Dear Monthly Meeting Clerk,

You may have heard by now about some of the exciting things that happened at our most recent sessions of Yearly Meeting. There is one action in particular that we want every Meeting to know about, and in which we want to invite every Meeting's participation. This is our Yearly Meeting's commitment to build a long term, comprehensive, and supportive relationship - a partnership - with Ramallah Friends Meeting.

We know that the continuing Palestinian-Israeli conflict is at the heart of much of the conflict in the Middle East, and between elements of the Islamic world and the U.S. We know these conflicts led to the terrorist attack on the U.S. on September 11, and to our government's pursuit of a "war on terrorism." And we as a Yearly Meeting have been searching for a way to act corporately to help build a different world, one where justice and peace are possible; searching for a way to address the root causes of these tensions and conflicts.

So when we heard at Yearly Meeting about the desire of Ramallah Friends - the only Quaker community in Palestine - to rebuild their meetinghouse, so it can be used again for worship, and as a community center where people who want to work for peace and justice there might gather and work together, we felt a leading to act. Attached is a preliminary copy of the article that will appear in the next issue of the PYM News about this action, giving more details about how we came to the decision and its implications.

We should add one caution here. Given what has occurred in the West Bank since our sessions, it is very hard to know just what it will be possible to do with Ramallah Friends, or to work for peace in that part of the world more broadly. But still we hope to move ahead in faith.

Now we want to ask two things of you and your Meeting:

(1) Does your Meeting share in our sense of excitement about the opportunity we feel the Spirit has laid before us to act on our faith as a Yearly Meeting, to reach out to our brothers and sisters in Ramallah and work for peace? And if so, does your Meeting wish to affirm its support for this work? (We would like to hear of our Monthly Meetings' interest.)

(2) Does your Meeting or members wish to be involved in this work? While we are just beginning to map out some of the long-term possibilities for this partnership, there are some things Friends can do now. Given the chaos and horror of recent events on the West Bank, it is hard for us to know what is best to do now, or (as just noted) what future options to act for peace and support Ramallah Friends will be open to us. We know, however, the following things could be helpful. We can:

­ Pray for peace, an end to the violence, and the protection of all those working or peace in that troubled land.

­ Educate ourselves more fully about the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the tensions in the Middle East.

­ Learn about the Biblical and religious roots of these conflicts.

­ Prepare ourselves to support nonviolent alternatives to these conflicts and to work with others seeking creative solutions.

­ Seek out Jews, Arabs, and Muslims in our own communities to hold dialogues about these conflicts, so as to better comprehend others' views, and work towards mutual understanding.

­ Be in touch with our own government - Representatives, Senators, the State Department, and the President - to ask them to be more assertive in demanding Israel change its policies towards and treatment of the Palestinians; and to encourage our government to play a more active and even-handed role in working for peace.

­ Raise our voice in various public settings and media to demand that same.

We believe it was the Holy Spirit at work in our sessions this past month that led us to this commitment to be in partnership with Ramallah Friends. Though we cannot know yet just where this will take us, we envision this involving the active participation of many Friends, literally standing with and working with Friends (and friends of the Friends) over there in whatever ways are most helpful.

Considering the wide range of possibilities and needs that might arise, we also want to know more about what gifts, skills and interests our members and Meetings bring to this work. To that end, we are also attaching a very quick questionnaire we ask you to fill out indicating the kinds of things your members and Meeting could be prepared to do as part of this partnership. Please return that to the General Secretary's office.

As you can tell we are excited - even in the face of all the present uncertainties -- about the possibility that, we can act together to make a difference. We hope you can feel and join in the excitement.

We watch the events unfolding now in the West Bank with horror and deep sorrow. But we also know that where God's love and power is at work, and we are aligned with it, the potential for good things to happen, for healing to occur, and for justice and peace to emerge is unlimited. It is in that faith we commit ourselves to this work, and invite you to join in it.

Yours in faith,

Thomas Jeavons

P.S. -- Please note that transcripts and tapes Jean Zaru's talk, which moved us so deeply, can be ordered through the PYM Library.

Survey to Monthly Meetings

Name of Meeting: ___________________________________

1. Does your Meeting have a sense of unity with the Yearly Meeting's decisions regarding work with Ramallah Friends and for peace in the Middle East? Do you wish to consider a way to be actively involved as planning unfolds?

2. Are there actions that your Meeting has already undertaken, in response to 9/11 and/or the recent worsening of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict, that other Meetings or the Yearly Meeting should know of?

________ Yes ______ No

If yes, please tell us what those actions are.

3. Are there ways, in addition to those identified in Question 2, that your Meeting (or individual persons in the Meeting) would like to be more fully involved in efforts to contribute to the building of peace in the Middle East? (For example, several options are cited in the letter accompanying this request for information) Please tell us of those to which the Meeting or individuals in the Meeting have made a specific commitment.

4. What support or action at the Yearly Meeting level would be helpful?