This review was published on the Quaker House website
How does a Quaker peace project take root next door to one of the largest US military bases? How does it manage to keep going for 40 years? And what can others learn from its survival and witness?
The new book YES To the Troops – NO To The Wars tells the exciting, improbable, and instructive story of Quaker House.
It’s been quite a ride:
Jane Fonda came and went. So did Sixties radicalism. The house was spied on and firebombed. Founding staff died in a car wreck. Money was often so tight it squeaked. Many staff didn’t want to live in a tough military town. The Board repeatedly wondered if the venture was still needed or useful. The roof leaked.
Yet while dozens of similar projects died out, Quaker House stayed alive and kept working.
Since September 11, it’s been more active than ever:
The GI Rights Hotline. Iraq. Afghanistan. Torture. AWOLs and resisters. Truth In Recruiting. Violence within the military. You name it.
Even with recent major changes in Washington, there’s no less need for an active, long-term Friends peace witness "up-close and personal" with a military hub as critical as Fort Bragg.
That’s why, with 2009 marking our fortieth anniversary, Quaker House is looking back in order to look ahead.
Share in the journey. Don’t miss this remarkable saga of persistent, creative witness. It’s a must-have for a Meeting library, and a must-read for everyone concerned with long-term peace work in militarized America.
Author Chris McCallum and editor Chuck Fager spent nine months researching and writing this unique story. Along the way, they talked to former staff and supporters who had seen the project through thick and thin.