Minutes of the S: F & A meeting in
Chicago, Illinois, May 2006

Present were: David Abazs, Marci Ankrom, Jack Bradin, Louis Cox; Marshall Gibson, Mary Gilbert, John Hackman, Liseli Haines, Nancy Halliday, Donn Kesselheim, Ken Lawrence, Steve McConnell, Noel Pavlovic, and Roy Treadway (This list may not be inclusive for both sessions when the “interest group” met.)

Discussion of concept of Global Commons

Jack encouraged us to become familiar with the concept of the Global Commons, which refers to human rights to the use of air and water. (The concept does not always refer to land use but the article, ”Reclaiming the Sacred Commons,” at www.newvillage.net/Journal/Issue1/1sacredcommon.html discusses community gardening in the US. QEW clerk Barbara Williamson recommends the 2001 Summer issue of Yes! magazine which focuses on “Reclaiming the Commons.”)

Neutralizing carbon emissions of Steering Committee meetings

At our annual meeting last fall, S: F & A asked Friends to calculate the carbon emissions created by their travel to the meeting, so as to find a way to offset the damage done to the earth through arranging for a specific number of trees to be planted. Since then Ruah has discovered a mechanism that can use calculations not only of our travel but also of our use of the building where we meet, to get a more inclusive figure of our carbon costs. We can pay this cost to a project developing wind turbine electricity production on Native American lands. We approved, and when the matter was brought to the Steering Committee there was general approval. The calculated “carbon tax” will be added to registration costs for our annual meeting in October, 2006. See www.nativewind.org/

Letter concerning Tar Creek Superfund Site

Before this May session, at the request of clerk Barbara Williamson and for S: F & A Mary drafted a letter stating QEW’s concern about health and quality of life issues raised by a Superfund site contaminated with lead and zinc at Tar Creek in South Central YM in KS, MO, and OK. At this session the Steering Committee asked S F&A to revise this letter to reflect the QEW vision and witness statement and added a request for a response. This was done. The revised letter is appended to these minutes. (Appendix A)

Men for Men

S: F & A brought Dick Grossman’s proposal for a “Men for Men" initiative to the Steering Committee. This is a pilot program that that addresses in a small way the question of population stabilization. Men for Men will provide funding toward vasectomies for men who are part of a Friends Meeting or Friends Church community, who cannot afford the procedure themselves and do not have medical coverage. Dick has also offered to put up $1000 to cover the subsidization of the first three vasectomies.

The following two paragraphs are taken from a draft of the Steering Committee minutes for May, 2006 (awaiting final approval) and follow through on the Steering Committee’s response to the proposal.

Friends recommended a sentence encouraging program participants to talk to their partner about participating in this program be included in the application form. Approval of these documents was postponed pending revisions to the program materials.

Friends gave further consideration to the Men for Men Fund proposal, whose name mirrors a program for women called Women for Women. The program is designed to call attention to men’s responsibility for population control. Friends suggested that the sentence on “experienced doctors” be deleted and that the statement on consulting one’s family before having a vasectomy should add “if applicable.” Friends thought the program application needed a stronger statement on the connection between population control and environmental issues. There was also discussion of how to address statements in the letter that provide medical opinion. Friends suggested that the letter include the words “prepared by Richard Grossman, M.D. “Friends inquired if we have a lawyer who could review the letter. Notes on these needed changes will be sent to Dick Grossman, who will send revised documents to CCC for its review before they are used.

The application form and a letter addressed to a doctor who might perform the procedure, composed by Dick, are appended in the form we had at the meeting, although they are not yet approved by the Steering Committee. (Appendices D and E)

QEW Statement on Public Policy

Between the October and May meetings Mary Gilbert and Ed Dreby, with assistance from Jack Bradin, composed a statement on public policy designed to assist Friends representing QEW, especially in an international context. S: F & A approved this document and it was subsequently accepted, with minor changes, by the Steering Committee. (Appendix B).

