JANUARY 2020

Happy New Year, Friends! We wish everyone the best as 2020 begins. In this issue of the newsletter, we have several important announcements about special events, advocacy and updates from Friends around the world. Hope you enjoy it!

From George Fox

A letter from George Fox to Friends imprisoned for their faith in 1663 in England:
 
"Sing and rejoice, you children of the day and of the light, for the Lord is at work in this thick night of darkness that may be felt. Truth does flourish as the rose. Lilies do grow among the thorns, the plants atop the hills, and upon them the lambs do skip and play."
 
(sent to us at Phoenix Meeting by Adam Barnett from Graceville Correctional Facility in Florida)
 

Letter from Sonia Maria Condori Canchillo, Bolivian Student

"Friends, Attached below is a shortened translation of the most recent letter from our Bolivian scholarship student, Sonia Maria Condori Canchillo. The letter in Spanish is on the bulletin board.
 
First, please receive my most cordial greetings in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, blessing always your lives and also your families, with my best wished for success in all your daily activities in your Meeting and also for the benefit to society and the scholarship students.
 
I am studying, in the Public University of El Alto, systems engineering, in my 6th semester.
 
Activity #1: The subject of Engineering of Networks #! is new this semester. It brought my attention to the physical topology of the internet. A network is composed of various computers connected by a coaxial cable (UTI), fiber optic or radio waves and devices (NIC, switch, router). 
There are several topologies - all the computers are connected by one cable (the bus) and it is the simplest form. However, it is the most trustworthy. There is also a topography  in which all computers are connected at one central point, a switch or hub. There is also a map in ring form, each team has a connecting line, point to point only, in the adjacent equipment. The signal passes around the ring on one direction.
For large businesses or whatever type of organization, they have personnel specializing in network engineering, because this person designs and maintains the networks where information circulates.
 
Activity #2: In our second week of "Operative Investigation," we developed a theme called "replacement and Maintenance." This model is applicable where there is normal depreciation, including machines, cars, equipment...To avoid problems in analysis the analyst needs to establish the optimal period of depreciation and make a simple analysis of costs with the information available to help a healthy financial life in the business.
 
Spiritual aspect: A week ago a brother from the Church of the Nazarenee took me to an evangelical service in his church.. They presented different ministries and sang praises. The most beautiful was that people came who had never been in a church before. The pastor received each one and there was much blessing as people accepted Jesus into their hearts.
 
Personal Reflection: We all know that the Interned it is style these days. Google has been working to control bad apps and Google has arrived at an agreement with a cyber security company to create the App Defense Alliance.
ADA will serve to unite forces and work together to stop malicious apps before they arrive at the intended devices.
In the context of this alliance, Google is integrating its detection systems of Google Play Project in search engines of each of these members. In this way it will generate a new intelligence on the risk of the applications, while they are waiting to be made public. They will analyze information before any app is usable in Play Store, says Google."
 

Local George Lakey Events

George has been active in direct action campaigns for over six decades. Recently retired from Swarthmore College, where he was the Eugene M. Lang visiting Professor for Issues of Social Change. Lakey was first arrested at a civil rights demonstration in March 1963, and his most recent arrest was in March 2018, as a participant in the Power Local Green Jobs Campaign. He has led over 1,500 workshops worldwide! He lives in Philadelphia, PA.
 
George will share his wisdom and experience at the following events:
 
Workshop:
 
Addressing Climate Change for Faith Leaders
January 28, 2020, 9:30am to 2:30pm (by donation) (lunch included) 
Quaker Meeting House, 1702 E Glendale Ave, Phoenix AZ 85020
Register through Eventbrite (eventbrite.com)
 
Talk & Book Signing:
How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning
January 28, 2020, 7pm to 8:30pm (Free)
Changing Hands, 6429 S McClintock, Tempe AZ 85283
 
Workshop:
How We Win: A Guide to Nonviolent Direct Action Campaigning
January 29, 2020, 9:30am to 2:30pm (by donation) (lunch included)
Quaker Meeting House, 1702 E Glendale Ave, Phoenix AZ 85020
Register through Eventbrite (Eventbrite.com)
 
Talk & Discussion:
Spiritual Underpinnings of Social Activism
January 29, 2020, 7pm to 9pm (Free)
Central United Methodist Church, 1875 N Central Ave, Phoenix AZ 85004

Local FCNL Advocacy Groups

Good news! We at Phoenix Meeting and Tempe Meeting have successfully launched a local advocacy group to help FCNL (Friends Committee on National Legislation) establish relationships with and lobby our Congressional Representatives. We focus on one issue a year (maybe two if last year's issue was not successfully resolved).
 
