In July 2016, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) joined in coalition with twenty-plus other groups to organize the People’s Justice and Peace Convention 2016 (PJPC) in Cleveland, a non-partisan, campaign-free event during the Republican National Convention.
Collectively, the participating organizations work on a vast array of issues. Some of them were meeting each other for the 1st time. Some of them have known of the others, but never worked together before. Some of them are long-time allies.
The organizers doubted that the Republican Convention would include the most vulnerable people in its platform, or that its solutions would bring people together and address many crucial issues.
A key outcome of the participants’ collaboration is the People’s Justice and Peace Platform 2016, which does address those issues in many constructive ways.
The PJPC Platform embraces a form of universalism. The Five Core Practices of the platform statement describe a circle of compassion that includes every sentient being and eco-system.
- Radical amazement
- Radical hospitality
- Good stewardship to create a shared abundance
- A circle of compassion that includes every sentient being and eco-system
- Truth, reparations and reconciliation.
The platform strives to be a work plan for ongoing endeavors to bring about justice in the five justice areas of the planks: economic, international, racial/social, political, and environmental.
It identifies with the pain of people and the planet, it proposes initiatives to address people at the fringe of society’s current recognition and support, and it recognizes the rights of eco-systems as well as living beings, which includes plants and animals.
Queries:
- What is the theological basis of this PJPC platform’s embrace of universalism?
- Is this PJPC platform an expression of Quaker universalism?
- Do Quakers concur in a different expression of the application in practice of the Quaker faith tradition?