Guidelines and Responsibilities of QEW Representatives at Commission on Sustainable Development Sessions at the United Nations

Based on her 5-year experience of attending CSD sessions at the UN Mary drafted a statement for any QEW members who might also participate in this representation. After discussion this too was approved by the Steering Committee. (Appendix C)

Visit from Angie Berryman of AFSC

Angie addressed the entire Steering Committee, but later spent time with S: F & A in discussion of AFSC policies and procedures, giving us the chance to learn how this national Friendly organization resembles and is different from FCNL. We inquired whether Friends organizations like QEW can serve on the board. Angie will find out for us and contact Noel.

Budget for next year

We decided to request $350 for advertising of the M4M and an additional $200 for other committee business. We will initially fund the M4M advertising with our current budget. Next year we are requesting $550 for the budget.

Appendix A

Date

Address

Dear Senator/Congressman:

Quaker Earthcare Witness, an organization of the Religious Society of Friends, is deeply concerned by current findings concerning the Tar Creek Superfund Site and its adverse effects on the environment and on the lives of the people living near the Tar Creek area.

 At the Tar Creek Superfund Site, workers at the Picher Mine Field labored to produce lead and zinc used in World Wars I and II. The resulting contamination of the site is one of the great environmental casualties in North America. A solidly-funded, comprehensive, integrated and multi-faceted plan is needed to address problems that result from this contamination.

Quaker Earthcare Witness calls on the federal government to begin immediately to work in collaboration with local, state and tribal governments to establish and implement such a plan to remedy the problems of the land, water, air, health and quality-of-life issues of areas in and adjacent to the Tar Creek Superfund Site.

We hope you will give this important matter speedy and full consideration..

Sincerely yours,

Barbara Williamson, Steering Committee Clerk
Ruah Swennerfelt, General Secretary

Appendix B

QEW Statement on Public Policy,

Quaker Earthcare Witness holds that we are called to live in right relationship with all Creation, recognizing that the entire world is interconnected and is a manifestation of God. We affirm as Truths that God's Creation is to be respected, protected, and held in reverence in its own right, and that human aspirations for peace and justice depend upon restoring the Earth's ecological integrity.

Restoring the Earth’s ecological integrity will require:

• Halting the accumulation of human-generated ecologically disruptive substances in the biosphere.
• Limiting the amount of land directly used for human purposes and restoring degraded land to healthy bio-diversity and productivity.
• Stabilizing the human population and right sharing of the Earth’s bounty at a scale that the Earth will be able to sustain for the long term.
• Decreasing the production, marketing, and consumption of energy and material goods now practiced in affluent areas of the world, and the pollution and waste that ensue.
• Redesigning technologies so that human communities relate in mutually enhancing ways with the ecosystems of which they are part.
• Redesigning institutions of government, enterprise, and finance to embrace and manifest these realities, as well as to enable people everywhere to strengthen institutions of family and community, and to live in ways that are ecologically sustainable for the long term.

We affirm:

• The United Nations as the most appropriate institution through which governments and non-governmental organizations can advance this agenda.
• The principles of Earth Charter, and of the Interfaith Working Group’s Principles for International Trade and Investment.
• That access to the Global Commons of healthy air, adequate and safe freshwater and other essentials that we need to survive and thrive, is the rightful inheritance of all people and of all other forms of life.
• That trade should be promoted in a context of purposes and policies that protect and enhance local food security, and the Earth’s biological productivity and general health.
• That financial policies should be designed to promote both the protection of the earth and right sharing of the earth’s bounty.

Transforming the institutions of industrial societies toward these ends will require both an unprecedented degree of international cooperation and equity, and restoration of greater self-reliance and responsibility to regions and communities. We hold that the governments and corporations of already industrialized nations have much to learn, and are in no position to dictate to other nations.

Appendix C

Guidelines and Responsibilities for QEW reps at
Commission on Sustainable Development Sessions
at the United Nations

QEW’s basic purposes for appointing representatives to attend sessions at the United Nations are two: observing and reporting. The CSD’s operating protocols preclude any formal opportunity for advocacy. Informal opportunities for sharing expertise and opinions among the NGO community abound and are welcome. There are occasional opportunities for informal conversation with delegates from nation states, but direct advocacy with governments is not our charge.

