Peace and Social Concerns Committee

PEACE & SOCIAL CONCERNS COMMITTEE

Approved by NPYM Steering Committee, October 2007, revisions April 5, 2014

Job description re-approved, NPYM Steering Committee, January 2009

APPOINTED BY: Annual Session

APPOINTED AT: Annual Session

NOMINATED BY: NPYM Nominating Committee

TERM LENGTH: Two years. Members may not serve more than 2 consecutive terms (4 years total).

TERM BEGINS: October 1.

MEETINGS: Face to face at Annual Session, one other in-person meeting annually, and by conference call as needed.

REPORTS TO: NPYM Annual Session and Coordinating Committee

WORKS PRIMARILY WITH: Meetings and Worship Groups—particularly, P&SC committees in those groups.

MEMBERS: This committee includes six members. Terms should be staggered to avoid complete turnovers. The committee should be diverse in terms of geography. Membership should include people involved in a variety of concerns.

Committee Clerk or designated member is a member of the Coordinating Committee. NPYM encourages the committee to co-opt others for work on special tasks or ad hoc sub committees.

COMMITTEE CHARGE: The role of this committee is to provide a network among Peace & Social Concerns committees of Monthly Meetings, Worship Groups and individual Friends in the Yearly Meeting to inspire and encourage coordinated action for justice and peace.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Identify a contact person who is working on Peace and Social Concerns within each Meeting and Worship Group. Maintain contact with those people.

2. Facilitate the networking of P&SC information, resources, and activities within NPYM.

3. Help Friends coordinate social action.

4. Develop working relationships with regional and national organizations that address issues of concern to NPYM Friends.

5. Work with the Yearly Meeting representatives and liaisons to Friends peace and social concerns organizations (e.g., AFSC, FCNL) to share with those reps concerns and experiences from NPYM and to receive their feedback from the national organizations in a timely manner. Help reps disseminate information from national organizations. Contact NPYM reps to national organizations in early fall; keep a calendar of national organization events and communicate with reps before and after events. *

6. Facilitate seasoning of peace and social concerns minutes that come to the Yearly Meeting from the monthly meetings and quarterly meetings in preparation for action at Annual Session; keep the Presiding Clerk informed of pending minutes.

7. Work with the Interest Group Coordinator to develop any interest groups P&SC feels are necessary.

EXPENSES & TRAVEL: Reimbursement is provided for "office expense" (LD phone calls, postage, and photocopy) Travel expense is reimbursed according to NPYM travel reimbursement policy. Submit reimbursement request with receipts to NPYM Treasurer.

*As of October 21, 2007, P&SC organizations to which NPYM sends reps and/or has liaisons/correspondents/observors include: American Friends Service Committee, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Concerns, Friends Peace Teams and Quaker Earthcare Witness.