On Friday, April 14th, nine members of the Tri-Co Community, including two current Haverford students and three Haverford alums, held Meeting for Worship in the lobby of the PECO national headquarters, calling upon the corporate leadership to pray for courage as we move together into a sustainable energy future.
The two current Haverford students – Bridget Galvin '19 and Hanae Togami '19 – both played leadership roles in the action under the mentorship of recent Tr-Co alums who are currently active in EQAT.
Hanae submitted the following testimonial about her experience:
“I was very excited for the opportunity to take part in another EQAT action, since I had such a positive experience the last time I was a part of an action in the summer of 2014. That action was held during the FGC gathering and I had the opportunity to engage in Quaker worship with my fellow Friends in the High School Program in the lobby of the PNC Headquarters. I remember how powerful that experience was and how at ease I felt, knowing how incredibly organized EQAT was. Particularly, I felt safe knowing that I did not have to engage in dialogue with any media, police, or security guards; there were trained individuals who held those responsibilities.
This time I was challenged to exit that comfort zone and serve as a police liaison for the action. I was unsure of this responsibility, as I had not expected to have a role other than a participant when I left my dorm that morning. However, under the guidance of Ryan, an experienced police liaison, I felt that I had the support I needed to serve the other participants in that way.
Ryan was very helpful in explaining their experience with the position of police liaison and their typical strategies for maintaining clear communication between the police and the action coordinators. They encouraged me to embrace the role and provide my voice in describing to police the goals of the action. I felt comfortable sharing the position with Ryan and felt very supported.
Though the action was small and ultimately did not require any communication between Ryan and me and the police, I cherished the opportunity to embody the duty of keeping an eye out for the participants so that they could focus on the task at hand: worshiping and holding a space to reflect on their journey ahead.
I was glad that I got to be a part of an EQAT action in a way I had not experienced before. I have always admired EQAT for the strategy and organization that makes their activism effective in ways that are not always seen elsewhere. I am inspired to be a part of more EQAT actions in the future, perhaps in even more diverse ways!”