Observing at the United Nations we should:

• Become familiar with protocols, procedures and norms observed by national delegates in conducting CSD sessions. This includes procedures in working with text to shape any documents being constructed during the sessions.

• Become familiar with protocols, procedures and norms for NGO participants.

• Become familiar with the functions of the Quaker UN Office in New York (QUNO) as a bridge-building, non-advocacy entity and not act in any way to compromise their standing in the international community.
• Try to attend morning NGO briefings to learn to identify other NGO representatives, to become aware of what is to happen that day, and prioritize actions.
• Work with and dialogue with other NGO’s as way opens.
• Attend at least one U.S. briefing. Questions may be asked of State Department personnel at these briefings.
• Attend other briefings and events as way opens.
• Reporting Responsibilities of representatives will include:
• Making verbal reports to QEW at meetings of the Steering Committee and/or our annual meeting.
• Submitting written articles to BeFriending Creation.
• Looking for opportunities to reach the wider Quaker community by means of written pieces submitted to Friends Journal, Friends Bulletin, Quaker Life and other Quaker publications.

We may also want to be alert for other opportunities to communicate with the wider public.

If we receive Department of Public Information (DPI) accreditation, for which we have applied, (Spring, 2006) we accept a responsibility to inform both our organization and the public about the United Nations.

At all times QEW representatives at the United Nations should bear in mind that:

• We do not have the authority to speak for QEW.
• We are not empowered to add QEW as an endorser without approval from QEW.
• We are charged with respecting the persons and positions of those who differ with us, and communicating in ways that affirm “that of God” in everyone.
• We are charged with presenting information, and describing our own and others’ positions on public issues as accurately and respectfully as possible.
• We will not expect or ask anyone to vote, advocate or otherwise act in ways that are not in accord with their own conscience.

Appendix D

Dear Doctor,

The Men for Men Fund has been given your name by a potential patient who is planning to have a vasectomy. This letter is to let you know about the Men for Men Fund and how it can help you get paid.

Quaker Earthcare Witness (www.quakerearthcare.org) is a religious group concerned about the environment. Because we feel that our rapidly growing population is a major factor in causing the environmental problems that we all face, we have established the Men for Men Fund. We wish to help prevent unplanned pregnancies by making vasectomies available to men who would otherwise have difficulty affording them. At present, we are limiting the funding to Quakers.

We are a small organization with limited funding and can only pay part of the usual cost of a vasectomy. The stipend is $350. We hope that you will take this as payment in full for your services. If not, please discount your fee to make the vasectomy affordable by your patient. The final financial arrangements are between you and him.

We have provided your patient with some preliminary information about vasectomy, including its permanence, the risks of failure, infection and hematoma, and that it is not immediately effective. This should not be construed as informed consent. We stress that you will be providing your patient with more information. You will need to make arrangements with him about testing for sperm. The timing of this testing is up to you. We cannot be responsible for any extra payment for this testing.

Our payment will be directly to you. We suggest that after your initial consultation, your patient should submit the “Information and Application Form” to Quaker Earthcare Witness. We will consider this quickly. If approved, a check for $350 will be mailed to you. We would appreciate your holding the check until the vasectomy has been performed.

Thank you for your willingness to cooperate with the Men for Men program.

Appendix E (side 1)

Men for Men

A fund to help Quaker men pay for their vasectomies

Information and Application Form

Criteria: Stipends are based on need, and are available to men who attend or belong to a Friends Meeting or Friends Church. There is no requirement of family size, but the client must be at least 21 years of age. Men who apply are responsible for finding a physician who will perform the surgery. The doctor may accept the $350 stipend for the whole cost of his services, or the man may need to pay an additional amount.

