting, speaking Friday and Saturday evening on food and biodiversity, Jose Aguto, FCNL Legislative Secretary for Sustainable Energy and Environment, will address the challenges of FCNL in working on the environment today; a panel of QEW members will address special aspects of food and biodiversity. We will celebrate with stories from our 25-year history, and we will be planning for our future work: what will our priorities be and how will we work with Quaker organizations and others who share our concerns? Please consider joining the committee for the entire three-day gathering. Bring your stories, your passions and your ideas. Registration is due by September 7. If you have questions or want to register for the Gathering either full-time, for a day or two, or as a commuter, please contact treadway@ilstu.edu or call 309-454-1328.

The Holy War Conference
How do religious traditions link God and war? How have these linkages been misconstrued or exploited? Is religious violence distinct or do appeals to religious justification for violence serve as an excuse or smokescreen? The UIC Holy War conference will examine iterations of religious violence across temporalities and space. Conference presenters will speak to the internal categorizations of war and violence and their relations to imperial, national, and religious political forms. While individual papers will address specific religious traditions, the panels and conference as a whole is comparative and will bring out specificities and similarities among conceptions of holy war. The Keynote Address will be at 5pm on November 15 and is titled “Revelation and Militancy in the Traditions of Abraham” to be presented by Michael Sells, John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature, University of Chicago, and member of 57th Street Meeting. This conference is free and open to the public: November 15-16 at the University of Illinois at Chicago Institute for the Humanities (701 South Morgan Street, lower level Stevenson Hall); more information. Preregistration is not necessary, but is appreciated so attendance can be calculated. Click here to register.

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A call for compassion

Friend David Finke wrote to the committee:

“I gladly call to your attention this situation of an eminent leader in our Islamic community. I believe he deserves support from every person with a concern for Justice.” Here is the letter he has request you read and reflect on:

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Dear Friend,

I never yet have obeyed the “Send this to everyone you know!” command when getting a passionate e-mail appeal.  Aren’t you glad?  But this message, originating with me alone, is one that I hope you will both read and act upon, and I’m urging it to everyone I know.

A friend of Nancy’s & mine here in Columbia must start serving a 36-month federal prison sentence in just 2 1/2 weeks. His “crime” to which he had to admit in a plea agreement (to avoid an even longer sentence) was that he sent money to his family in Iraq during the UN/US sanctions regime: 1990-2003.  His mother was going blind; his sister lost a baby because they couldn’t get $10 worth of antibiotics.  As so many in this town have been saying since we were stunned to learn his sentence several months ago, “Who among us wouldn’t have tried to do the same?”

Shakir Hamoodi’s only chance for not having to be separated from his family for the next 3 years is to be granted Executive Clemency.  We don’t expect that the President will act on this request until after the fall elections, and in fact the appropriate documents can’t be filed until Shakir is locked up.  But a highly committed group in town — including people who have never been “political” before — is organizing to do our best to bring this to President Obama’s attention, including working with the cooperative staff of our Senator McCaskill.

There’s more about this case that I’d be happy for you to read, and I’m giving links at the end.  We’re delighted how much positive publicity Shakir, as a community leader, has gained. At the very least, I hope you’ll take the next minute to click this link to read more, then consider adding your name to the 3,500 plus signatures we have on an electronic petition.

Many hard-copy petitions have also been circulated.  From these we are working on collecting the best several dozen personalized letters of support and testimonial to add to the official Petition to be filed August 28th with the Justice Department’s “Office of the Pardon Attorney.”  I feel honored to be part of this work, and also to serve as trustee of the “Hamoodi Family Benefit Trust” established to help the family during their breadwinner’s absence.

Our friend Shakir is a naturalized American citizen who came from Iraq to the U.S. to study nuclear engineering, for which he has a doctorate and on which he was teaching at the “Mizzou” campus here.  I find it significant that he chose not to return to Iraq where his skills might have been used to build weapons for Saddam Hussein.  Our government has “thanked” him for this service by having raided his home and seized records 6 years ago.

However, after 5 years of searching through them with Shakir’s full cooperation, they found no evidence that any of the money he transmitted went for anything other than humanitarian relief to individuals.  And then, for reasons that we’ll probably never know, the “Team A” of FBI and federal prosecutors was suddenly replaced earlier this year by “Team B” which recommended a sentence of 5 to 6 years.  So much for cooperation with the expectation of probation — which, in fact, has been given in similar cases even to defendants who moved much greater amounts of money and who took a percentage for themselves.

I will get off my soapbox now (while preparing for 2 testimonial/send-off dinners in Shakir’s honor) and simply ask you to respond — with your signature at least, and a monetary gift if possible (details on request.)  It will be important to mention in our filings how many individuals have gone on record asking respectfully for Executive Clemency.

This is as clear a case as I’ve ever witnessed of the necessity for concerned citizens to come together with compassion to try to undue a manifest injustice.

