Lit. Review

Literature Reviews
Today’s youth must be educated about peaceful action and solutions since they are maturing in a time of war and conflict. The Society of Friends, also known as Quakers, has practice peaceful expression of spirituality since its inception. Quaker testimonies are a shared view of principles and practices that express how Quakers should relate to the world in both words and deeds. Four testimonies are recognized by all Friends which are indeed interrelated: Peace, Equality, Integrity, and Simplicity. The Peace Testimony, the testimony most commonly known to the world, is a belief that Quakers are to live as peacemakers: within the family, with colleagues, with neighbors, and now more importantly than ever, with the international community. By teaching Peace Education to our youth, we give them tools with which to guide their personal conduct and help them strive for community justice and peace.
George Fox (1624-1691) is regarded as the founder of Quakerism and although it was originally established as a Christian movement, many Friends now consider themselves universalist, agnostic, atheist, realist, humanist, postchristian, nontheist , and many do not accept any religious label. Quakers have openly accepted non-Christians as members as far back as 1870 and this practice has become increasingly evident during the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries. Modern Quakers are generally not concerned with theology, but are committed to using nonviolent strategies for conflict resolution.
Quakerism is group-oriented and does not place focus on an individual. At a Friend’s traditional meeting for worship, all members are considered equal and listen together during meeting, speaking only when, and if, they are moved to do so. Sometimes a meeting is entirely silent. Usually someone will rise and share a message with those gathered, but this is not a prepared speech. After someone has spoken, it is expected that several moments of silence will pass before someone else speaks, and there is never debate.
Quakerism is synonymous with Peace and is considered to one of the historic peace churches. Friends believe they should not participate in violence in any way including preparations and funding for wars, regardless of the cause. They have historically refused to be soldiers, pay taxes for the sole purpose of war, or make weapons. As a result, they have suffered imprisonment, loss of income, and even death because of their adherence to the Peace Testimony. Today in America, some Friends pay their income tax into an escrow account and the IRS can only use the money for peaceful purposes.
The Peace Testimony has been the basis for Quaker views and actions throughout its history. Beginning in 1661, Friends issued a declaration of peace to assure King Charles II they would not raise arms against him which provided the outline for the Peace Testimony. In 1682, William Penn proved a province (Pennsylvania) could survive without an army, treat Native Americans as equals, and offer religious freedom. In 1754, most Quaker politicians resigned from government rather than support The French and Indian War. During the Revolutionary War, Friends took a neutral position, but raised money and sent supplies to civilians. The Civil War was not as clear since, Friends philosophically opposed slavery on the basis of equality among all. Therefore, many were tolerant of the Union army because they were fighting for emancipation, but the official position of Quakers remained unchanged. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, Quakers organized the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) to help citizens establish status as Conscientious Objectors (Cos). They were still expected to serve in the army but as noncombatants, usually in the medical corps. The AFSC also did relief work in France and Germany, feeding one million children daily for which they won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1947. Between the two World Wars, Quakers supported the League of Nations, conducted peace education, and helped bring persecuted German Jews to the United States. Quakers opposed the nuclear arms race and during the Vietnam Antiwar Movement they sought to prevent violence and the use of force during protests. Similarly, they opposed the Persian Gulf War and the current War on Terrorism.
History demonstrates that although Quakers are pacifists they are not passive. Quakers are continuing to have a positive impact on society through peaceful actions, but under current circumstances the message is not being supported. Today’s youth are being raised in a time of fear, war, and terrorism. Quakers hope that by teaching our youth the principles of Peace Education further atrocities against mankind can be avoided. Opening the eyes of our youth to a greater world view and providing them with an arsenal of skills rather than one of weapons, is a profound task, but it can be accomplished. This alternate form of education has had greatest success when taught by those who understand it best, Quakers. Quaker schools are a center for not only academic learning, but community formation, service learning, and peaceful resolutions. Students work with teachers to reach compromises regarding policies and expectations. Teachers are there to support and facilitate while children learn peace by implementing skills of negotiation when dealing with their peers. If we teach something as innocent as a child to find resolution only though conflict and violence, what hope does their generation have?


Bibliography

Bennett, Douglas. "What Can a Pacifist Say, Today?" Goddard Auditiorium, Earlham College. 24 Sept. 2008.