Information about vasectomy: Vasectomy is a minor surgical procedure performed to make the man permanently sterile, so he cannot father children. It involves blocking the vas deferens, the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles. It is usually done with local anesthesia in a doctor’s office. It takes an hour or less to perform, and usually there is only mild discomfort. Most men will have some pain afterwards, and will probably need to avoid heavy work for a few days. The doctor who performs the surgery can give you more information on what to expect. You can also find more information at: http://www.vasectomy.md.

Sperm make up only a tiny part of the ejaculate, so neither the man nor his partner will be aware of the change during sex. Most men find that their sex lives do not change, except to take away the fear of an unplanned pregnancy.

In the past there has been a concern that men who had a vasectomy are more likely to develop prostate cancer when they get older. Now this is not thought to be the case. Perhaps the reason this wrong association was made is a quirk of medical care. Men who have vasectomies are likely to be middle class. They are more likely to go to doctors on a regular basis, and to have prostate cancer discovered. More accurate studies have shown that there is no association between this very safe procedure and cancer.

Because sperm are stored for a while, it may take some time before a man is sterile after this surgery. Your doctor can tell you how long; sometimes it is a period of time (up to 3 months) or a number of ejaculations. Most doctors require a test to be sure that all of the sperm are gone from the ejaculate.

Like any surgical procedure, there are some risks. They include a bruise or swelling of the scrotum, infection and failure. Most failures occur shortly after the surgery. These failures occur because the man didn’t wait long enough for the sperm to disappear, or (in rare cases) because the surgery failed. Some failures occur a long time after the procedure because the little tubes can grow back together—but this is very rare. It is best to choose a doctor with a lot of experience with vasectomies since the complication rate is apt to be lower.

Your doctor is responsible for explaining the risks to you, and you should read and sign an informed consent before the actual surgery. The Men for Men Fund does not have any responsibility if the surgery has a complication.

We hope that the surgery goes well, and that you are pleased with the result. Occasionally men change their minds and wish to regain their fertility. We cannot help pay for surgery to undo the vasectomy. We hope that you consider carefully before deciding to finish permanently your ability to father children.

I have read and understand the material on this page. Initials: _________

Appendix E, side 2

About Men for Men: Quaker Earthcare Witness (www.quakerearthcare.org) is a Quaker organization, the members of which are very concerned are very concerned that our planet's resources are being overtaxed due to the increasing human population. As Quakers, we feel that simplicity is one key to solving the environmental problems that surround us. In addition, we are aware that part of the problem is the numbers of humans on Earth. Men for Men was started after a QEW member suggested that a fund to help pay for vasectomies would be one way to decrease the number of unplanned pregnancies.

The stipend of $350 will be paid directly to the physician who performs the surgery, probably after the initial visit and before the surgery. It is up to you to negotiate the total price that is paid for the surgery; any amount in excess of the $350 stipend is your responsibility. Please see the letter addressed to the physician.

We are starting by offering a stipend to men who attend or belong to a Friends Meeting or Friends Church.

If this pilot program is successful, we hope to expand it to non-Friends. The fund is administered by QEW, which is a (IRS 501 c 3) tax-exempt organization. In addition to helping to pay for vasectomies, we are grateful for donations.

Personal Information:

Name: _______________________________________ Phone: ___/___/____

Address: ________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: ____ ZIP: ________

Friends Meeting or Church that you belong to or attend: ___________________

Your surgeon’s name: __________________________ Phone: ___/___/____

Address: ________________________________________________________

City: _____________________________ State: ____ ZIP: ________

Your Age: _____ years; Number of children you’ve fathered (optional): ______

Do you have any health problems? (optional): _________________________

Would you like to explain why you want the vasectomy? (optional): ________

 ________________________________________________________________

Insurance information: Do you have any health insurance? [ ] YES [ ] NO

If you do have insurance, does it cover vasectomy? [ ] YES [ ] NO

If you don’t have insurance now, do you expect to have health insurance in the next three months?

[ ] YES [ ] NO

Would you have difficulty, or be unable to afford a vasectomy if Men for Men didn’t help pay for it?

[ ] YES [ ] NO

I have read these two pages and affirm that I understand them, and that my answers are correct.

Signed: ___________________________ Date: ___/___/___