The often solitary nature of religious life as Friends envisioned it might make some question whether any form of fellowship was necessary, but Quakers fervently believed that gathering together for divined worship ìmeeting for worshipî ó as they called it ó was of vital importance. The meeting not only gave Friends an opportunity to put their ideas of the nature of true worship into action; it also became part of the bearing of the cross. Most important, the meeting for worship, away from the distractions of the world, provided the best means of waiting for God and being strengthened by him.

The meeting for worship was a logical outgrowth of the Quaker conception of the religious life. Its medium was silence. ìThe most sublime part of our religious lifeî as one enthusiastic Friend put it. Silence was in part the absence of all noise, since no one was to do anything in a meeting for worship without the direct inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In order to feel such inspiration, one had to block out all else. True silence was ìa prostration of the soul before God, having our expectations from Him and only Him.î That expectation might take the form of prayer, exhortation or preaching. It might bring an inner experience, the deep baptism that Friends sought longingly. In the minds of Friends, true silence was worship itself. It was strange, as one Friend wrote in 1850, to think that God needed to hear one speak aloud in order to be worshiped: ìThe more mental our worship, the more it assimilates to His likeness ó the more silent, the more suitable to the language of the spirit.î It would not be correct to say that Friends rejected displays of emotion in meeting. Verbal outbursts, however, were condemned. Words and physical action were for mortals, but God knew the language of the soul and did not need to hear words spoken.

The Transformation of American Quakerism,
Thomas D. Hamm, p. 7.

Facing Bench for April
April 7 & 14 ó Keith Wallace
April 21 ó Diane and Chris Weber
April 28 ó Deedy Roberts and Marietta Donovan

Coffee and covered dish for April
School Committee

Upcoming Events

April 12ñ14 ó Womenís Wisdom and Witness,
A PYM Womenís Retreat
Burlington Meeting House Conference Center, Burlington, NJ. Led by Marcelle Martin. Peace Leadership Panel with Breeze Luetke-Stahlman of Iowa YM, Gail Newbold of PYM, and Lella Russell Smith of Baltimore YM. With workshops on Peace Pilgrim, creative movement and contemplative dance, peacework in Columbia, Quaker women in the 60s, banner and sign making, and invoking goddess. Childcare, sign language interpretation and scholarships available. Sponsored by PYM Womenís Gathering Group and the Plymouth Monthly Meeting Womenís Group. To register, e-mail Eva Abbott at evaabbott@hotmail.com. Schedule and more detailed info at http://gordonwork.com/wgindex.html.

April 20 ó Mobilization to Stop the War at Home and Abroad

This march on Washington, D.C. is sponsored by AFSC and PYMís Young Friends, among many other
organizations. Buses are leaving for Washington from 30th Street Station. Call e-mail waxie55@hotmail.com for more information or to reserve a seat on the bus. For schedules and other events related to the march, go to www.a20stopthewar.org.

April 21 ó Deny the Terrorists Their Victory:
Why People of Faith Should Speak Out to Defend
the Constitution
2:00 ñ5:30 p.m., Mother Bethel AME Church,
419 Richard Allen Avenue (6th Street & Lombard Street) Philadelphia, PA. Featured speakers: Jim Wallis, editor of Sojourners Magazine and Deirdre King Hainsworth, Pastor of St. Lukeís United Church of Christ. Some workshops at Old Pine Presbyterian Church, 412 Pine St., Philadelphia, PA.

Workshops:

ï U.S. Patriot Act: Military tribunals and justice for non-citizens

ï Ethnic profiling and its effect on immigrant
communities

ï International law and the community of nations: Ways of resistance

ï Impact on religious institutions

ï Media and access to information

Sponsors: Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia; Old Philadelphia Congregations. For more information call MCCP at 215-563-7852.

Friday May 3 ñ Sunday May 5
Building Peace in the 21st Century:
New Responses to New Kinds of War

Arch Street Meeting House
4th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia

Moderator: Paula Green, founder and director, Karuna Center for Peacebuilding. Keynote Speaker to be announced.

