Note: Elaine Lane is the founder of David’s Shoes, an organization based out of Irvington, New Jersey, that is “Helping Children and Teens Honor Life.” Inspired by AFSC’s “Eyes Wide Open” exhibit, Elaine is collecting 3792 shoes to start her own exhibit, commemorating the number of children killed by gun violence in the United States in 1998, the year her own son was killed.

Palestinian-American Sandra Tamari, a member of the St. Louis Religious Society of Friends, recounts how a small group of St. Louis activists brought the boycott and divestment movement for justice in Israel-Palestine to their city—and how their impact was felt across the world.

Quakers around the world are working for peace in Israel/Palestine by joining or supporting the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement.. Here is a collection of minutes and statements supporting the BDS movement and calling on all governments to end the dehumanizing effects of the Israeli occupation.

My Quakerism is what brought me to Palestine.

I have always had a very strong sense of direction rooted in my spirit. That said, there are few times in my life where I have felt as called as I did this spring.

I have been working on Palestine advocacy on Penn’s campus for the past year or so, and have always felt very emotionally invested in the struggle, but I had never been there. There came a point when I became so invested in the movement that it felt disingenuous of me to be advocating so fiercely for a place I had never visited.

Note: So far 35,000 people have signed AFSC's petition protesting military intervention in the civil war in Syria, and advocating for diplomatic, political solutions instead. Many have added their own thoughts and reasons for opposing becoming involved in the war, many very direct and moving. Here are a few of the comments shared.