Peace Initiatives Assistance

Friends in New York Yearly Meeting call one another to sustained practice of shared worship and action for peace.

In session July 26, 2002, New York Yearly Meeting approved this call and asked the Liaison Committee to form a small working group to provide a way for Friends to share current information and news of worship and action. Finances were to be worked out by the working group and Liaison Committee. The working group, Linda Chidsey, Vicki Cooley, and Fred Dettmer, is now functioning. Anticipated expenses are for special mailings, Web site services, other communications improvements, or assistance with particular communications projects. In the longer term ongoing expenses of supporting Friends' communication should be part of the YM budget. As part of worship and action networking new expenses may also be met from "peace initiatives" funds (see below).

The Yearly Meeting approved several minutes, clearly with the intention of providing Yearly Meeting assistance to Friends at home undertaking actions such as placing newspaper ads reflecting our peace testimony and encouraging nonviolent alternatives to the prospect of increased war-making. Other avenues of local worship and action, besides placing newspaper ads, were probably within the scope of the Yearly Meeting's intention. However, scope, guidelines, and administrative authority were not discussed. As the Yearly Meeting concern is in part for immediate response, this proposal and the accompanying guidelines were drafted as a way to act on the Yearly Meeting's intention. They have been reviewed by members of Liaison Committee and the Yearly Meeting Treasurer and are available for use as of 8/16/02.

As an arrangement for the time being, a separate fund for peace initiatives will be managed by the Yearly Meeting treasurer. Guidelines for expenditures appear on a separate page. In the longer term, peace initiatives might well become one of the purposes of the Witness Activities Fund of the Sharing Fund, with guidelines and administration adapted from experience with the interim arrangement.

Other Yearly Meeting funds (unexpended committee funds, operating reserve, trust funds) may be drawn upon for peace initiative expenses as found appropriate by those with oversight responsibilities or upon decision of the Yearly Meeting in session. Questions should be referred to the Liaison Committee.

Information about tax laws and possible implications for tax exempt status if Friends Meetings engage in activities which may be construed as "lobbying" (attempting to influence legislation) or election campaigning is now available.

Guidelines for Yearly Meeting Peace Initiatives Assistance

In general, Yearly Meeting assistance is intended to supplement local organizing, particularly when YM assistance will make a difference in enabling worship and action or may foster longer term work.
  1. Requests for assistance from monthly or Quarterly or Regional meetings will be considered. Individuals should work through their local meetings.
  2. Initial replies to requests should be very prompt. The YM office staff will offer to share the guidelines and process, and to refer requests to a contact person (see #6) if appropriate.
  3. A volunteer contact person (from among Steve Ross, Tom Rothschild and Karen Reixach) responds to requests from meetings. The contact person joins with a member of the working group (Linda Chidsey, Vicki Cooley, Fred Dettmer) and a member of the Liaison Committee in making decisions, in consultation with appropriate Regional clerks as feasible. The goal is to respond with a decision within one week of receipt of a request.
  4. The contact person should interview a representative of the meeting by telephone (or if necessary engage in an email exchange) to explore the following points:
    1. How did the meeting arrive at the decisions to act and to ask for assistance?
    2. Strategic importance or long-term effects justify greater expense. Have these played a role in the meeting's thinking? Why was this action chosen? What effect is hoped for? What alternatives were considered? What follow-up is planned?
    3. What opportunities for worship are planned?
    4. What oversight structure is in place for this undertaking and how will it be supported through corporate worship and discernment?
    5. How much money is needed? What other sources are being tapped? What will the meeting do if no YM funds are available?
    6. Is there any way in which the advertisement or action proposed could be understood as participation in a political campaign? As an attempt to influence legislation?
    7. Would assistance of some other kind than money be helpful?
  5. The peace action and need may be described in the weekly worship and action update with contributions invited.
  6. Yearly Meeting assistance is intended to supplement local organizing efforts. We generally contemplate that the Yearly Meeting may be able to provide financial assistance in the range of 1/4 to 1/3 the costs of a local action (with financial commitments also coming from the monthly meeting, the regional meeting and individual contributions). In most cases, YM could not consider providing more than 1/2 of the cost of a local action. The decision-making group will take into account how much difference YM assistance might make, other current requests, and funds available, but should not delay acting on a request because of uncertainty about the total amount of requests that may ultimately be received.