Whatever you decide to do, I send you greetings, and hope to stay in touch.

In peace,    -DHF

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Five Specific Requests, outlined by Steve Tamari

Sandra Tamari’s husband, Steve, recently wrote about Sandra’s experience and its aftermath, following a trip in May where she was refused entry at Israel’s Ben Gurion airport and deported. For Steve, the most unexpected part of the experience was what happened after Sandra returned to the US.

From the piece he titled: “US missing in action as Israel targets Palestinian-Americans” Steve writes:

Sandra’s experience and the outcry that followed made this an opportune moment to act. With assistance from various activist networks, our petition drive secured enough support within a short time to get us an audience with State Department officials on June 26.

We had five specific requests for the State Department officials: to treat Palestinian-Americans in Israel as they would any other US citizen; to raise this issue with Israeli counterparts; to examine the legality of this all-too-common scenario in light of the aforementioned 1954 Treaty; and to inquire whether US embassy or consular officials have any records related to the numbers of Palestinian-Americans denied entry to Israel and areas under its control.

We also petitioned the State Department to protest Israeli plans to destroy the Palestinian village of Susiya, the most recent example of 65 years of Israeli whole-scale ethnic cleansing.

Our exchange with the State Department demonstrated once again our government’s inability to guarantee basic assistance to Palestinian-Americans at Israeli ports of entry.

The officials expressed sympathy, and acknowledged that US officials have repeatedly raised such concerns with their Israeli Foreign Ministry counterparts to no avail. But they could offer little more than a verbal promise to relate our concerns to higher-ups.

I am not holding my breath. The State Department has a 30-year record of offering no effective assistance to its citizens in this regard. Why should we expect anything different this time around?

That said, Sandra’s case solidified my optimism in the citizenry’s basic decency and in the power of grassroots organizing and hard-nosed questioning.

Click here to read the entire piece: “US missing in action as Israel targets Palestinian-Americans” from Ma’an News Agency (updated 7/14/12).

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Denied Entrance: Quaker mother of two is deemed an Israeli Security Risk

Sandra Tamari has given PRC permission to share her story, sent to family and friends on May 24, 2012:

Dear Family and Friends,

My participation in the May 2012 Interfaith Peace Builders delegation was blocked by Israeli officials at the airport who deemed me “a security risk.” After an eight hour wait with several interrogations, I couldn’t help but laugh at the idea that a Quaker mother of two had the ability to be a risk to one of the most powerful countries in the world.

The questions started at passport control.  “What is your father’s name?”  “What is your grandfather’s name?”  I was immediately escorted to a dirty waiting room to await further interrogation.  I was questioned no fewer than seven times and was asked directly, “Are you a terrorist?”

All this because I am a Palestinian and I refuse to be silent.

The Israelis demanded access to my gmail account.  When I refused to provide my password, they said that I must be hiding something sinister.  They obviously knew about my activism for Palestinian rights.  They asked about my political activities at home and what organizations I worked with.

I was taken to security to claim my suitcase.  They went through my belongings thoroughly and searched me (but thankfully did not make me strip my clothes.)

When they discovered that I had taken detailed notes about my interrogations, the lead interrogator was furious.  He accused me of sound recording or photographing the questioning.  He was especially interested in my notes about my phone conversation with a staffer at the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv. IFPB alerted the Embassy to my detention and the staffer had called me earlier at the airport.  I told them that the Embassy advised me to keep a record of my treatment.  They seemed to be a little nervous at that point.

I was able to inform the delegation co-leader and my dear friend, Anna, that I was being deported.  She had been at my side throughout the entire ordeal prior to my search in security.  I knew she was imagining the worst during my hour-long absence.

I was taken to a prison cell where I stayed for several hours and then driven onto a runway to board a commercial flight to Europe and then onto the States.  How grateful I was to find Mike Daly of IFPB waiting for me at Dulles.  I was unable to reach my husband Steve from the airport in Frankfurt and no one was sure of my whereabouts for 12 hours.  I feel especially sick about all the worry this caused to my family and friends.  I am also so sorry to miss being on this trip with my amazing friend, Nancy Duncan.  We had been looking forward to sharing this time for months.

As I was sitting in prison waiting for my deportation, I could not help but think of the thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention with no idea of when or if they will ever be released.  I thought of the millions of Palestinians denied the right to return to their homeland by Israel.  Israel has created and maintains through violence a Jewish majority at their expense.  My experiences of detention and deportation were scary. I am disappointed to be missing the delegation trip and my cousin’s wedding in the West Bank on June 9, but my ordeal is only a small part of Israel’s systematic oppression of Palestinians.  In fact, I among the very lucky and privileged.  I am at home now unharmed with my beautiful family.

My privilege demands that I speak fearlessly against the injustices of Israel against the Palestinian people.  Count on hearing from me.

Peace to you all,
Sandra Tamari

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Quakers Divest from Caterpillar!

