The American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is a Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) affiliated organization which works for peace and social justice in the United States and around the world. AFSC was founded in 1917 as a combined effort by American members of the Religious Society of Friends to assist civilian victims of World War I.
Quakers traditionally oppose violence in all of its forms and therefore many refuse to serve in the military, including when drafted. AFSC's original mission grew from the need to provide conscientious objectors (COs) with a constructive alternative to military service. In 1947 AFSC received the Nobel Peace Prize along with the British Friends Service Council (now called Quaker Peace and Social Witness) on behalf of all Quakers worldwide.
Read more about American Friends Service Committee: History, Programs and Projects, Criticism
Famous quotes containing the words american, friends, service and/or committee:
“Experience cannot be transferred. We may give wise advice, but we cannot give wisdom to follow it.”
—H., U.S. women’s magazine contributor. American Ladies Magazine, pp. 230-3 (May 1828)
“Now when Job’s three friends heard of all these troubles that had come upon him, each of them set out from his home—Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite. They met together to go and console and comfort him.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Job 2:11.
“Let the good service of well-deservers be never rewarded with loss. Let their thanks be such as may encourage more strivers for the like.”
—Elizabeth I (1533–1603)
“In America every woman has her set of girl-friends; some are cousins, the rest are gained at school. These form a permanent committee who sit on each other’s affairs, who “come out” together, marry and divorce together, and who end as those groups of bustling, heartless well-informed club-women who govern society. Against them the Couple of Ehepaar is helpless and Man in their eyes but a biological interlude.”
—Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)