Affirmative Action
The Beliefs and Practices of
AFSC's
Affirmative Action Program
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization that
includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice,
peace, and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the Quaker belief in
the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome
violence and injustice. These values, though widely shared by others, are
basic principles of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). The AFSC
Affirmative Action Program is an effort to interpret and reflect these
principles through a set of guidelines for AFSC to apply in its policies and
practices.
Often, neither perpetrators nor victims realize discrimination is being
committed. This is as true within AFSC as it is in the larger society. Through its Affirmative Action Program, AFSC seeks to
correct or avoid patterns in itself that it would change in others. The affirmative action plan, adopted in 1978, encompasses
employment at AFSC, membership on committees, program design and execution, membership in coalitions, and contractual
relationships.
Specifically, the goal is to expand the perspectives of AFSC staff, committee, and Board members,
particularly in relation to the concerns and experiences of third world people, women, lesbian, gay,
and bisexual people, and people with disabilities. In this way, AFSC's work will be strengthened and
its vision broadened.
In 1978, the Board of Directors of AFSC stated, "We are all struggling to find non-exploitative and
more fully loving ways of relating to each other. To do this, we need to call upon our most vital
spiritual resources to grow together in the new understandings that will be required if we are to
address questions of oppression, empowerment, justice, and peace."
As a Friends organization that is based on Friends history and testimonies of equality, AFSC seeks
out individuals with personal experience and knowledge of the issues so that these individuals may advise and enlighten AFSC
in its deliberations.
The objective of AFSC's Affirmative Action Program is "to include
persons in sympathy with the beliefs, testimonies, and practices of AFSC
who would not otherwise have the opportunity to be involved . . . to
actively reach out to previously excluded groups. We would change those
patterns that have not so far produced the inclusiveness we seek and try
new ways to reach long-established goals."
Through the affirmative action plan, the AFSC hopes to bear better
witness by what it is, as well as by what it says, to the kind of world it
wishes to see.
Friends have both recognized and appreciated differences. In the 17th
century, Isaac Penington spoke of the desirability of variety: "Oh, how
sweet and pleasant it is to the truly spiritual eye to see several sort of
believers. . . . For this is the true ground of love and unity, not that such a man walks and does just as I do, but because I feel
the same Spirit and Life in him, and that he walks in his rank, in his own order. . . . and this is far more pleasing to me than if
he walked in that tract wherein I walk."
The Affirmative Action Plan of the AFSC
AFSC's policy is to provide equality of opportunity in employment and in participation on committees and other activities.
AFSC does not discriminate against people on the basis of race, color, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, national
origin, age, mental or physical disability, previous criminal record, or resistance to military involvement, when these factors are
unrelated to a person's capacity to perform the job.
The affirmative action plan means that AFSC will consider people on their merits
and for their capacities to do what is expected or required of them. In an effort to
become more representative and effective, the AFSC's affirmative action plan
currently concentrates on recruitment of people from four groups for its staff and
committees: third world people; women; gay, lesbian, and bisexual people; and
people with disabilities. This affirmative recruitment is intended to insure that the
final pool of candidates for any AFSC position will include members from groups
that until now have been under-represented.
This affirmative action parallels and complements the AFSC policy of ensuring
strong representation and participation of members of the Religious Society of Friends on all committees and on the staff.
AFSC believes a supportive climate enables all people to make an optimal contribution to the work of the organization. To
that end, we seek to make AFSC activities accessible to people with disabilities; to provide training and counseling for
supervisors; and to inform and challenge ourselves regarding racism, sexism, and the issues and concerns of people with
disabilities, gays, lesbians, and bisexuals.
With respect to lesbian, gay, and bisexual people, we feel that we can all work together to achieve a supportive climate most
effectively when there are persons on staff who are willing to identify themselves as lesbians, gays, or bisexuals. People being
considered for committee membership who wish to identify themselves as lesbian, gay, or bisexual, should inform those who
invited or interviewed them. While lesbians, gays, or bisexuals should feel under no pressure to speak about their sexual
orientation, new staff are encouraged to inform their supervisors, human resources, or affirmative action staff.
If you have questions, comments, or concerns related to the implementation of the AFSC
nondiscrimination policy or affirmative action plan, please direct them either to the
affirmative action liaison person in your nearest regional office, or to:
Affirmative Action Director
AFSC, 1501 Cherry Street
Philadelphia, PA 19102
Phone: 215-241-7034
Fax/TDD: 215-241-7276
Email: aa@afsc.org
(This brochure also will be available in various formats. Contact the Affirmative Action Director for details.)
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