The “End the Occupation” campaign is proud to announce:

After a roller coaster United Methodist divestment campaign ending in partial victory, the US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation is so excited to announce that the Quaker Friends Fiduciary Corporation (FFC), which holds over $200 million in assets, has divested from Caterpillar! FFC divested $900,000 in shares of Caterpillar, which continues to feel the pressure from all sides for its production and sale of weaponized bulldozers to Israel, used to violate Palestinian rights and destroy Palestinian homes, schools, hospitals, olive groves, and lives.

Ann Arbor Quakers asked FFC to divest and issued this warm statement of thanks:

“Ann Arbor Friends welcome the decision by Friends Fiduciary Corporation (FFC) to divest from Caterpillar Corp. This is a significant step since FFC handles investments for over 250 Quaker meetings, schools, organizations, trusts, and endowments around the US. In taking this action, FFC is truly upholding the core commitment of the Society of Friends to peace. We ask Friends and people of faith everywhere to join us in expressing thanks to FFC and asking them to continue divesting from all companies that are helping to sustain the Israeli occupation.”

Click here to thank FFC for its decision to divest from Caterpillar!

FFC has a “zero tolerance for weapons and weapons components,” and said, “We are uncomfortable defending our position on this stock.”

FFC is not the first Quaker institution to avoid companies that support the Israeli occupation. In March 2008, the Board of the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), a US Campaign member group, approved an Israel/Palestine investment screen, stating:

“Investments should not be made in any company that provides products or services, including financial services, to Israeli governmental or military bodies… or to Israeli or Palestinian organizations or groups that are used to facilitate or undertake violent acts against civilians or violations of international law.”

The AFSC investment screen is based on a 29-company “no-buy” list — originally compiled by the New England Conference of the United Methodist Church — which includes Caterpillar, Motorola Solutions, Veolia, and Hewlett Packard. In June 2011, AFSC also joined the “We Divest Campaign,” which calls on financial giant TIAA-CREF to divest from the Israeli occupation.

We Divest
Illinois Yearly Meeting and St Louis Monthly Meeting support the “We Divest Campaign.” 

And that’s not all. Illinois Yearly Meeting and St. Louis Monthly Meeting of Friends also came out in support of the “We Divest Campaign,” Sandy Springs Monthly Meeting called on FFC to divest from all companies profiting from violence in Israel/Palestine, and the Ann Arbor Meeting agreed to a call from its Palestine-Israel Action Group(PIAG) — a member of the US Campaign — to boycott companies supporting the Israeli military and Israeli settlement products, building on a similar decision by Britain Yearly Meeting.

FFC’s decision is a new step forward for aligning Quaker values with investments. Please click here to thank FFC, whether or not you are a Quaker!

We are hopeful that these actions will put wind in the sails of the exciting divestment campaign at Earlham College, another Quaker institution. The campaign, led by US Campaign member group BDS Earlham, aims for “Earlham to divest from Caterpillar, Motorola, and Hewlett Packard because they are profiting from Israeli violations of international law and principles of human rights.”

In less than two months, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will vote on divestment from those same companies. In addition tothanking FFC, please click here to sign a letter of support for Presbyterian divestment if you haven’t done so yet!

The snowball is gathering momentum. Let us continue our support for courageous churches and other institutions that are putting their money where their mouths are.

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Poetic Reporting from FWCC World Conference, courtesy of Friend Adrian Nelson

From Adrian’s final blog post from the recent FWCC World Conference:

It has been a tremendous week. Even looking back at what I’ve written, I’m not sure I can capture it fully. This was the question we were all asking ourselves: how are we going to bring this back? How are we changed? Do we go forth, as young Quaker Samuel Bownas was challenged, as we came, none the better for our coming? Or do we leave with a fire ignited, and ready to spread the light, burn as it may?  Click here to read the full post.

Adrian Nelson attend the April gathering as a representative of ILYM and blogged every day about her experiences.

I find myself at once overwhelmed and overjoyed to be here. This is my first true glimpse at the wide international Quaker community, and indeed the face of the majority of the world’s Quakers – Kenyans. I delight in the variety of ways the message of the first Quakers has leaped across the oceans and continents, across time and tongues, so that the question of “What canst thou say?” is answered in every other language besides its own.

On her first day in Kenya, Adrian wrote:

Tomorrow, I will be among a thousand other Quakers from all corners of the world. We will not all speak the same language, we will not practice or worship the same way, and we are all coming from different backgrounds.

But we are of this planet and this universe, and we will unite under the name of Friends, and will meet as strangers and depart, I pray, as f/Friends. We must be mindful of our differences and compassionate with each other, and gentle with ourselves and with others. I believe that all of us will be coming with open hearts and minds, and no matter what tongues we know or don’t, we’ll all at least speak the language of love.

What are your thoughts upon reading of her experience? Please share your reflections, along with any questions for Adrian and other ILYM delegates about the experience.