In 2019 we focused on Repeal of the "Authorization for Use of Military Force," two laws passed in 2001-2002 to allow the President, without debate on or approval by Congress, to use any military force anywhere in the world to "combat terrorism.
 
The current President's latest effort was to label the Mexican drug cartels "terrorist" so he could send troops into Mexico. Fortunately, there was too much opposition for that to work (including from Mexico).
 
In 2020 our main issue will be to get the US out of support for the Saudi-led war on Yemen. Funds for Saudi were included in the recently passed 2020 budget.  We have our work cut out for us.
 
If you are not yet a part of our advocacy team but would like to be, contact Nancy Marshall (nanmar4009@gmail.com) and we can talk about what's good to know for the best participation in this effort for peace.

Event: FCNL's Diane Randall Visiting Tempe Meeting

Date:Thursday, January 9

Time: 5 - 8 pm.

What: Diane Randall of Friends Committee on National Legislation will be in Tempe for the Tempe mid-week worship session and potluck (potluck may come first, or after. TBD).

Where: Tempe Friends Meeting, 318 East 15th Street, Tempe, south of Apache between College Avenue and Rural Road.
 
Friends will have an excellent opportunity to worship and have dialogue with Diane Randall of FCNL. Check after Meeting for Worship in Phoenix if you are interested in carpooling.

Hospitality for IMYM Representatives – HELP NEEDED

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!
On the weekend of February 7-9, the Representatives Committee from Intermountain Yearly Meeting (IMYM) will all be coming to Phoenix for their midwinter organizing session. They will be 20-25 people strong. 
 
We have agreed to host the gathering of OUR IMYM Representatives.  
 
This is a super opportunity for folks at Phoenix Meeting to meet other Friends from around the 4 corner states ands to show off our hospitality skills.
 
1. We'll need hosts where folks can stay Friday and Saturday nights. This usually involves picking folks up Friday evening after the first business meeting session; driving folks to the Meeting on Saturday morning, and picking them up after the business meeting ends, usually about 6 pm. It often involves getting them to the airport Sunday, though this can be coordinated. The Marshalls (who live closer to the airport than anyone else) are ready to make several runs to Sky Harbor.
DO YOU have a spare bedroom and the ability to host 1-2 people that weekend?
 
2. We'll need a group of volunteers to provide a simple Friday night supper at the Meetinghouse and a Saturday lunch. Depending on how things go, we might need to provide a Saturday supper as well. 
Usually the host provides Saturday and Sunday breakfast, and sometimes Saturday dinner.
 
Please contact Nancy Marshall (602-708-4614; nanmar4009@gmail.com) if you can host a fellow-Quaker, or if you can help provide meals for our Friendly visitors. We'll be getting in touch with you directly as well.

Greetings from Latin American Quakers

"En estas fiestas de Navidad y Año Nuevo, quiero desear a cada uno de los que integran la Gran Familia de los Amigos alrededor el mundo, que la paz y el amor reine en sus vidas eternamente"
 
"In these celebrations of Christmas and the New Years, I wish for each one of those who make up the grand family of Friends around the world, that peace and love reign in their lives eternally."
 
(Samuel Sancé, Junta Mensual Embajadores Amigos Ciquimula-Guatemala; Monthly Meeting of Friends Ambassadors from Chiquimula, Guatemala.)
 

Wifi at Phoenix Meeting

Good news! Phoenix Meeting now has WIFI!! The router is in the Library, and the connection works in the Meeting Room and both classrooms. We look forward to a robust use of it for Meeting-wide and community movie nights, even if just on a laptop.
 
Currently Richard and Nancy are the two who know the password and where you can find it.
 
Previous history of open sharing on the property suggests caution. The Meeting experienced unauthorized use of the classrooms for unapproved trespassers sleeping on occasion, so we had to change all the locks and keys. A temporary guest at the Residence left under shadowy circumstances that led to changing the lock at the Residence. Fiddler's dream experienced use of their WIFI by members of the public who would come, use the WIFI, sit and use their computers instead of listening to the music or participating in Fidd's programs. They discontinued their WIFI.
 
At this point, we haven't talked about it much. We hope and plan for the availability of WIFI to enhance our FDS programs and to allow for Quaker-friendly movies and discussion at the Meeting on a regular basis. B&P will hash over ideas at our next business meeting. If you have experience or insight to share, please let Nancy Marshall know.

Sign-up for Email List on Social/Environmental Issues

Friends:

Some of you may have a concern for population, family planning and environmental issues. If so, you'll probably want to subscribe (at no cost) to this ongoing e-publication by Richard Grossman of Durango Friends Meeting, CO. Contact him at richard@population-matters.org.  He covers it all - and shows us how things are connected. Here's a link to Richard's most recent article:
 
(from Nancy Marshall)

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