LATE REPORT

American Friends Service Committee

New York Metropolitan Region (NYMRO)

This is a brief report from the Executive Committee for our region. Our committee provides program guidance and support for the AFSC projects that originate from our region. There are three program areas for the work of AFSC-NYMRO.

In the Conflict Resolution/Peacebuilding Program (we have been seeking a new name for this work) work continues the Haitian Community Dialogue project, the Community Violence Prevention Project involving support of neighborhood organizations dealing with gun violence), and “Other Options,” which provides resources to communities that are being targeted by military recruiters.

The Immigrant Rights Program, based out of the Newark Office, includes projects that provide legal services for immigrants who need support and community-building and outreach services in the immigrant and host communities. AFSC staff are increasingly called upon by the media to respond to the heightened immigration debate and they articulate a fair and compassionate approach to immigrant rights.

The third program is Criminal Justice, also based in Newark. It has two projects—a Prisoners Resource Center, which provides referral and counseling services to people in prison and ex-offenders returning home, and Prison Watch, which monitors human-rights violations in our prisons and advocates on behalf of individuals. NYMRO supports an internship project with a number of internships for young adults who want to be a part of the AFSC. The New Jersey and New York statewide exhibits of Eyes Wide Openhave become centerpieces of activities in communities and schools throughout the metropolitan area.

The Executive Committee has been active this year in performing two extensive program reviews of the Immigration and Conflict Resolution programs and has adopted strategic plans for the next three to five years. We emerged from this process with a renewed enthusiasm to promote the work. A focus on our criminal-justice work begins this fall.

AFSC continues to be interested in strengthening contacts with Friends Meetings in our region. If you live within “95 miles of Columbus Circle” in Manhattan, you are served by our programs. If your Meeting is not receiving e-mails from the AFSC, please contact Anne Wright, awright [at] afsc [dot] org. Our two offices in the region are:

Newark—89 Market Street, 6th floor, Newark, NJ 07102
Criminal Justice Program: 973-643-3191
Immigrant Rights Program: Amy Gottlieb, 973-643-1924
New York—15 Rutherford Place, New York, NY 10003; 212-598-0950

Please check out our AFSC Web site: www.afsc.org/nymetro.
Ben Frisch, clerk, Executive Committee,
New York Metropolitan Region, AFSC