The Pendle Hill Religion and Social Issues Forum will host this weekend peace conference to culminate the work of their Monday night lecture series. (see article on Pendle Hill lecture series.) The conference will bring together peace activists and other interested people, representing both faith-based and other perspectives, to share ideas, plan and coordinate future action, and otherwise prepare to go forward in light of the emerging world situation. For registration, phone: 800-742-3150, ext. 142 or e-mail: registrar@pendlehill.org.

March 2002 Monthly Meeting for Business

Bob Brookes acted as alternate clerk for this monthís meeting.

After a period of silent worship the Clerk read extract 136 from p. 125 of Faith & Practice.

Many Friends of all ages need the training provided by a good meeting for business: one that starts with real worship, that respects the insights of all its members; one that remembers it does Godís work, that God is in no hurry, and that, in the vast pattern of Godís universe, even man may not be very important ó no matter how wonderful a creation he is.

Martin Cobin, 1964

Pat Williams reported on 65 Haddon Ave. The Haddonfield Zoning Board has approved the zoning variance that will allow us to use the building as a school. Weíve also obtained loan approval from Woodstown National Bank. The Meeting approved Steve Senopoulosí execution of the commitment letter. Before we close on the loan we will need to deliver a certified copy of the by-laws to the bank. Further
discussion will follow at the April business meeting.

Bob Brookes reported for Overseers: Overseers recommended approval of the weddings of Lisa Boyell and David Brady and Rachel Williams and Christopher Coolick. The Meeting approved. Eric Smith and Jill Figolzzi have requested marriage under the care of Easton Meeting in NY. Overseers will write a letter to Easton Meeting requesting they convene a clearness committee and report back to Haddonfield.

Three questions were raised that will be carried
forward to Aprilís Meeting for Business:

1. Is the Education Fund Committee still needed? There were some specific questions about how much money is in the education fund and how many Meeting children will be attending HFS.

2. Should we consider combining covered dish and Meeting for Business in an effort to increase attendance at both functions?

3. Does the Meeting have a statement on conscientious objection that we may give to our draft age young friends to help guide them?

FIRST DAY SCHOOL

ìIt Takes a Meeting to Raise a Friend.î
ìYe have no time but this present time.î G. Fox

Submitted by Flora McKinney and Francie Pagell

Spring Term Theme

Ecology and the Environment

Hymns from Worship in Song:

All Things Bright and Beautiful, pg. 1

All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, all things wise and wonderful, in love God made them all.

Each little flower that opens, each little bird that sings, God made their glowing colors, God made their tiny wings,

The purple headed mountains, the rivers running by, the sunset and the morning, that brighten up the sky.

How Great Thou Art, pg. 8

O Lord my God! When I in awesome wonder consider all the worlds thy hands have made, I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder, Thy power throughout the universe displayed.

Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; how great Thou art, how great thou at, then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee; how great Thou art, how great Thou art!

Biodiversity Crisis: Raising Awareness
by Jose Lopez, from Quaker Eco-Bulletin

The Problem

The evidence is mounting that biodiversity, the
variety of life and organisms in our natural habitats,
is decreasing due to habitat loss and over-exploitation of our basic life support systems. This past summer the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis reported on the extinction of vital fish species and called for a self-preserving moratorium on fishing in order to save what few individuals are left of several species and allow the population to recover. The natural world is nothing like what our ancestors experienced only 2-3 generations ago, due to the rapid and relentless spread of human civilization and technology.

Variation within and between species is fundamental to the process of evolution. To destroy biodiversity at our current pace and scale is to jeopardize the continued unfolding of life itself. We must stem the current tide of species destruction due to hu›an activity, which is often spurred on by ignorance, greed and reckless disregard for the future. By ignoring the current biodiversity crisis, we are accomplices not only to the bulldozing, pollution and homogenization of our immediate surroundings into strip malls and cement parking lots, but to the undermining of life as we know it for future generations. Little significant public protection for
biodiversity has been enacted in recent years. Though many NGOs continue to press the issue, the U.S.
government remains a bystander by refusing to ratify the RIO Convention on Biodiversity of 1992. Powerful corporate and economic agendas along with public
apathy have obstructed attempts to push back the destruction of habitats and their species everywhere.

