Quaker news 88 by Quakers in Britain

Quaker News C

A quarterly update on Quaker work in the care of Britain Yearly Meeting CMY

United against making a killing from killing No 88 Winter 2013

Contents Balancing our faith and our finances Political engagement includes us all Quakers oppose the DSEi arms fair Stories that can help us explore our faith News in brief UN recognises conscientious objection

4 5 8–9 10 12–13 14

Cover: Quakers take part in a peaceful roadblock to prevent military vehicles from reaching the DSEi arms fair. Photo: Sam Walton

Editorial “Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us our darkness and brings us to new life.” Advices & queries 1 How does the commitment we make, when we call ourselves Quaker, affect our lives? What does it commit us to? How does it lead us to engage with our society? This edition of Quaker News is packed with examples. Quakers’ commitment to sustainable living has led Quakers in Britain to divest from fossil fuels (page 3), to switch to renewable electricity (page 12) and to support Quakers around the country through engaging with government on energy policy (page 5). Quakers’ commitment to peace led young Quakers to engage with the DSEi arms fair in east London (pages 8 and 9), and led Quakers in Britain to work with the Peace Education Network to produce a popular resource pack for teaching peace in primary schools (page 13). In 2014 Quakers will place committed individuals as peaceworkers in a range of national and international organisations (applications now open, page 13), and young people will be able to learn about the United Nations – and Quakers’ engagement with Quaker News – Winter 2013

it – at an annual summer school (page 14). Quakers’ commitment to justice has led to a new website, www.yourfaithyourfinance.org, developed with our partner organisation Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility, and intended to help each of us to make well-informed ethical decisions about how we use our money in the light of our faith (page 4). Quakers’ commitment to community leads us to welcome visitors warmly to the Quaker Centre, at Friends House in London (pages 6 and 7); to share our stories with children and adults in our Quaker meetings (page 10); to provide opportunities for young people to experience living in a community of other Quakers by crewing a tall ship (page 13); and to plan an inclusive all-age gathering on the theme of What it means to be a Quaker today, to be held at the University of Bath from 2–9 August 2014 (page 11). Will you be there? All this work stems from Quakers’ individual and corporate commitments, arising from our experiences, in worship together, of listening to the promptings of love and truth and trusting them as the leadings of God. Paul Parker Recording Clerk

A quarterly magazine about work supported by Britain Yearly Meeting. Britain Yearly Meeting works on behalf of Quakers in Britain, supporting the Quaker faith and putting Quaker values to work in the world. It is a registered charity, number 1127633. Quakers try to live simply and sustainably, promoting peace, equality and truth. Putting faith into action is central to their way of life and they gather weekly for quiet worship, usually on a Sunday, in more than 475 locations across Britain. You are welcome to any Quaker meeting for worship. Find your local meeting, and more information about us, at www.quaker.org.uk.

Also available in large print Quaker News, Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ qn@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1119 Printed by Headley Brothers on paper from sustainably managed forests.

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Quakers take a bold step towards ending fossil fuel dependency In October, Quakers in Britain became the first UK church to publicly announce it would disinvest from companies engaged in extracting fossil fuels. Sunniva Taylor reports on the significance of this move. Investing in companies involved in the extraction of fossil fuels is incompatible with the commitment Quakers in Britain made in 2011 to become a low-carbon, sustainable community. Central Quaker funds will no longer be invested in such companies, and existing investments will be sold. This was the decision taken by Britain Yearly Meeting Trustees, following discernment by the national representative body for Quakers in Britain, Meeting for Sufferings. The decision stems from the understanding that although personal behaviour change is extremely important we will only be able to live truly low-carbon, sustainable lives if we change our economic and political systems. Without this change our choices are limited. For example, it is near impossible to avoid oil, and will remain so unless oil extraction is disincentivised and sustainable alternatives supported to grow. Our current dependency on fossil fuels made the decision difficult at first, but representatives of Quaker

