The vision of Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) includes integrating into the beliefs and practices of the Society of Friends the Truths that God's Creation is to be held in reverence in its own right, and that human aspirations for peace and justice depend upon restoring the earth's ecological integrity.
QEW's Relationship with FCNL
From its beginning in 1987, QEW has united with the mission of Friends Committee for National Legislation (FCNL) "We seek an earth restored," but was concerned that this goal was missing from its legislative priorities. Several years ago, a group of Friends began working to develop support within the Society of Friends for FCNL to increase its focus on environmental issues. This effort proved fruitful as FCNL has included energy policy as a legislative priority since 2002.
In 2003 QEW became a member organization of FCNL, began to appoint two members to the FCNL General Committee, and participated through them in revising FCNL's policy statement for "an earth restored." Since then FCNL has reaffirmed and strengthened its legislative priority on energy and environment. This priority has recently become the primary assignment for a senior legislative secretary.
FCNL has recently completed the rehabilitation of its WashingtonD.C. headquarters on Capital Hill as a LEED-certified "green building." The new building has visibly strengthened Friends' Earthcare witness on federal legislation by putting words into action on energy and environmental policy.
QEW's members of the FCNL General Committee are now responsible for nurturing and strengthening QEW's involvement with FCNL. QEW encourages monthly meetings and individual Friends to support FCNL's witness in Washington by communicating with members of Congress about federal legislation through FCNL's website (sign up for their Legislative Action Network to receive alerts), and by participating in FCNL's priority-setting process in even-numbered years prior to the sitting of each new Congress. Through its website, FCNL maintains a separate e-mail list for targeted legislative action alerts on energy and environmental legislation. To join, e-mail Ned Stowe <ned@fcnl.org>.
Friends Testimonies and Economics (FTE)
QEW is a co-sponsor, with the Earthcare Working Group of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, of a project on Friends Testimonies and Economics (FTE), which seeks to engage Friends with:
Learning more about current economic concepts, policies, and institutions as they relate to our historic testimonies in an ecological context, and
Supporting advocacy by FCNL and other Friends' organizations for a comprehensive reformulation of U.S. economic policy.
Quaker Eco-Bulletin (QEB) is published bi-monthly by Quaker Earthcare Witness as an insert in BeFriending Creation. QEB's purpose is to advance Friends' witness on public and institutional policies that affect the earth's capacity to support life.
Quaker Institute for the Future has been established as a kind of Quaker think tank “to help generate systematic insight, knowledge, and wisdom that can inform public policy in ways that will enable us all to live more fully in ‘the virtue of that life and power’ which leads us to treat all humans, all communities of life, and the whole Earth as manifestations of the Divine.”
QEW on International Public Policy
QEW became active at the international public policy arena during planning for the 1992 UN Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. QEW (then FCUN) received status as a non-governmental organization (NGO) under the UN and was able to send several representatives. Four delegates participated in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg. Over the years QEW members have attended NGO briefings at the UN in New York City, where they have followed and reported on negotiations that have distinct ecological implications.
Individuals QEW network are pursuing many other opportunities for spirit-led local and state-level public policy actions and programs as well, allying with other religious, social, and environmental organizations.
The Quaker International Affairs Programme (QIAP), under the care of the Canadian Friends Service Committee, is witnessing for changes in international treaties on Intellectual Property Rights that are raising concerns about the effects of allowing life forms to be patented. They have been working through the Quaker United Nations Office.
