I attended the recent FWCC Section of the Americas gathering in Philadelphia and was pleasently surprised by the deep longing of pretty much everyone present for not having the Latin American representatives attend the Sessions. There just seems to not be money anymore to bring them to the USA for these meetings. FWCC explains this circumtance in several ways, to my understanding:

1. We are suffering the effects fo the economic crisis.

2. Latin American Friends have asked that not all the money be used for travel, but rather for programing of workshops in their local community.

3. The way COAL (Committee of Latin American Friends) works needs to change. There is even a question about whether COAL should disapear altogether.  

When I attended the Latin American Historical Peace Churches in Santo Domingo last November there was a meeting of the Quaker representatives. We were asked to brainstorm about the direction we thought COAL should move torwards in this time of transition. Surprisingly, some important decisions were taken in Philadelphia soon after that we were not made aware of in that November meeting: Loida Fernandez´s contract was terminated and her position as COAL Coordinator was to disapear, just like had already disapeared important positions diretly related to the Latin American program. How no one seemed to know about these important changes two weeks before they were announced, and what motivated to promote a brainstorming gathering editing this important information is still a mistery to me.

FWCC wants Latin American Friends to start taking more agency over their paticipation in the organization. This is nice, noble, and I approve of the intention. I, however, feel Philadelphia is not giving us the whole picture. Perhaps we are suffering the consequences of having grown acostumed to waiting for instructions instead of taking our own decisions.   To our defense, one cannot expect a whole lot of independence and determination all of a sudden, when Latinos have been historically used to not having the right to have that kind of agency.

On a similar though somehow unrelated note, I have not been in Philadelphia for a long time and had not realized that there are two Latino Quaker Evangelical Churches in this town. I wonder why they did not have any representation in the FWCC gathering if we were right in their backyard.  Perhaps the local Latino Quakers have not asked for membership in the Section, and if they haven´t, I wonder why that is, being so close!! So many mourning Quakers this weekend would have quenched their longing for the missed presence of the whole Quaker family....