Bill McKibben, global climate activist, speaks at the Quaker-supported Fossil Free Europe Tour. Photo: 350.org

area meetings across the country reached clarity that “we need to make positive steps towards the change we want to see”. News of the decision was shared with thousands of people across Europe during the Fossil Free Europe Tour, co-organised by 350.org, People & Planet and our partner organisation Operation Noah. Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) is campaigning on behalf of Quakers to end fossil fuel dependency on the basis that it causes climate change and has hugely damaging effects on the earth’s ecosystems and our global society. Ending dependency involves challenging the policies and practices of governments and companies that maintain it – including investments, subsidies and tax breaks to fossil fuel companies – and stopping the growth in exploration for new ‘unconventional’ fossil fuels such as tar sands oil and ‘fracked’ gas. It also involves advocating for policies which enable investment in low-carbon alternatives. As part of this work QPSW is supporting ‘Bright Now: towards fossil free churches’, a new campaign by Operation Noah that calls on all UK churches to disinvest from fossil fuels. It is estimated that we can burn less than 20 per cent of the conventional fossil fuels already held in company reserves if we are to avoid exceeding the internationally accepted global temperature rise limit of 2°C. We can burn none of the ‘unconventional’ fossil fuels. Bright Now argues that it is impossible to invest in companies profiting from extracting fossil fuels whilst

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Read our briefing Ending fossil fuel dependency at www.quaker.org.uk/ speak-out (paper copies from Sunniva Taylor – contact details below) Speak out to block tar sands from Europe: www. quaker.org.uk/speak-out Support the Bright Now campaign – visit www.brightnow.org.uk Follow the Fossil Free UK campaign: http://gofossilfree.org/uk

claiming a commitment to act on climate change. Though investors can have a powerful influence on companies in which they invest, Bright Now argues that this is not the case with fossil fuel companies, whose core business is extraction. Britain Yearly Meeting, the central organisation of Quakers in Britain, has now disinvested its holdings in Statoil and BG Group. Withdrawal from Statoil, who operate an oil (tar) sands project in Canada, will make QPSW’s campaign to block tar sands fuel from Europe more effective. We hope this decision will act as an inspiration and example to other churches and campaigners calling for fossil fuel divestment. Sunniva Taylor is Sustainability & Peace Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Sunniva Taylor sunnivat@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1047 www.quaker.org.uk/sustainability Quaker News – Winter 2013

Balancing our faith and our finances 4

Symon Hill reports on how Quakers have helped to create a new website that will enable religious communities and individuals to explore ethical and spiritual questions about money. How do you use your money? How does it relate to your faith? Are you overwhelmed by ethical complexities? A new website can help you. Over the last year, Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) has been working with the Ecumenical Council for Corporate Responsibility (ECCR) to produce a website that will help churches, Quaker meetings and individuals to explore ethical and spiritual questions about money. Your Faith, Your Finance (www.yourfaithyourfinance.org) was launched on 17 October 2013 at a gathering in Friends House, London. The site gives space to varied views and voices, without telling you what to think. The recent rise of poverty and food banks in Britain has brought questions of economic ethics into sharp focus. Quakers’ decision to divest from fossil fuels at national level (see page 3) has triggered debate at local level. It seems that more and more Friends are looking at their use of money.

QPSW has worked with ECCR on this project because both groups were regularly hearing from people who were struggling to understand economics and to apply their faith to it. Between them, faith groups in the UK and their members own billions of pounds. Advices & queries asks us to bring the whole of our lives under the ordering of the Spirit. Using our money in Spirit-led ways can have big impacts, as well as being a powerful testimony to a faith that begins from a different starting point to the world’s dominant values. It is not an alternative to campaigning but can work alongside it, helping our struggles to live with integrity rather than falsely separating the personal, political and spiritual. You’re not alone if you find it hard to make ethical decisions about shopping, banking and pensions. You may feel ill-informed or worry about guilt feelings. Or you may have strong views on the subject and want ideas for getting others interested.

