by WebPost | Oct 13, 2022 | Announcement, Care and Counsel
Care and Counsel reminds everyone that the committee administers the Fund for Sufferings. This fund was born of long-standing Quaker tradition, originally to help those suffering economic hardship due to acts of conscience. Today, the Fund for Sufferings stands apart from our annual operating budget, and exists to support anyone in the RFM community who encounters sudden and disruptive financial hardship. The fund also relies on our individual contributions to help replenish it each year to a level that allows us to respond to personal and confidential emergency financial needs. To request assistance, contact the clerk of Care and Counsel. If you feel led to contribute, make a check payable to Richmond Friends Meeting and note in the memo line that the amount is for the Fund for Sufferings.
by WebPost | Oct 8, 2022 | Announcement
On Wednesday, a federal court ruled against the continuation of DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals). Since 2012, the program has provided protection from deportation to nearly 800,000 people who came to the U.S. as children. Read AFSC’s statement.
Only legislation, not litigation, will ensure permanent protections for DACA recipients. Tell Congress: Support a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients and all immigrants!
Here are this week's picks to inform and support your activism:
Watch: What you need to know about DACA: In this video, AFSC policy and program staff break down what the DACA decision means. Learn what’s next for the program and current recipients, and what you can do to advocate for a pathway to citizenships for all immigrants. Restoring the right to vote for all: As we approach the November elections, nearly 5.2 million Americans are barred from exercising their right to vote because they have felony convictions. Disproportionately, those who are disenfranchised are Black and living in poverty. Felony disenfranchisement remains the longest-standing form of voter suppression in the U.S.—and it’s past time for us to end it once and for all, writes AFSC’s Lewis Webb Jr. AFSC celebrates Biden's pardons, calls on governors to take the next step: The Biden administration's decision to pardon people with federal convictions for simple marijuana possession should be commended. Now governors must take similar steps. And the president must do more to address racially biased incarceration in the federal system. “As we work to abolish the criminal punishment system in the United States in favor of approaches that center healing and accountability, we must also address the policies that drive incarceration today,” says AFSC’s Tori Bateman. Register for No Way to Treat a Child campaign webinar (Oct. 11, 12 p.m. ET / 9 a.m. PT): Join our monthly webinar from AFSC and Defense for Children International - Palestine on advocacy for Palestinian rights. This webinar will focus on U.S. military assistance to Israel and how we can advocate to stop taxpayer dollars from funding human rights violations. Long Beach, CA police department publicly discloses information on militarized equipment: Last year, California passed a law that requires more transparency from local police departments on their use of militarized equipment, such as armored vehicles and tear gas. The law also gives community members and elected officials opportunity to change those policies. Long Beach police department is among the most recent to disclose such information. More accountability will come next year when police departments must start filing annual reports on how they’ve deployed this equipment, says AFSC’s Jennifer Tu. (Long Beach Post) See AFSC’s advocacy toolkit on the new law. Advocates speak out as court rules against California's ban on for-profit prisons: The law would have phased out the use of private prisons and migrant detention centers in California by 2028. The decision “is overturning what California wants,” says AFSC’s Pedro Rios. “Private prisons should not be in the business of locking people up for profit. [But] this is a roadblock. We will continue to advocate.” (Fox 2) Last chance to register: Quaker Call to Action on Oct. 13 (7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT): How can we work to stop voter suppression, protect the integrity of our elections, and oppose violence in all its forms? Learn how we can all stand up for democracy by joining our national call, hosted by AFSC and other Quaker groups. Sign up today.
by WebPost | Oct 6, 2022 | Announcement, Peace and Social Concerns
Please join Peace and Social Concerns for a program on gun violence prevention and advocacy on Zoom, October 20. 7:30-8:30. The Buffalo and Uvalde mass shootings this summer led us to invite Lori Haas, formerly with the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence and now with the Center for Gun Violence Solutions at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, to present to meeting on this difficult and important topic. Lori will give a presentation and there will be plenty of time for questions and reflection.
by WebPost | Sep 30, 2022 | Announcement, Ministry and Worship
JOIN US FOR OUR 6TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL NOVEMBER 18-20, 2022 AT THE VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS’ LESLIE CHEEK THEATER IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA.
REFRAMING NATIVE AMERICAN LIFE AND EXPERIENCE THROUGH FILM
Representation matters. It matters because it impacts how we interact with our fellow Americans, the way that we educate our children, and it shapes our path forward as a democracy. Storytelling and filmmaking have suffered from a dearth of representation of important groups that influenced American democracy, notably Native Americans. Native culture is rich, steeped in history, and multifaceted, yet mainstream films do not often capture this nuance. The Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival honors the contributions of Native Americans and reinvigorates conversations about telling stories of indigenous life. The Festival aims to raise awareness about Native American language, cultures, and societies through films that share Native American perspectives. The Festival, which is the only one of its kind on the East Coast, brings together artists, authors, cineastes, and actors who share a passion for film and features experiential learning opportunities for the entire public. In the past, filmmakers have used demeaning stereotypes when incorporating Native characters or storylines, which lack nuance, accuracy, and complexity. The Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival offers new insight into previously under-told narratives. It is befitting that this important East Coast American Indian film festival is held in Virginia. Long before English settlers first arrived to establish the Jamestown settlement, Native Americans inhabited the land that would become the birthplace of our nation. Upon their arrival, Native Americans shared their mastery of the land with the English settlers and ultimately ensured the Colony’s survival. In 1619 Virginia, three cultures collided: Virginia Indian, African, and English. The interactions between these cultures forged what would eventually become the United States and demonstrates that diversity has always been an integral part of the American story. Representation of these groups and their contributions in the stories we share has an impact on how our communities reflect on, and share, our collective history. Through the Pocahontas Reframed Film Festival, we hope to raise visibility around the need for more diversity in film, as well as elevate the perspectives of Native Americans in society.
by WebPost | Sep 28, 2022 | Announcement
As summer gives way to fall, this seems like a good time for distributing an updated Directory. It's attached. There have been a substantial number of revisions since the most recent distribution. The next printed version will be available next March after committee clerks are in place.
Don Miller, Directory Editor
by WebPost | Sep 28, 2022 | Announcement
It's official!! The BYM Women's Retreat will have a one-day in-person and hybrid (via Zoom) gathering this Fall. Mark your calendars for Saturday, October 8th, from 10am-6pm at Adelphi Friends Meeting. Registration address is below.
We know we would all like for Covid to be over and our regular winter weekend gathering to happen, but this is the most we feel comfortable offering at this time. Let's make the most of it together!
Thanks to BYM staff for helping to clear the date, and to Adelphi women for agreeing to be our hosts.
The day will include worship, worship sharing, chanting, perhaps a few workshops, BYO bag lunch, and hopefully a few pre-planned coffeehouse acts. We are looking for women to help with the following opportunities:
- Help decide a theme and queries
- Sign up for a coffeehouse act
- Lead an outdoor workshop (weather permitting)
- Help run technology that day, including various Zoom capabilities
Please reach out to Inga Erickson (ingaerickson@icloud.com) with your generous offers of ideas and support. The women of BYM thank you in advance for pitching in!
Register on Line-
bym-rsf.org/events/women's retreat