"How Did the Quaker Peace Testimony contribute to the negative attitudes of non-Quakers towards the Society?" 24 Sept. 2008 .

Lord, Mary. "What We As Quakers Can Do." Can Love Really Overcome Violence and Hate. 15 Mar. 2002. American Friends Service Committee. 25 Sept. 2008 .

Nickalls, J. L. "Religious Society of Friends, London." George Fox (1952): 399-400.

"Peace Education." 25 Sept. 2008 .

"Peace Testimony During and Between the World Wars." 24 Sept. 2008 .

"Religious Society of Friens." 27 Sept. 2008 .

Samuel, Bill. "Friends (Quakers) and Peace." 27 Sept. 2008 .

Smith, Allen. "The Renewal Movement: The Peace Testimony and Modern Quakerism." Quaker History. 1996. Haverford College Library. 27 Sept. 2008 .

"US Military History Companion: Quakers." 26 Sept. 2008 .

Rewriting

I know you gave us a warning in class that the reading was going to be dense, but wow. I felt that the author was mildly repetitive for the sake of driving home his point. While reading I was reminded of a professor teaching to a large lecture hall, trying desperately to convey his incredibly important point, yet feeling ignored by his pupils so he continues to reiterate himself in hopes his ideas will be heard by another set of ears each time.

Library Week

I found the library tutorial very helpful. It was interactive enough that it kept me engaged for the entire class period, but it was also incredibly informative. I have acquired many sources though the library, both during and outside of class. It was also comforting to have the librarian so easily accessible. Whenever I hit a block in my research she had an alternative key word or search method for me to try. I took notes on the suggestions she gave me and have found them incredibly useful as I have continued my research. I'm still struggling slightly and feel I may need to broaden my topic even farther, but I at least have a starting point from which to make this decision.

For the week

Overall I am very happy with the community I chose. I am actually really getting into it and the interviewing process has been fun. I can't wait for my site visit. I really miss Tandem so it will be fun to go back and talk to old teachers and friends. For the library research I am going to broaden my community from just Tandem Friends School, to the Quaker Community as a whole. We will see where the research leads me, but I think my focal point will be on the communities beliefs in peace and anti-war activism. This has always been a passion of mine so I am interested to see the outlook Quakers have, and what impact them have made.

Interview

Overall I was please with my interview. I really wish I had the option of using a tape recorder, but I wasn't able to rig up a system for using one over the phone. It was weird to interview someone you know on a very personal level. Sometimes they seem reserved when mentioning things that invove you directly, but other times they are obviously more open than they would be with a complete strange. I got some great quotes because of the familiarity, not sure if I'll be able to use any of them in a paper. I should be able to get an interview from an alum of the school this weekend and it will be in person so I can see if there is any difference.

Goals

I want to become more proficient at gathering non-biased data, mainly through surveys and interviews.
I fear I come across as trying too hard to sound intelligent in my writing. I would like to avoid a conversational tone by sounding scholarly, but not fake.
I would like to feel more confidant in my writing abilities. In the past year I feel I have learned how to express myself through the written word much more proficiently, but I still question my capabilities.

Interview Questions

Does the overall community still work in Tandem, or do we just put on a show for historical sake?
What the you this the school's emphasis is? Do you agree with it?
Do you know the school's mission statement? Do you think we should abide by it? Do you think we do?
Was converting to Quakerism a positive change for the school, why or why not?
Are you a Quaker? What percentage of the student body do you think consider themselves Quakers?
Have we strayed too far from the original Tandem in terms of values and structure?
How do you think the school is handling the policy of "freedom with responsibility?"
Do you consider "freedom with responsibility" a core value to the school?
Who do you think decides the amount of freedom allowed to individual students?
Are restriction policies too broad thereby punishing individuals who could otherwise handle the responsibility? (needs to be rephrased with less bias)
Do you perceive an increased emphasis on sports and decreased emphasis on music?
What this change in fund placement Paul's unilateral decision or a reflection of the student's desires?
How do you think the founders would view the school now?
What do you think about the addition of the middle school? The increase of class sizes?
What is the quality of education students receive?
How would you rate the quality of students social experiences and overall happiness in comparison to past years, and other schools?