You can dip into the site to look up practical points or follow links to facts about particular companies. The site does not seek to replace secular sites on financial ethics – indeed, it points them out. However, it links the ethical with the spiritual, including bite-sized information on the theology and history of money, from Jesus’s economic parables to the origin of banks. There are materials for group discussion, with topics ranging from debt and social change to an exercise analysing how your meeting’s money affects the world. There is advice on influencing companies, charities or banks who are receiving your money. The site will develop over time and QPSW would value your thoughts and suggestions. You can email comments to feedback@ yourfaithyourfinance.org. Anything you can do to promote the site on Facebook, Twitter or at your meeting would be very welcome. Quakers, along with other groups using Your Faith, Your Finance, may differ from each other in many ways. But we share a conviction that our use of money cannot be separated from the rest of our lives and our faith. As Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Symon Hill is a Temporary Programme Co-ordinator for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Suzanne Ismail suzannei@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1055 www.quaker.org.uk/ economic-justice

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Political engagement includes us all In 2013 Quakers helped bring about a historic change in the law that will allow same-sex couples to marry. Jessica Metheringham reports on our developing approach to political engagement and how you can get involved in 2014. It may seem a little early to be thinking about the next Westminster general election in 2015, but the political parties are already busy drafting their manifestos, so it is a key time for Quakers to engage with politicians. Over the coming year Quaker staff will manage a number of campaigns that you could get involved with. These include campaigns for a fairer economic system and for voting rights for prisoners, and campaigns against extreme fossil fuels such as tar sands, the import of products from the illegal Israeli settlements, and the replacement of Trident, Britain’s nuclear defence system. In autumn 2013 Jane Dawson, Advocacy & Public Relationships Team Leader, attended the political party conferences as part of a church group delegation with the Salvation Army, the Methodists, the United Reformed Church and the Baptists. Going to the party conferences as part of a delegation allows us to have the sort of face-to-face contact which can be difficult to get at other times. It helps us understand how different parties function and what it is that makes a politician take notice. Most of all, it’s an opportunity to build relationships and find ways to discuss long- rather than shortterm policy solutions. At the Liberal Democrat, Labour and Conservative conferences we spoke with MPs, peers (members of the House of Lords), prospective parliamentary candidates and representatives from other faith groups. Over tea and biscuits we talked about the economy, energy policy, the effects of welfare cuts, and nuclear weapons. However,

the political work that staff do on behalf of Quakers in Britain is about more than just MPs. It’s about engaging with politics in the community, with individual Quakers and with Quaker meetings. While it’s broadly true that policies are formed by MPs and scrutinised by peers, no less important are the local councils that implement the final legislation. There are Quakers sitting on local councils at county, district and metropolitan level. Do we engage with these Quakers enough? Do we support them enough in the immensely valuable service they perform for our communities? “Remember your responsibilities as a citizen for the conduct of local, national, and international affairs,” we are reminded in Advices & queries 34. During the coming year we want to help Quakers to engage with politicians at all levels. It’s important that we understand the most effective way to influence policy, whether that means building a relationship with our constituency MP, contacting lords and MPs on

particular issues, getting involved in local government or finding out about local and national campaigning opportunities. To support this we plan to launch a new set of how-to guides, building on and complementing the resources already available from Quaker Peace & Social Witness. We have started to record Quaker engagement with politicians. We are building up a picture of who we have contacted, which MPs and peers are interested in particular subjects and the different ways in which they like to work. It’s a way of forging deeper relationships with policy-makers. If you contact your MP, we’d be grateful if you could get in touch to let us know. Jessica Metheringham is Parliamentary Engagement Officer for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Jessica Metheringham jessicam@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1107

Church delegation at the Liberal Democrat party conference: (L to R) Dr Michael Jagessar of the United Reformed Church, Jane Dawson of Quakers in Britain, Alison Tomlin of the Methodist Church, David Heath MP, Stephen Keyworth of the Baptist Union, Marianne Adams of the Salvation Army.

