Alumni panel featuring Michael Simmons, Wendy Batson, and Robert Levering. AFSC / Don Davis
Dear friends,
April 2025 is the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. We’ll spend the next year highlighting and reconnecting with those who came to AFSC as war resisters, conscientious objectors, draft counselors, and more.
This month we hosted a screening of "The Movement and the ‘Madman” followed by a panel of AFSC alumni. The film examined how two major antiwar protests in 1969 stopped President Nixon from escalating the U.S. war in Vietnam, and the panelists discussed their experiences as war resisters. You can watch a recording of the film and panel discussion here.
We’d like to know if you were a war resister or conscientious objector. Please fill out and share this form if you took the bold and courageous stance to resist war and violence.
With deep appreciation,
Tonya Histand
Director of Public Engagement
Alumni news & notes
Read this profile of Mandy Carter, who was introduced to AFSC and Quakerism while in high school. Mandy is known as a lifetime trailblazer of social justice in the South.
Tony Heriza, who worked for many years in AFSC’s Communications Department, just released a documentary film "Art of Survival" about substance use, harm reduction, and recovery in Philadelphia.
Masai Ehehosi worked for AFSC in the Prison Watch Program in New Jersey, working to close security housing units and end torture against imprisoned people. Masai passed away on April 1.
AFSC Iowa alum Hector Salamanca recently testified against a discriminatory bill targeting immigrant students. The bill would require students to show proof of citizenship to receive in-state tuition.
May Takayanagi, whose family was interned in World War II camps, was a longtime AFSC staff member in New England. Learn more about her history in this obituary.
Dayton Olson worked for AFSC in Iowa and Colorado. Dayton passed away on March 9.
Check out this tribute to Mama Nozipo Glenn, former AFSC Midwest Executive Committee member who worked very closely with AFSC's Dayton program for many years.
Do you have news to share? Email us today!
Updates from AFSC
Bringing moments of joy to children in Gaza
Over the past six months, AFSC’s team in Gaza has provided food, water, and other essential aid to hundreds of thousands of displaced people. We have also organized recreational activities for children in shelters and tents. Games, dancing, and other activities are one simple way to help children find moments of joy amid the most difficult circumstances. Read more from AFSC’s Firas Ramlawi.
No Hunger Summer
Congress recently enacted a permanent program to help low-income children in the U.S. get the food they need when schools are out for summer. As many as 30 million children could benefit from this program, but states must agree to participate. Currently, 14 states have opted out of the program, leaving millions of children behind. AFSC is asking Friends in these states to urge their government officials to support the program and call for a No Hunger Summer. Find your state’s status here and learn how you can get involved.
Building a peaceful future in Burundi
In Burundi, communities are working to reconcile after decades of conflict and to prevent violence from happening again. One project is Dukomeze Kunywana (Strengthening Reconciliation), coordinated by a consortium including AFSC, which is helping participants learn tools and strategies to address the violence of the past.
Archives
Celebrating 60 years of Self Help
In 1963, a group from the AFSC Farm Labor Committee gathered at the Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) organizing meeting. These individuals were fueled by a shared belief in the power of mutual self-help housing. Now 60 years later, SHE is a nationally recognized community development organization that has touched the lives of over 70,000 families.
More ways to take action and connect with AFSC:
- Urge Congress to act now on Sudan
- Take action for climate justice!
- Join us for our next Apartheid-Free webinar!
- Are you interested in receiving life income while supporting AFSC? A gift annuity is easy to arrange. Reach out to GiftPlanning@afsc.org or visit us online.
Thank you for reading our AFSC Alumni Newsletter!