American Friends Service Committee
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Non- Governmental and Other Organisations
- Christianity
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Shan Cretin, 1501 Cherry Street, 19102, Philadelphia PA, USA
Residenciales 5, 30 Avenida 6-80 Zona 11, Guatemala
19 Nablus Road, Jerusalem, Israel
#95z Street 113, Boeung Keng Kang 2, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
No. 11, BP 6653, Av d'Octobre, Rohero I, BP 6653, Bujumbura, Burundi
- afsc
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Aim
Promote lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action; nurture the seeds of change and respect for human life that transform social relations and systems; envision a world in which lasting peace with justice is achieved through active nonviolence and the transforming power of love; work toward a world in which all persons affirm the common good and recognise our mutual interdependence; societies steward resources equitably; caring, respectful economic development, including work with dignity, promotes wellbeing for all; communities and societies fractured by exclusion and marginalisation are healed and transformed, embracing inclusion and equality; conflicts are resolved through restorative means and without force or coercion; governments and societal institutions are fair and accountable.
History
The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) was founded in 1917 during World War I to give young conscientious objectors ways to serve without joining the military or taking lives. In 1947, along with British Quakers, AFSC received the Nobel Peace Prize, which recognized our work “…from the nameless to the nameless….”
IRD Activities
- Community Peace-Building - Rebuilding Peace by Building a Mosque
KOMPAK, an interfaith youth organisation formed by youth who attended an AFSC-organised youth pluralism conference that supports freedom of religion for all but especially for minorities, decided to get involved with the Batuplat case (conflict over the construction of a mosque). In Batuplat, KOMPAK youth started by visiting the community and listening to residents' feelings and complaints. KOMPAK decided to offer youth of all religions training in active nonviolence (ANV) because youth are commonly used as targets or proxies in a conflict. The construction of the mosque has started again with better communication between Christian and Muslim residents. Furthermore, KOMPAK decided to offer youth of all religions training in active nonviolence because youth are commonly used as targets or proxies in a conflict
- Ending Discrimination - Religious Tolerance
Racism, sexism, homophobia, ableism, ageism, religious discrimination, and colonialism are all barriers to building a just and peaceful world. AFSC works with communities in the U.S. and across the globe to foster diversity, inclusion, and equality. AFSC provides resources for fostering religious tolerance, a community-building toolkit helping neighbours connect with each other around issues of diversity, immigration, and religious difference. Those resources are designed to support dialogue, bridge-building, and cultural exchange in communities that receive immigrants and refugees from Muslim-majority countries
- Interfaith Activities in the USA
AFSC promoted Christian-Muslim dialogues by co-hosting interfaith gatherings, using film screenings, shared meals, education, and dialogue to build understanding in the USA
- Youth Campaign
"We Are Not at Risk" is a youth-led, social media campaign to build awareness and change linguistic behaviors. The campaign calls attention to, and changes, the harmful rhetoric around youth and lifts up the voices of young leaders. We Are Not at Risk challenges our communities – especially the media and nonprofits – to “Watch Your Words” and stop using coded racist and colonialist language to describe and talk about youth #wearenotatrisk #y4l #youth4liberation. Since organisation launched its We Are Not at Risk campaign, youth around the world have facilitated discussions, exhibits, and other social action projects to spread the word.
Main Focus Countries of Activities
Batuplat, Indonesia - USA - USA - Virtual