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Ten things you didn’t know about the Quaker Centre 6

The Quaker Centre at Friends House, London, incorporates a bookshop, café, resources area and worship space. Quaker Centre volunteers provide a first point of contact for the public and help to keep things running smoothly. Andrew O’Hanlon dips into the volunteers’ log to find out more. Disposed of a rough sleeper’s sodden cardboard bed in the garden; guillotined pamphlets for Quaker Quest; discussed Quaker buildings with an enquirer and gave her some leaflets on Swarthmoor Hall and the Quaker Tapestry exhibition; helped with tidying the café; parcelled books for mailing. Just a typical day at the busy Quaker Centre, this extract from the volunteers’ log gives an idea of the kinds of tasks and experiences involved. Here are ten things you (probably) didn’t know about the Quaker Centre.

1. Our front door

The Quaker Centre is the place that offers a Quaker welcome to the world. Part of the hubbub of attractions and institutions opposite Euston Station, it is visited by more than 150,000 people a year; for many it is their first contact with Quakers. Quaker Centre volunteers are available to talk to enquirers about our faith.

One man peeped at the pamphlets but shied away from asking questions whilst another enjoyed half an hour’s reading in conversation and comfort.

2. Full of good stories

The bookshop sends Quaker and related publications, resources and leaflets to Quaker meetings across the country. This year volunteers have helped staff provide an estimated 15,000 books to 4,500 customers. One Friend asked for a book on Quaker views on education. The nearest we found was a book on Quaker parenting which suited her fine as she actually wants to write a book on Quakers and education herself.

3. A place for worship

The Quaker Centre worship space, designed by architects Theis and Khan, is open throughout the week and there are set times for meeting for worship.

Put new flowers in a vase in the worship space and got some suspicious looks from those enjoying the sun in the garden as I cut several stems of Euphorbia and a small branch of Pittosporum.

4. Meet up and eat up

The café serves quality food and drink – organic, locally sourced, fair trade – at competitive prices. The soup is wholesome, the cake tasty and the company delightful. A busy day, with the café buzzing and several enquirers wanting to find out about Quakers as well as an American with Quaker connections who wanted to visit Bunhill Fields, a Friend who worships at a Russian Orthodox Church in North Wales and an Anglican who is reading Proust.

5. Chat

It’s a place to relax and talk to others. Free Wi-Fi means there is instant internet access for online chat too. A couple of American Friends, now in Liverpool, stopped by for a chat, various bookshop customers needed help and one regular visitor came in to talk. One enquirer with a sick husband at the University College Hospital needed information and support; another wanted to know about meetings in Germany. Two people remarked on the friendly, warm atmosphere they found here.

6. Ideas and connections Quakers from Canterbury Meeting using the Quaker Centre worship space during a visit to Friends House in August 2013. Photo: Louisa Wright

Quaker News – Winter 2013

You can easily come in with one thing in mind and go away with a dozen others.

An enquirer asked about gap year opportunities for his 19-year-old daughter with hearing difficulties. Cat Waithaka of Quaker Life (Children & Young People) was able to tell him about some opportunities and provided us with a sheet on volunteering (now in the volunteers’ handbook).

7. It’s our space

Many Quakers use the centre on their way to an appointment or talk, picking up books and leaflets on the way. They often get into conversation with others, sharing insights and concerns that can open up new ways of developing their meetings. It is a place where one can rest and reflect. Helped a Friend find a particular title, spoke to another who is trying to live as simply as possible. Shelved ‘Twelve Quakers and Truth’; talked about meetings and life and getting older with Friends from Newcastle, Kings Lynn, Hammersmith.

8. A place for interfaith dialogue

It is a forum for people curious to know more about how their faith might relate to Quakerism. Talked with a research graduate using the Wellcome Library about Quakerism and Rumi – mysticism and everyday life... spoke to a woman visiting her dying mother

The couple arrived at the Quaker Centre exhausted, frightened, hungry and not speaking any English. The woman was in tears and shivering. With the help of some French-speaking staff we were able to arrange new transport. They ate a hearty lunch. The Refugee Council informed them that accommodation was available in south London...

Quaker Centre staff and volunteers. L to R, sitting: Tim Cook, David Henshaw, Martin Sale; standing: Claire Martin, Andrew O’Hanlon, Alistair Fuller, Fiona Tremethick, Ralph Taylor, Wendy Tennant, Nounou Vongphit. Photo: Michael Preston

who is Catholic but has lost her faith and wanted to know about Quakers as she has visited Friends House as a welcoming place near the hospital.

