Despite the trauma from the deployment of ICE agents to Minneapolis, the response of the people there, and supporters globally, has given us a template for effective, nonviolent systemic non-cooperation to state violence. Something that will likely be needed to withdraw our consent from further occasions of state violence, perhaps in our own communities.
Category: community
Minneapolis Active Objection and Renewal
The powerful and peaceful witness shown by the people of Minneapolis is a template for other communities that will likely be confronted with similar tactics by ICE.
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.
A fork in the road
I urge Quakers and others of conscience to object to Christian, colonial capitalism, and build Beloved communities based upon Mutual Aid, LANDBACK, and the replacement of police and prisons with ways to promote community safety instead.
‘Learn About’ abolition, Quakers and Mutual Aid
I recently learned about another Google Application name "Learn About". As the name implies, it is designed to help anyone learn about a subject they are interested in.
Fourth of He Lies
On July 4th, stand with Great Plains Action Society, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, Ní Btháska Stand Collective, Des Moines Black Liberation Movement, Humanize My Hoodie, Revolutionary Action Party, Quad Cities Interfaith, Iowa Coalition for Collective Change, and Des Moines Mutual Aid! Join us on “Fourth of He Lies” to demand that the Iowa legislators remove whitewashed monuments to white supremacy in Iowa. Organizers will present a petition demanding that all racist, misogynistic, homo/transphobic, whitewashed historical depictions be removed from all state grounds and facilities. These monuments fall into the realm of hate propaganda and make folks feel unwelcome in public spaces. So, we need legislation that removes all monuments, murals, and depictions of white supremacist persons, acts, and ideologies from all Iowa state grounds and state-funded institutions.
A Unified Path to Decolonization
Decolonization is a transformative and deeply complex process requiring coordinated effort from all positions within our societies. It is not a single act, but a sustained movement.
Consolidated history of IYMC Mutual Aid
This report provides a comprehensive historical analysis of the Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) (IYM(C)), examining its past social welfare activities through the specific conceptual framework of mutual aid versus traditional charity. The primary objective is to discern the prevailing patterns of support historically practiced by IYM(C) and to identify instances that exemplify either charity or mutual aid. This historical understanding then serves as the foundation for devising a strategic plan to reorient Iowa Quakers towards a more explicit mutual aid community.
Earlham-Bear Creek Mutual Aid
This is an initial look into the ideas of Bear Creek Meeting developing mutual aid resources in the wider Earlham community.
From Benevolence to Solidarity
This is a visualization of the historical journey of Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) and its path toward a future rooted in Mutual Aid. Understanding the fundamental difference between Charity and Mutual Aid is the first step. While both stem from compassion, their approach to power, community, and change are worlds apart.