Biodiversity and its imminent losses are factors in
the overall aesthetic and spiritual qualities of our lives. Meditation, contemplation and connection with inward Light are all practices that are supported and enhanced by contact with a natural world filled with beauty, complexity, variety and wonder.

As Friends we often go deep within ourselves to find the Light. The physical and metabolic power for our inherent Light stems from the earth and its fruits that feed and nourish us. Friends must protect biodiversity and preserve all potential sources of Light.

What can Friends do?

1) Be aware of the biodiversity in our local environment. Learn as much as you can so that you can preserve it.

2) Lobby for U.S. ratification of the RIO Convention on Biodiversity.

3) Support measures to protect biodiversity ó declaration and management of protected areas, pollution controls, proper environmental management.

4) Challenge public officials to be aware of biodiversity locally and globally.

Adult FDS Schedule for April

April 7: Query #10 ó Stewardship of the environment. Option 2: Study of the Book of John

April 14: Option 1: Spiritual Journeys. Option 2: Study of the Book of John (conclusion).

April 21: Spring cleaning in and around the Meeting House (Bring cleaning supplies and garden tools. Young Friends and School Age Friends may help
in the Peace Garden.)

April 28 & May 5: This year, the Religious Education Committee has worked to make our young people aware of the options open to them as regards registration for the draft and military service. At last monthís Meeting for Business, it was suggested that the Meeting have a statement or position on conscientious objection in order to help our young Friends in their decision-making. What are your thoughts on this issue? Come and join us for a
2-part discussion on war, violence and conscientious objection. Consider the following discussion questions:

1. Is there ever a just war?

2. Are there times when non-violence doesnít work?

3. Does violence ever bring peace?

4. Are there limits to the effectiveness of non-violence in resolving conflict?

5. Under what circumstances would the use of violence be justified?

The results of our discussion will be recorded and brought to business meeting to encourage the passing of a minute regarding the meetingís position on this issue.

Pendle Hill Lecture Series

Pendle Hill continues its Monday night lecture series concerning the events of September 11th. The lectures are given at Swarthmore Friends Meeting, 12 Whittier Place, Swarthmore College at 7:30 p.m. (unless stated otherwise below) and repeated on Tuesdays at Medford Leas.

April 1 ó Security or Civil Liberties: Must We Choose?
How has the war against terrorism affected basic civil liberties in the U.S.? Does our national devotion to liberty conflict with our desire for national and personal security? What actions can we take to protect both?

Larry Frankel, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania.

April 8 ó Mutual Misperceptions: Images of America and Islam
How do non-Muslim Americansí perceptions of Islam parallel views of America held by Muslims in the Middle East and elsewhere? To what extent have the media shaped our cultural images or even generated false stereotypes? What steps can we take to perceive others as they are rather than as hostile parties represent them?

Khalid Blankinship is Chair of the Religion Department at Temple University and a scholar of Islam.

April 15 ó The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict in Broader Context
How does the conflict between Israel and Palestine
fit into the larger Middle East situation? How can we understand and support all partiesí legitimate claims and help to achieve a lasting peace? Can the United States play a constructive role in the resolution of this conflict?

Rabbi Brian Walt is the founding rabbi of Congregation Mishkan Shalom, a synagogue dedicated to social activism at home and to the peace movement in Israel.

April 22 ó Teaching Complexity
What are our children hearing and saying about the war, terrorism, and the current situation in the Middle East? How can we teach our children (and ourselves) to avoid simplistic ìeither/orî thinking that can limit our perspective and result in bad policy? What can our children teach us?

A panel of teachers and students from area Quaker schools will share their ideas and experiences.