9. A hub for outreach

Free leaflets and resources for meetings, enquirers’ packs and the Talking Friend all come from Quaker Centre staff and volunteers. It is a place that helps us to understand “you don’t get converted to being a Quaker; you gradually come to realise you are one.” I encouraged her to take whichever Quaker leaflets interested her and she sat down and read a couple. I asked her if I could answer any questions and she asked about Quaker worship. I showed her the worship space and explained what might happen in Quaker worship. I gave her a leaflet with her local meeting details and encouraged her to attend a Quaker Quest event coming up in her area.

10. Comfort, support and action

In addition to responding to requests from Quakers and enquirers, volunteers provide tourist information and sometimes even citizen’s advice. There are an

increasing number of distressed and homeless people seeking help. The Asylum Centre in Harrogate asked us to take care of two destitute asylum seekers from North Africa who had just missed their train. The couple arrived at the Quaker Centre exhausted, frightened, hungry and not speaking any English. The woman was in tears and shivering. With the help of some French-speaking staff we were able to arrange new transport. They ate a hearty lunch. The Refugee Council informed them that accommodation was available in south London. I took them by car... the warden spoke French... I wish I could be confident of a happy outcome. There are currently six volunteers supporting the work of the Quaker Centre. If you think you would like to volunteer and would like to know more please get in touch. Andrew O’Hanlon is Outreach Development Officer for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Andrew O’Hanlon andrewo@quaker.org.uk 020 7662 1017 www.quaker.org.uk/quaker-centre

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Quakers across Britain unite to oppose the DSEi arms fair 8

Every two years, weapons manufacturers flock to the Defence & Security International (DSEi) arms fair in London to show their wares. The largest event of its kind, it is a nexus for businesses that make money from products designed to kill, maim and destroy. In 2011 we reported how Quakers in Britain had revived dwindling protests against the arms fair by brokering a coalition of previously disparate groups – ‘Stop the Arms Fair’. Two years on, the coalition has flourished and protesters gathered together once again this September to oppose DSEi. Quakers from across the country

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marched towards the ExCeL centre in London’s Docklands to take part in a huge silent vigil outside the arms fair (3). Children and young people were able to participate thanks to support from Britain Yearly Meeting’s Children & Young People’s Team, who were there to keep them safe (1 & 2). Jennifer Wilson of Central Fife Meeting was one of many Quakers who took part in a ‘Twitter storm’, posting pictures on the social media site Twitter explaining why the arms fair should be stopped (4). Quakers from Chester, Leicester, London, Poole, Swanage and Wimbourne were amongst those

who peacefully blocked roads so that military vehicles could not reach the arms fair (5, 6 & 7). Sam Walton, Peace & Disarmament Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain, posted photos of the protests on Twitter throughout the week. One Quaker saw Sam’s photos and decided to come down and join him in blocking off the entrance to the Cutty Sark, where arms dealers were having a business dinner (8). From social media campaigns to simply sitting in the road, Quakers from all over Britain were united in delivering the message that making money from killing is not okay (9).

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 Photos: 1, 2, 3 & 9 – Steve Whiting; 4 – Paul Parker; 5 & 7 – Sam Walton; 6 – passing member of public; 8 – Sarah Waldron.

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Stories that can help us explore our faith 10

Quaker Life offers training and resources on ‘Godly Play’, a method of storytelling that encourages individuals to explore meaning for themselves. Could your meeting benefit from this approach? Chris Nickolay looks at the power of stories. Stories can be a way into exploring mystery, personal journey and identity, values and relationships and having fun. Folk and fairy stories, magic, animal tales, adventures, fictionalised biography – all sorts of stories, read to yourself or told by a storyteller, can capture and express imagination, wonder and a range of emotions. They are a powerful way of connecting with deeper ideas and knowledge. Most stories and storytellers don’t tell you what to think after a story has been told. Sometimes the right and the wrong, the good and the bad may be plain, but usually it is left to us to work it out. There is a difficult area within storytelling – particularly for a religious organisation engaging with people of all ages. How do we tell the stories of the Bible and avoid the trap of saying or reading it in a way that says “this is what it means”? When you read the Bible it seems that when Jesus told stories they

