“Since the early days of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), God’s spirit has led Friends to take action in the world. This Spirit has called Friends to recognize the equality of all people, challenge hereditary privilege, help end legal slavery, struggle against oppression, and reduce suffering inflicted by violent conflict.” [Friends Committee on National Legislation]
The Quaker testimonies enumerated by the Southeastern Yearly Meeting (SEYM) are integrity, equality, peace, and simplicity, but this is by no means complete. The Friends General Committee adds the testimonies community and care for the earth as common testimonies. The SEYM includes a Peace and Social Concerns focus on the web page and the Gainesville (Florida) Meeting has a Peace and Social Concerns committee. The peace testimony goes back to the very beginning of the Friends faith. Social concerns, or social justice (a richer and more incisive term), can be considered as rooted in the equity testimony, but including elements of the other testimonies. Care for the earth is a more recent concern that may be rising to the level of a testimony.
The Peace, Justice, and Environment Committee of the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches intends to put into action the testimonies of peace, social justice, and care for the earth. The Peace, Justice, and Environment Committee is chaired by a clerk affirmed by the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches and is assisted by other members or attenders on a continuing or ad hoc basis. Among the goals of the Peace, Justice, and Environment Committee are:
- Provide a liaison between the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches and the wider Quaker community
- Keep friends in the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches informed of peace, justice, and environment issues, news, and events in a timely way, e.g., at meeting for worship with a focus on business for general information; via email or text for time-sensitive issues such as local actions or legislative votes requiring citizen lobbying
- Investigate, research, and develop recommendations on concerns and leadings from individual friends and the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches
- Present recommendations to meeting for worship with a focus on business and assist the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches, as required, with the decision process on concerns and leadings
- Coordinate actions that the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches decides to pursue as a community, e.g., participating in or leading marches or protests or letter-writing campaigns
- Develop and maintain a committee web page and investigate creating a social media presence
The clerk volunteers and is affirmed by the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches in a meeting for worship with a focus on business. The clerk is assisted by co-clerks or committee members as needed and affirmed by the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches. The clerk maintains a general email list and an email list of members, attenders, and others interested in peace, justice, and environment issues. The clerk coordinates as necessary with the clerk of the Jacksonville Quaker Worship Group at the Beaches or designated assistants on peace, justice, and environment issues that might be of interest to the whole group.