April 29 ó September 11 and the Black Experience in America: Cornel West
7:30 p.m., Arch Street Meeting House
4th & Arch Streets, Philadelphia

How can the African American experience offer a deeper understanding of American life after September 11? How do last yearís attacks and their aftermath relate to the oppression of people of color around the world? Can the African American experience of oppression offer insight into the possibilities for forgiveness and healing?

Cornel West is Professor of Afro-American studies and Philosophy of Religion at Harvard University. He has written fifteen books and numerous articles on a wide range of subjects.

From the Haddonfield Quarter
Peace & Social Concerns Committee

Dear Haddonfield Quarter Friends,
In the fall, Haddonfield Quarter Peace & Social Concerns Committee sent a letter to each Meeting in the Quarter with a list of possible actions in regard to 9/11 and the bombing of Afghanistan. In response, Meetings did a number of projects including collecting hundreds of blankets for AFSC to send to Afghanistan refugees, placing peace banners outside the Meeting Houses, fasting, having programs, and more. The Quarter P&SC Committee decided to send this follow-up letter urging Meetings to discern what next steps they are led to take and to let us know.

Here are four possible directions which Friends may feel led to take:

1) Collect funds for AFSC either by collecting at the Meeting or by having one or more fundraising events open to the community. At this point, AFSC expects to buy needed supplies in countries close to the crisis in order to lower shipping costs and stretch the money further. Food and education are two of the critical needs of the people of Afghanistan.

2) Support Ramallah Friends School by sending e-mail messages of support (csouth@palnet.com), having fundraisers to raise money to repair the damage caused by bombing, or by doing programs or actions to educate and call for an end to the violence in the Middle East.

3) Join a book discussion group. Some book lists on this topic are being sent to each Meeting. Sandy Heath (Moorestown Mtg.) has volunteered to help discussion groups get together throughout the Quarter. If interested, please contact Priscilla.

4) Join other Friends to go as a group to local Middle Eastern restaurants to support these businesses which have suffered since 9/11. The committee will arrange the dates. Please contact Priscilla if you would like to participate.

We welcome your participation and ideas. Please contact Priscilla Adams, peacepc@aol.com.

Sincerely, Susan Tucker, Clerk, Haddonfield Quarter Peace & Social Concerns Committee.

Pedals for Progress

A.Paul Shallers, for the HFS Service Committee

Pedals For Progress is a program that collects, ships, and refurbishes used bicycles to countries where bicycle transportation can enable people to make a better living. Those of you who have been at HFS for two years will recall our collection two springs ago, when we were able to collect 120 bicycles. Currently, this project has expanded the list of items to collect. Pedals For Progress will now accept not only bicycles in reasonable shape, but also sewing machines, used computers, soccer balls, and cleats. And for those of you who have none of the above but would like to contribute, you can also make cash donations to help pay for shipping and refurbishing costs. (Pedals For Progress needs a minimum of $10 per bicycle.) Erik Schenk, the founder of this non-profit, will visit with HFS students on April 5 to show them pictures of the places where donated bicycles are making a difference. (Erik is an avid cyclist who has traveled world-wide.) Our collection date is May 4, the morning of our Spring Fling.

News from Haddonfield Friends School

Submitted by Joann Rell, Physical Education teacher, HFS

Recently my husband and I had the wonderful experience of adopting a child from Russia. We have three teenagers and our family decided that we would like to help another child not as fortunate. I shared this experience with my students and they were very enthusiastic and excited as I relayed many stories about our new son, Ilya.

Ilya is a 10-year-old boy who was born to a young mother in Arkangelsk, Russia (a northern city on the White Sea). He was put into a childrenís home at age
5 because his mother had no money to feed him or his brother. Ilyaís brother was adopted by another family in Russia, but they could not take two children. When we notified our adoption agency about our preference for a school-age boy, they sent us a video of Ilya and we were quick to accept him.

