The NewCO (New Conscientious Objector) framework provides a comprehensive strategic blueprint for the immediate cessation of systemic sin within the Iowa Yearly Meeting (Conservative) tradition. The NewCO is about a faithful response composed of three integrated pillars: LANDBACK, Mutual Aid, and Abolition.
Category: Quaker
The Shadow on the Wall: From Gradualism to Immediacy
During those sleepless nights at Scattergood, I watched my shadow projected onto the wall by the light outside my window. I found myself asking: Who is this person? And what is he being led to do with the weight of this knowledge and concern?
Harmony Within the Meeting
It is paradoxical that I have deep, life-long ties to my Quaker meeting and community. There are so many things about the meeting's past and current work that I admire and support completely. So, I find it ironic that I am criticizing such a faithful community. But this is a fundamental part of a Quaker community, to continue to be open to what the Spirit leads us to do.
The Quaker Conundrum
This is an interactive web page about the concept of the NewCO (new conscientious objector)
Why Indigenous Leadership is Essential
One of the main lessons I've learned is the necessity of having Indigenous-leadership for this work.
Spiritual condition now
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.
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.
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.
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).