I was intrigued when I began reading about the concept of the "Practitioner-Bridge." Numerous times in the past I found myself at the intersection of various groups I'm involved with. This likely applies to you, if you have been involved in justice work.
Category: Bear Creek
What does an active testimony for peace truly require today?
As our economic and political systems, and our environment collapse before our eyes, many are being forced, finally, to realize that we need a plan for survival. And that help will not be coming from the government.
War at Home
I've watched in horror as militarized police and National Guardsmen are being deployed to our cities and communities. This is the latest episode of advancing authoritarianism under the current administration. We now have a war at home.
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.
Interdependence of Our Liberation
One thing that wasn't made clear enough was the interdependence of the three parts the circle: Bear Creek Quaker meeting, the Great Plains Action Society (GPAS) and the Decolonial Repair Network (DRN).
Implementation of the New Conscientious Objector (NewCO)
After all these posts, its time to present a concrete plan to implement the NewCO (New Conscientious Objector). What would that actually look like? Following is a proposed plan.
Decolonial Path for Quakers 4 – History of queries
2/04/1910 Watering plants, sowing pansy seed, wheeling out manure to the gooseberries, helping Charlie making out answers to the queries for Monthly Meeting tomorrow. Henry Standing
Decolonial Path for Quakers 3 – Radical spiritual authority
Key to the consideration of the use of advices and queries is the fundamental belief of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) Friends that the Spirit is present today, as it has always been and will be. The advices and queries serve to "engage our minds and hearts in a process which may provide openings to the leadings of the Spirit within us". Our form of worship, expectantly waiting together in silence is how we listen for the Spirit.
Decolonial Path for Quakers 2 – Christian colonial capitalist violence
An important step in Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative)'s decolonial journey could be to bring settler-colonialism into the advices and queries. This revision should explicitly name and reject settler-colonialism as a system of violence contrary to the Spirit and should include a clear commitment to decolonial repair into the core testimonies of Peace, Equality, and Integrity. This would bring these matters to the spiritual attention of each monthly meeting in an ongoing manner, year after year. In addition, selected responses from the query responses from the monthly meetings are read during the annual yearly meeting sessions.