The everyday changes in Ilyaís life are overwhelming, to say the least. He is learning English quickly and is finally receiving the love that every child needs. My husband and I will never forget our journey to Russia, especially because they live such a hard life. The most disturbing thing about their country is the lack of God in their lives, as many Russians do not believe in God. They are now free to worship, but many have never known God and as a result do not believe in the Spirit. I am haunted by so much hopelessness and despair in many of their eyes, as I wonder how our lives would be without belief in life after death on earth. I have written editorials to the local Russian papers because I felt the need to express my sadness. It seems that many Russian people who have immigrated to the U.S. are here now because they feel more comfortable worshipping here and realize that we are more tolerant of all faiths.

In conclusion, I would like to thank you for all of your help and goodwill. I know that the HFS family has helped us by praying for us and donating items for us to bring to the orphanage and I am thrilled that our child and other adopted children will come to know God. I look forward to the day when our new son understands the awesome power of God and all of his creation. Little does he know he is with us because of our belief and faith in God!

Spring Service Project

Please contribute to the Childrenís Home in
Mt. Holly and Bridge of Peace Church in Camden. The Childrenís Home provides education and support services for children with very serious problems in their lives. Bridge of Peace works to build positive relationships between two communities that border the church ó one a primarily white community and the other a community of people of color.

Until May 15th, we are collecting donations of:

ï new socks (tube or ìone-size-fits-allî for boys & womenís standard size 9-11 for girls)

ï new white or solid color T-shirts (medium, large, or x-large)

ï new towels and wash cloths

ï new or ìgently usedî duffel bags or backpacks (medium-sized bags)

ï arts and crafts supplies (construction paper, paint, crayons, markers, scissors, glue, stickers, rulers, etc.)

Please leave all donations in your Meeting House or call Priscilla Adams for pick-up.

The Journal of George Fox
Continued from March

Soon after we rode to London. When we came near Hyde Park we saw a great concourse of people, and, looking towards them, espied the Protector coming in his coach. Whereupon I rode to his coach side. Some of his life-guard would have put me away; but he forbade them. So I rode by his coach side with him, declaring what the Lord gave me to say to him, of his condition, and of the sufferings of Friends in the nation, showing him how contrary this persecution was to the words of Christ and His apostles, and to Christianity.

When we were come to Jamesís Park Gate, I left him; and at parting he desired me to come to his house. The next day one of his wifeís maids, whose name was Mary Sanders, came to me at my lodging, and told me that her master came to her, and said he would tell her some good news. When she asked him what it was, he told her, ìGeorge Fox is come to town.î She replied ìThat is good news indeedî (for she had received Truth), but she said she could hardly believe him till he told her how I met him, and rode from Hyde Park to Jamesís Park with him.

After a little time Edward Pyot and I went to Whitehall to see Oliver Cromwell; and when we came before him, Dr. Owen, vice-chancellor of Oxford, was with him. We were moved to speak to him concerning the sufferings of Friends, and laid them before him: and we directed him to the Light of Christ, who had enlightened every man that cometh into the world. He said it was a natural light; but we showed him the contrary; and proved that it was divine and spiritual, proceeding from Christ the spiritual and heavenly man; and that that which was called the life in Christ the Word, was called the Light in us.

The power of the Lord God arose in me, and I was moved in it to bid him lay down his crown at the feet of Jesus. Several times I spoke to him to the same effect. I was standing by the table, and he came and sat upon the tableís side by me, saying he would be as high as I was. So he continued speaking against the Light of Christ Jesus; and went his way in a light manner. But the Lordís power came over him so that when he came to his wife and other company, he said, ìI never parted so from them before;î for he was judged in himself.

After this I travelled into Yorkshire, and returned out of Holderness, over Humber, visiting Friends; and
then returning into Leicestershire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, among Friends.
I had a meeting at Edge-Hill. There came to it Ranters, Baptists, and several sorts of rude people; for
I had sent word about three weeks before to have a meeting there, so that hundreds of people were gathered thither, and many Friends came to it from afar. The Lordís everlasting Truth and Word of life reached over all; the rude and unruly spirits were chained down; and many that day were turned to the Lord Jesus Christ, by His power and Spirit, and came to sit under His blessed, free teaching, and to be fed with His eternal, heavenly food. All was peaceable; the people passed quietly away, and some of them said it was a mighty, powerful meeting; for the presence of the Lord was felt, and His power and Spirit was amongst them.

