Peace
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Some Minutes relating to our Peace testimony
- January 2007: The AFM believes that the death and destruction in Iraq must stop. We will not be silent in the face of over 3,000 U.S. deaths, 22, 500 U.S. wounded, and over 600,000 Iraqi civilian deaths. We call on our members of Congress to take the following actions: 1) End the U.S. occupation of Iraq and begin the process of withdrawal; 2) Oppose any increase of our troops in Iraq; 3) Full fund an Iraqi-led reconstruction and; 4) Leave no permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq.
- January 2006: The Atlanta Friends Meeting approves of the goals of the Save Darfur Coalition of Georgia and approves joining the coalition.
- October 2000: The Atlanta Friends Meeting of the
Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) appeals to that of God in
the leaders and peoples of Israel and Palestine and the United
States to act in ways that will bring an end the spiral of
violence and hatred between Jewish and Palestinian peoples. Our
experience and deep belief is that each child, each individual
embodies that of God no matter their religion or nationality.
We ask the media to report the acts of peace amidst the violence, to not slant their reporting to one side or the other and to give voice to the many views and underlying causes of conflict in the region.
We appeal to the leaders' aspiration of all parties involved to negotiate a peace settlement that recognizes the dignity and common aspiration of all parties.
We offer the Atlanta Friends Meetinghouse as a place for dialog for those Atlantans wanting to support the building of peace in the Middle East. - April 1986: We deplore state-directed violence against
individuals unknown to the perpetrators with the purpose of
punishing or retaliating against governments for actual or
perceived crimes. The result of such violence is the same, whether
undertaken by individuals or armed forces. Each side believes its
action is justified and appropriate, but the victims are
individuals, who in most cases have had no role in that violence
or aggression. They are children, mothers, fathers--most are
civilians. Now, we are all vulnerable--Americans as hostages,
travelers---yes, even in Atlanta.
Quakers believe that violence begets violence. Our violent response will only escalate that violence which we seek to stop. Our religious and moral background should not lead us to merely respond in kind. Any government action should be directed toward resolution of a problem. The United States has the potential for finding answers to difficult problems: we've put man on the moon, split the atom, eradicated polio. In this crisis, the issue is peace--and lack thereof--in the Middle East. If the United States commits its resources to resolving that issue, then we shall begin to find peace everywhere. - December 1981: To improve national and international security, the United States and the Soviet Union should stop the nuclear arms race. Specifically, they should adopt a mutual freeze on the testing, production and deployment of nuclear weapons and of missiles and new aircraft designed primarily to deliver nuclear weapons. This is an essential verifiable first step toward lessening the risk of nuclear war and reducing the nuclear arsenals.
- August 1969: A coalition movement to end the war in Vietnam is underway in Washington and throughout the country, with a group forming in Atlanta to plan participation. The Meeting endorsed our participation in this movement.
In our Meetings for Worship with Attention to Business, we often make public statements, called Minutes. Because we do all business by consensus, these Minutes represent the unanimous will of our entire community.
More Minutes on the Peace Testimony