We Friends opposing war should refuse any kind of military service; Friends opposing conscription should refuse to cooperate with the Selective Service System....Holding CO status "blinded us to the evil of the draft itself." 1968 Richmond Declaration on the Draft.
Author: Jeff Kisling
I'm retired from a career in infant pulmonary research and continuing to be engaged as a Quaker in multiple activities in the Midwest
Two Paths to Justice
This dynamic is at work today as I try to get people to adopt the NewCO (new conscientious objector) framework for justice work. Immediately, not gradually.
The Spirit of 1877
The concept of the NewCO (New Conscientious Objector) is rooted deeply in this immediatist tradition. Being a NewCO means moving beyond passive objection to active, immediate intervention.
Processing what happened
Part of what I've been led to do is to spread the word about this Indigenous-led opportunity which allies can support. It is absolutely essential that decolonial efforts be Indigenous-led for several, interwoven reasons, primarily because these efforts are fundamentally about reclaiming sovereignty, restoring traditional knowledge, countering historical oppression, and building future systems that oppose colonial-capitalist structures, such as the Hub.
Mind on Fire
This action aligns with the New Conscientious Objector (NewCO) call for material repair, specifically addressing the legacy of the Indian Boarding School system, which represented a "catastrophic moral failure" for Quakers. By supporting work related to the trauma inflicted by assimilation policies, the IYM(C) advances the Abolition pillar of the NewCO, which requires Investment in alternatives and healing to dismantle the structural violence of the colonial state.
Demolition
When Indigenous folks steward, Land heals, When matriarchal values guide, Communities thrive. When mutual aid replaces monopoly, Justice blooms. - Sikowis Nobiss
NewCO Response to Fascism
The White House release of the new National Security Strategy is a chance to better explain the concept of the NewCO (new conscientious objector).
Radical Faithfulness
This time of intense research about the concept of the NewCO has led me to two fundamental concepts that I'll be writing more about: radical faithfulness and gradualism/immediatism.
A Time of Reflection
I'm a little overwhelmed by the spiritual experiences I've had recently. I felt the presence of the Spirit intensely as I prepared to join the work to rebuild the Healing Justice House, to help with the deconstruction of the Healing Justice House, part of the Great Plains Action Society's new Indigenous-led Urban Resilience and Innovation Hub. The intensity has not diminished. I am led to remain in this Spiritual space as I seek answers to what happened and what I am led to do next. I won't be engaging with email and electronic media much
Scattergood and Great Plains Action Society Part 2
We began the demolition of the Healing Justice House several days ago. Scattergood Friends School is included in the title of these blog posts because some people working on the demolition have been hosted at the school. Another part of Scattergood's involvement is that I was so glad to be able to share about this work during the whole school community meeting yesterday afternoon.