Thence I passed to Warwick and to Bagley, having precious meetings; and then into Gloucestershire, and so to Oxford, where the scholars were very rude; but the Lordís power came over them. Great meetings we had as we travelled up and down.

Thus having travelled over most of the nation, I returned to London again, having cleared myself of that which lay upon me from the Lord. For after I was released out of Launceston jail, I was moved of the Lord to travel over the nation, the Truth being now spread in most places, that I might answer, and remove out of the minds of the people, some objections which the envious priests and professors had raised and spread abroad concerning us.

In this year the Lordís Truth was finely planted over the nation, and many thousands were turned to the Lord; insomuch that there were seldom fewer than one thousand in prison in this nation for Truthís testimony; some for tithes, some for going to the steeple-houses, some for contempts (as they called them), some for not swearing, and others for not putting off their hats. Having stayed some time in London, and visited the meetings of Friends in and about the city, and cleared myself of what services the Lord had at that time laid upon me there, I left the town and travelled into Kent, Sussex, and Surrey, visiting Friends. I had great meetings, and often met with opposition from Baptists and other jangling professors; but the Lordís power went over them.

We lay one night at Farnham, where we had a little meeting. The people were exceeding rude; but at last the Lordís power came over them. After meeting we went to our inn, and gave notice that any who feared God might come to our inn to us. There came abundance of rude people, the magistrates of the town, and some professors. I declared the Truth to them; and those people that behaved themselves rudely, the magistrates put out of the room.

When they were gone, another rude company of professors came up, and some of the chief of the town. They called for faggots and drink, though we forbade them, and were as rude a people as ever I met. The Lordís power chained them, that they had not power to do us any mischief; but when they went away they left all the faggots and beer, for which they had called, in the room, for us to pay for in the morning. We showed the innkeeper what an unworthy thing it was; but he told us we must pay it; and pay it we did.

Before we left the town I wrote to the magistrates and heads of the town, and to the priest, showing them how he had taught his people, and laying before them their rude and uncivil carriage to strangers that sought their good.

Leaving that place we came to Basingstoke, a very rude town; where they had formerly very much abused Friends. There I had a meeting in the evening, which was quiet; for the Lordís power chained the unruly. At the close of the meeting I was moved to put off my hat and to pray to the Lord to open their understandings; upon which they raised a report that I put off my hat to them and bade them good night, which was never in my heart.

After the meeting, when we came to our inn, I sent for the innkeeper, as I was used to do; and he came into the room to us, and showed himself a very rude man. I admonished him to be sober, and fear the Lord; but he called for faggots and a pint of wine, and drank it off himself; then called for another, and called up half a dozen men into our chamber. Thereupon I bade him go out of the chamber, and told him he should not drink there; for we called him up to speak to him concerning his eternal good.

He was exceeding mad, rude, and drunk. When he continued his rudeness and would not be gone, I told him that the chamber was mine for the time I lodged in it; and called for the key. Then he went away in a rage. In the morning he would not be seen; but I told his wife of his unchristian carriage towards us.

We then travelled to Exeter; and at the sign of the Seven Stars, an inn at the bridge foot, had a general meeting of Friends out of Cornwall and Devonshire; to which came Humphrey Lower, Thomas Lower, and John Ellis from the Landís End; Henry Pollexfen, and Friends from Plymouth; Elizabeth Trelawny, and diverse other Friends. A blessed heavenly meeting we had, and the Lordís everlasting power came over all,
in which I saw and said that the Lordís power had surrounded this nation round about as with a wall and bulwark, and His seed reached from sea to sea. Friends were established in the everlasting Seed of life, Christ Jesus, their Life, Rock, Teacher, and Shepherd.

Help Wanted

Would you like to do peace work
(one day a week, for one year)?

