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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.

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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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Making a Declaration of Commitment to our Indigenous People

When I was a young teen my family moved to Kansas where I was raised in Penn Valley Monthly Meeting in Kansas City, MO. There Friends Echo and Karin were important elders for me and my sisters – not because of age, mind you, but because of their willingness to explore life with us & offer guidance as they were led.  Today I received this note from Karin:

Greetings,

I have just signed the Declaration of Commitment, a really beautiful initiative to creating healing and partnership with indigenous peoples.

It’s been created by respected evolutionary leaders and offers us an opportunity to make a public commitment to being part of the solution moving forward.

I hope you’ll join me in signing and spreading this important Declaration!

Just click here: http://www.declarationofcommitment.com

I’m sure she forwarded it to F/friends across the country, and I hope many follow the link to explore this new initiative. I am grateful to still be in her network and for her sharing this opportunity; in upholding the pledge I am promoting the conversation here.

At the site I found a poetic message outlining apology, responsibility, reconciliation and collaboration as next steps. And I pledged my commitment to these ideals. Might you be led to learn more? From the Declaration:

Humanity faces a time in our evolving story when we must harvest our deepest collective wisdom in order to survive and even thrive as a healthy, peaceful and sustainable planetary civilization.

In the course of humanity’s journey we have many great achievements to celebrate and honor but we have to acknowledge what has been misguided, damaging to each other and harmful to all life. It is time for healing and a new beginning.

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The Forgiveness Project: “The Line Dividing Good and Evil”

The Forgiveness Project is a UK based charity that uses storytelling to explore how ideas around forgiveness, reconciliation and conflict resolution can be used to impact positively on people’s lives, through the personal testimonies of both victims and perpetrators of crime and violence.

Dr. Gwen Adshead, forensic psychotherapist at Broadmoor High Security Hospital, delivered the keynote speech at the Third Annual Lecture in front of a sell-out audience at the Royal Geographical Society in London.

Click here to view the address & explore The Forgiveness Project website.

Dr. Adshead was supported on stage by three contributors who shared some of their own personal narratives: Marian Partington whose sister was murdered by Fred and Rosemary West; Erwin James, the Guardian columnist who served 20 years of a life sentence in prison; and Kemal Pervanic, survivor of the notorious Omarska concentration camp in Bosnia. The address was given July 3, 2012.

 

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Travel to Colombia with Fellowship of Reconciliation

From Fellowship of Reconciliation –

For almost a century, the Fellowship of Reconciliation has worked creatively and courageously around the world to strengthen nonviolent resistance to militarism and oppression. Continuing this legacy, for the past decade FOR has sponsored a human rights accompaniment program in Colombia.

Using a dynamic combination of physical presence and political work, FOR’s peace team in Colombia protects Colombians committed to peace — often targeted in the 40-year-old armed conflict — who believe another world is possible and are building alternative economies, resisting forced displacement, and defending human rights.

Join us in Colombia!

You can be a part of our peace team. Joining our accompaniment team is an unique opportunity for people who care about peace and social justice and are interested in working abroad, but are seeking something beyond teaching English, doing mission work, or working on development projects like schools or medical clinics.

If you would like to become part of FOR’s team of accompaniers in Colombia, please apply by September 28. The next volunteer training will be held from December 14 to 19, 2012 in Nyack, New York, for service beginning as early as January 2013.

You can also read more about FOR’s work in Colombia and the role of volunteers, watch a short video of reflections from past FOR volunteers, or read blogs from current and past volunteers.

Please visit FOR’s Colombia Peace Accompaniment page to apply.

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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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2013 AGLI Workcamp Opportunity

Mutaho, Burundi
Saturday, June 22 to Saturday, July 26, 2013

Host Partner: REMA – is a group of about 50 women (Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa) from Mutaho Friends Church led by Pastor Sara Gakobwa. The name, REMA, means “be comforted, do not get discouraged.” To learn more, check out After the Guns Stopped (see page 23) published here.

Location: Mutaho, Burundi – Northeast of Bujumbura near Gitega – the second largest city in Burundi

Objective: The Workcamp Peace Team will build guest rooms for the Mutaho Women’s Group Center.

Housing: Workcampers will stay with local host families.