%eadnotat; ]> pymctamer PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. CENTRAL AMERICA WORKING GROUP. A Finding Aid for its Records Deposited in Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Records Services Group of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends 2004 Finding aid encoded by JGW. 2004 Finding aid written in English. RECORDS OF THE CENTRAL AMERICA WORKING GROUP OF THE PHILADELPHIA YEARLY MEETING OF THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS. A Finding Aid for its Meeting Records Deposited in Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College Records Services Group of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends Summary Records 1972-1993 Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Central America Working Group. 1 box Friends Historical Library of Swarthmore College For current information on the location of materials, please consult the Libraries' online catalog: http://tripod.brynmawr.edu The Central America Working Group of the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting began in 1985 under the name "Sanctuary Working Group." In 1986, the group was given over twenty one thousand dollars with which to send volunteers to the American southwestern border to aid refugees. In 1989, the name of the group was changed to the Central America Working Group, and its three main areas of activism became lobbying, education, and refugee assistance. The most recent minute of the group in this collection is dated November 1992, but the final listing of the group in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting directory occurs in 1995/1996. SHORT HISTORY OF THE WORKING GROUP

In 1985, the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, under the Coordinating Committee for Testimonies and Concerns, created the Sanctuary Working Group, to "educate monthly meetings on the opportunities and hazards of participation in the Sanctuary movement." Friends who were interested in aiding refugees from Central America could turn to the Sanctuary Working Group for resources and support. In 1986, the responsibilities of the group were greatly increased as the Working Group received grants totaling $21,000 to send volunteers to the U.S. southwest border to assist refugees. The group sent six people to the area on short-term trips.

Over time, the group began to work on a number of other activities. In addition to aiding refugees, it worked on sister city projects, overground railroad, raising bond money, and community education. Due to this increase in responsibilities, in 1989 the name of the group was changed to the Central America Working Group. Refugee assistance, lobbying, and education became the three main foci of the group in the 90's. In the fall of 1990, it participated in a successful area lobbying effort to pass the Dodd-Leahy bill, which blocked funding to the Salvadoran government. The most recent minute of the group in this collection is dated November 1992, but the final listing of the group in the Philadelphia Yearly Meeting directory occurs in 1995/1996.

An especially active member of the group, whose correspondence and documents are included in this collection, was Charles F. Peterson. First as clerk of the Peace Committee, and then as clerk of the Central America Working group after 1991/1992, Peterson traveled to Panama and Costa Rica, wrote many impassioned letters to Congressmen and newspapers, and helped organize the Interfaith Pilgrimage for Peace and Life in 1991/1992.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

The records of the Central America Working Group consist of minutes from 1985-1992, and documents related to the funding of volunteers to aid refugees. There is a good deal of miscellaneous memorabilia concerning different issues the group worked on, including personal trip journals of group members, correspondence related to Central America, and reports on the state of affairs in different Central American nations. The folders within each series are organized chronologically. The arrangement of the series is as follows: Series 1: Minutes; Series 2: Correspondence; Series 3: Financial; Series 4: Miscellaneous

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION Accession information

Deposit

 Access

Collection is open for research.

 Use Restrictions

Copyright has not been assigned to the Repositories. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted to the individual Meeting or its successor. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Repositories as the holder(s) of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained by reader.

 SEARCHING IN OUR ON-LINE CATALOGUE FOR RELATED MATERIALS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in TRIPOD, the joint on-line catalog of Haverford and Swarthmore Colleges. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Other Authors: Peterson, Charles F. Crauderueff, Michael Kent, May Day Subjects: Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends. Central America Working Group. Sanctuary movement Church work with refugees -- Society of Friends Society of Friends -- Pennsylvania. Society of Friends -- New Jersey. Society of Friends -- Delaware. Society of Friends -- Maryland. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE RECORDS

Note to Researchers: These records may only be consulted at Swarthmore (SW), and are not available through inter-Library loan. To request materials on-site, please make sure to use the correct call numbers for the Library in which you wish to use the records:

Series 1: Minutes

Minutes 1985-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Series 2: Correspondence

FCNL Correspondence 1990-91 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Correspondence from the Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL)

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Charles F. Peterson's Correspondence 1990-1993 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Miscellaneous Correspondence 1990-1993 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Miscellaneous Correspondence with the Central America Working Group (CAWG)

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Series 3: Financial

Chace Fund Information, correspondence 1985-1993 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Charles F. Peterson’s donations to CISPES 1991-92 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Charles F. Peterson’s donations to CISPES (Committee in Solidarity With the People of El Salvador)

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Requests to CAWG for Funding 1989-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Series 4: Miscellaneous

Charles F. Peterson's Journal -"To Panama" 1972 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Borders and Crossings by Jim Corbett 1986 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Contact Information 1986-91 & n.d. 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Contact Information for CAWG Members

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Central American Sanctuary Alliance 1986-93 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Alliance of Sanctuary Communities/ Central American Sanctuary Alliance (C.A.S.A.)

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Mary Day Kent 1987-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Mary Day Kent - report, articles

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Miscellaneous Documents 1987-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Immigration / Immigration and Reform Control Act 1988-93 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Costa Rican Study Tour 1989 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Costa Rican Study Tour (Charles F. Peterson and wife)

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Michael Crauderueff's Journal 1989 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Goals and Objectives 1989 & n.d. 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. AFSC reports on Central America 1989-1990 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Workshops on Central America 1989-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Documents from PYM Committees 1990-91 & n.d. 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Documents from various Philadelphia Yearly Meeting Comittees

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Central American Commission for the Defense of Human Rights 1990-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

CODEHUCA (Central American Commission for the Defense of Human Rights) Reports

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Stranger in the Midst Documentary 1991 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film. Quincentennial Interfaith Pilgrimage for Peace and Life 1991-1992 1 folder U SW RG2/Phy/772/Box 1

Available on microfilm in the following location(s):

No Film. No Film.