AFSC Program Highlights
News from around AFSC
|
In Myanmar/Burma, AFSC is partnering with
Buddhist monks. |
Humanitarian assistance
Rebuilding lives—and peace—in Myanmar/BurmaCyclone Nargis took everything from people
in the affected areas of
Myanmar (Burma). But the people of
Burma/Myanmar are used to relying on
themselves. So they banded together and did
what they could—assessing
the needs of devastated villages, collecting
money and supplies, and
arranging transportation.
AFSC is
helping with these local
efforts by partnering with Buddhist monks, who
play an important role
as respected leaders within the community. We
also are providing
opportunities for dialogue and learning, in
addition to funding support
for relief efforts.
A monk who worked
with tsunami survivors
went to Yangon two days after the cyclone
struck. Not only did he and
friends provide relief and rehabilitation to
villagers, they also
organized Buddhist rites for the
dead.
And the leader of a group
that promotes peace and tolerance among people
of different faiths and
ethnicities mobilized members who now provide
basic supplies and
rebuilding help to six communities. Their
efforts have helped hundreds
of students and families.
Youth
| Truth in Recruitment activist
in Chicago. Photo: Jesus Palafox |
Students in Illinois and California got a reality check about military service this past summer, courtesy of AFSC.
In California, the AFSC-San Francisco office and the Oakland-based Bay-Peace ran a six day “boot camp” for students who had signed up for the military’s delayed enlistment program. Twenty-one young people met and talked with veterans, heard stories of how the military treated women, spoke with soldiers who had returned from war, and talked with soldiers’ families. In addition, the group visited Camp Pendleton, an area community college, and learned about peaceful alternatives to military service.
Several of the teens later decided against enlisting and now work with the AFSC’s counter-recruitment program.
Meanwhile, AFSC-Chicago’s Truth in Recruitment program trained twenty-four teens from thirteen different high schools as activists in the “Peace. Here…There…Everywhere” summer youth institute. Among other activities, the students learned about AFSC programs and issues; staffed an information table at an Arab Fest; made anti-war flyers, T-shirts, buttons, and blogs; and prepared presentations ranging from women in the military to a brochure on post-traumatic stress disorder.
After the first training session, six of the twelve students volunteered at the AFSC-Chicago AFSC office.
Immigration
| Protest rally in Waterloo. Photo: Vern Naffier |
Rights trampled in rush to deport
immigrant workers
In mid May,
nearly 400 workers in Iowa were detained in one
of the largest single-site immigration raids in
U.S. history. About 50 were released
immediately on probation—mostly women with
children.
Officials pressured most of
the detainees to plead to criminal charges of
identity theft and false use of a Social
Security card, which carry a penalty of
deportation, though few were involved in
illegal activities. Those released on probation
may not leave the area or work. Many cannot
feed their families or afford legal fees, and
courts have been slow in scheduling
proceedings.
AFSC, as part of the
Immigrant Safety Network©, helped mobilize and
coordinate the response of hundreds of people
to assist in different capacities, including
legal aid, “Know Your Rights” presentations,
and humanitarian assistance. That help is
ongoing.
“We provided a lot of brains
and a lot of heart to the response when it was
needed,” says Sandra Sanchez, director of
AFSC’s Immigrants’ Voice Program in Des Moines.
“Our reputation opened doors that would have
been closed to anyone else.”
Peace
California condemns use of
torture
AFSC, Physicians for Social Responsibility–Los Angeles, and the Program for Torture Victims coordinated the two-year campaign in favor of the resolution.
“The resolution calls attention to the intolerable dilemma that torture presents when those who are supposed to be the healers in our society are involved in the abuse of prisoners,” said Eisha Mason, associate regional director for the AFSC Southwest Regional Office based in Los Angeles.
More information is available at www.afsc.org/stoptorture.