Formed in 1917 to provide conscientious objectors with an opportunity to aid civilian victims during World War I, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) provided food, medical and reconstruction assistance during and after both World Wars. Today the AFSC continues to answer the call for help all over the globe, as its impact is now felt in distant corners of the world. In Southeast Asia, we see how the AFSC helps people from the war-ravaged nations of Cambodia and Vietnam continue along the road to recovery. From a school that teaches Cambodians to make prosthetics vital to the survival of their countrymen, to a village in Vietnam that is struggling to bounce back from the devastation of Mother Nature, the AFSC provides the support and assistance needed to help locals help themselves. Some of the AFSC's most dynamic work can be found right here in the United States. At the U.S.-Mexico border, AFSC members work on behalf of illegal immigrants to protect their human rights and preserve the dignity that every human being deserves. This is a powerful lesson AFSC members work to instill in the young people they work with across America, as we learn from a group of students in rural West Virginia. Whether in the Far East, or right here in our own backyard, the AFSC works diligently to honor the values of justice and non-violence in every sector of our society.