Philadelphia Yearly Meeting is seeking to hire a one-fifth time (1/5) Friendsí Peace Associate to assist Monthly Meetings and Friendsí schools as they educate youth about our Friendsí peace testimony and military conscription, educate Friends generally about conscientious objections to paying taxes for war, and publicize a possible national Peace Tax Fund bill in the Congress. Can you listen non-judgmentally to persons who are dealing with issues of conscience? Can you build networks and organize events? Our Friendsí Peace Associate will support the work of our Peace & Concerns Standing Committee, especially as regards projects being carried out by volunteer activists on our Conscience, Militarism, & War Tax Concerns Working Group.

To obtain a full job description, e-mail joanb@pym.org or call 215-241-7230. To apply for this position, send a letter that addresses the questions above, states your interest and your experience to Joan Broadfield/Peace Assoc. Position, 1515 Cherry St., Phila., PA. 19102
Application Deadline: April 15, 2002.

Please note that this is a 1/5 time position funded for one year only from the date of hire. Toward the end of that year, our Yearly Meeting will review its needs, and determine whether or not to re-fund the position.

Position(s) available with the Trauma Healing
and Reconciliation Service, Burundi

The African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI) of the Friends Peace Teams is recruiting two international peace team members for a 27-month commitment (Sept. 14, 2002 until Dec. 14, 2004) to join the
Peace Team developing the Trauma Healing and Reconciliation Service in Burundi. This program is a joint effort of AGLI and Burundi Yearly Meeting of Friends and began its services on April 1, 2001. AGLI is seeking (1) a person with skills and knowledge in trauma healing, mediation, counseling, and/or Alternatives to Violence Project and (2) grant writing and administration and other administrative skills.

Applicants should have overseas experience with a preference for sub-Saharan Africa, a willingness to learn Kirundi (the language of Burundi), clearness to live in a country with ongoing security issues due to a civil war, and abide with the strict standards of Burundi Yearly Meeting. Fundraising for the program and a commitment to stay involved with AGLI upon return to the home country are expected.

Applicants are required to meet with a clearness committee and submit a report by its Clerk and develop a long-term support committee for the time in Africa and after returning to the home country. Preference will be given to members, attenders, and those knowledgeable about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and its methods. Travel expenses, a modest stipend, and health benefits are provided.

Applications are due by May 26, 2002 with selection made on June 11 for a departure about September 14, 2002. Additional information and an application form can be obtained from davidzarembka@juno.com or writing to African Great Lakes Initiative, 7785 Alicia Ct, Maplewood, MO 63143. Due to a temporary technology gap, SEND A COPY of all e-mail communications to: Val Liveoak, Friends Peace Teams,
valliveoak@juno.com

Poems Old and New

The Friends Cemetery in New Jersey
Daniel Picker

Where the grass rolls like a sea,
towering swells undulate down to peace
in this Quaker graveyard in New
Jersey, no island in a sea but an
oasis in the heart of town, a pasture
once for cows, sheep, goats,
a small wooded farm surrounded
by a wall, a lake not far beyond
the Meetinghouse there atop the slope
where we all hope to meet the Divine
if not here amid the great trees,
huge Buttonwoods like oaks
blazing white trunks in the sun
here where Elizabeth rode and strode,
she who Longfellow wrote of two
centuries back when the grass was
greener and the breeze more sweet,
and we in our youth sat with each
other, black and white, and knew
a friend who threw a rock through
the Friends School window once, that
young Catholic act a rebellion
unthinkable if the glass were not
clear but stained in crimson, blue
and viridian, a spangled tapestry
of glass, God in that place, and our
heritage and history of our race.
Boys once but eternally human we
still seek the Divine in birdsí notes
and breeze, spirit of the sun and an old
townís peace. The summer grass slopes,
rises and rolls down peopled by the stones
of friends, some I once have known,
now just their carved names fill my
eyes with brief tears before walking on
hoping to just traipse along, descend
and rise yet again beyond the iron gate.