The Westport Friends Meeting Peace and Social Concerns Working Group met recently on Feb 27. Gretchen Baker-Smith, convener, sent the following info and resources out to working group members:
As promised, here are things that Friends brought to the meeting today, followed by other links that we talked about! LOTS to check out here.
- The flyer from The Immigration Assistance Center’s forum so that you have the address, website, and basic information. https://uncaffeine.files.
wordpress.com/2017/02/iac- forum.pdf
- NYT article on situation in Nigeria, to be read with the bigger question in mind being “How do you know what to donate to? How do you know the money actually gets there?” https://www.nytimes.com/2017/
01/14/nyregion/neediest-cases- fund-nigeria-malnutrition.html
- Info on the Massachusetts Bail Fund, attached. (Note: I contacted Martha Yager this afternoon, and she put me in touch with Ben Evans, the staff person working on this in Southeastern Mass. I will forward you updates.)
Here is the website for From the Otherside, the organization that matches people, one to one, who voted for ‘the other’ candidate in order to get to know “them” and understand “their” perspective and experience: https://www.hifromtheotherside.com
Here is the list to New England Yearly Meeting’s Living Faith gathering on April 9 at Moses Brown. Please let me know if you want to go — I can take up to 6 people in my car! Also, we should think about checking in on what workshops we sign up for so that we get to as many different ones as possible. PLEASE DO NOTE that the “pay as led” philosophy is very much for real — pay what you can…. NEYM is committed to Friends attending this regardless of whether or not they break even. Do NOT let money stop you from going! (Really) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/living-faith-gathering-april-8-2017-registration-30265939239
Here is the transcript of the Ted Talk Gail spoke about regarding our failing refugee system and how to fix it: https://www.ted.com/talks/alexander_betts_our_refugee_system_is_failing_here_s_how_we_can_fix_it/transcript?language=en
And here is the video of it: https://www.ted.com/talks/alexander_betts_our_refugee_system_is_failing_here_s_how_we_can_fix_it
Here is a list of other Ted talks that Gail recommended:
Plus an article on practical ways to help refugees:
In addition, I came across this article tonight — and it so spoke to our last topic around understanding Trump’s supporters that I wanted to include it. It’s a quick read, but pretty enlightening! http://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-interview-trump-supporters-2017-2
Oh, and a link to The New Jim Crow: http://newjimcrow.com/
(I am going to buy a copy of it pronto, and if it seems worth it, I’ll scan a copy of the first chapter to you.)
Do keep sending things on to me — I’ll send them around to everyone on the list.
And yes, our next meeting is 8:30 AM on April 9, 2017.
Deeply grateful,
Gretchen