Carlos "Elmo" Gomez uses gardening as a way to unite his community and make positive changes to his neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Note: Bonnie Kerness presented this talk at the Woodrow Willson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in March. Her talk was one of a number of events organized around the exhibition of Artwork by Prisoners featuring the collages of Ojore Lutalo.  The announcement of the exhibit said,"Ojore, once a member of the Black Liberation Army, was incarcerated in the Trenton State Prison from 1986 though 2009.

Reading the short stories from the new book, “Gaza Writes Back: Short stories from Young Writers in Gaza, Palestine,” I was struck by the stories’ deep humanity. 

The fictional pieces connect the reader not only to the daily threat of violence, dispossession and oppression experienced daily in the Gaza strip—they connect the reader to the minds and hearts of the Palestinian people, full of passion, humility and power, despite the odds. 

Note: Here is a slide show of the 2014 AFSC Corporation Meeting, the theme of which was, "Working Steadfastly for Peace in Israel-Palestine." Friends from throughout the United States gathered to learn together with AFSC staff, to conduct business, and to worship together. One Friend said, "I value the work of talented, dedicated staff and volunteers at all levels. I value the role of spirit/worship in AFSC's work. This meeting has been one of the best experiences of my life." Hopefully these photos convey the spirit and energy of the meeting.

If you hang around Quaker circles long enough, you are likely to pick up on an often unexpressed tension between what are called the “mystics” and the “activists;" those who express their faith by doing, by acting in the world, by addressing social concerns, and those who prefer to express their faith through contemplation, conversation, and other spiritual practices.