were often mysterious, complex and puzzling but open to personal exploration, inspiration and wonder. How could Quaker meetings, in children and young people’s work, in all-age activities or adult learning, tell biblical or Quaker stories in ways that invite personal, spiritual and religious reflection? One way of doing this is called ‘Godly Play’. This has been promoted and used by the Quaker Life Children & Young People’s Team for the past five years. It relies on very stripped down versions of stories, using simple wood and felt ‘props’ to tell the story and careful reflective, wondering questions to help people, of any age, dig into and open out what it might mean to them. Some examples of responses include: ●

Children, 3 to 4 years old, hearing the story of the Good Shepherd (John 10:1–21) wondered about being lost and found. One was never lost but

had been found after going too far and falling off a bike. ● In response to the story of the biblical exile from the holy city, 9- to 11-year-olds wondered about what was most important: “when they hung their harps on the weeping willow trees” (in sadness); “when some of the exiled realised that God was with them wherever they are”. ● In an all-age meeting for worship where the story of Zaccheus the tax collector (Luke 19:1–10) was told, it led to spoken ministry. One participant said that this had revealed more about Quakers’ spiritual lives than they had known before. How can you find out about Godly Play? To get an idea of what the stories look like when they are set out go to www.quaker.org.uk/ using-godly-play. There are now more than 20 story sets that can be borrowed from the Quaker Life Children & Young People’s Team if you have been on a ‘Storytelling as theological reflection – using Godly Play’ training day. Nearly 200 Quakers have been on a training day so far. If you would like training in using Godly Play, you can find out more and request a workshop at www. quaker.org.uk/workshops. Chris Nickolay is Children’s Officer for Quakers in Britain.

A Godly Play story set. Photo: Michael Preston

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Contact: cypadmin@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1013 www.quaker.org.uk/ using-godly-play

A chance to grow in our spiritual life In summer 2014, hundreds of Quakers of all ages and from all over Britain will form a vibrant community at Yearly Meeting Gathering in Bath. Colin Billett shares the planning team’s vision for the week. If you have been to a Yearly Meeting Gathering before, you will know what a wonderful community can be created in just one week. If you haven’t, find someone who has – they will have some treasured memories to share. Even if you have been before, read on, because Bath 2014 promises to be a richly diverse gathering for Quakers of all ages. Set in a beautiful location, the university campus offers the facilities we need for doing what we love – being with one another. It will be a chance to learn, to be inspired, and to grow in our spiritual life; to do our business in the Quaker way and to share the decisions we make together with the world. The theme for 2014 is ‘What it means to be a Quaker today’, following on from our last two Yearly Meetings in London. Over a whole week we will have so much more time to further explore this topic through lectures, small groups, activities, and Yearly Meeting in session. For full details you’ll have to wait until Yearly Meeting Agenda Committee has finished its deliberations – so far it is looking very interesting. It won’t be all Quaker business, far from it. There will be plenty on the programme to fill all the moments in the week, from the contemplative to the hands-on experience, from painting to gardening, from talking to listening, from dancing to just chilling out. Young people will have a full programme in specific age groups, from babies to teens. Junior Yearly Meeting, for 16- to 17-year-olds, will be meeting with and alongside the adults of Britain Yearly Meeting. Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre

will be running sessions in a new programme for young adult Friends throughout the week and there will be much to share between the young and not so young across the whole gathering.

Yearly Meeting Gathering will be a chance to learn, to be inspired, and to grow in our spiritual life; to do our business in the Quaker way and to share the decisions we make together with the world. The planning committee first met in August 2012 to survey the site and see how we could make it ours. A big top and a tented village of smaller marquees, all connected by covered walkways, will serve our main needs. We’ve watched as the university buildings have grown to include a brand new Chancellors’ Building that will be home to the children and young people, and the new accommodation block that will give us en suite bedrooms in communal flats, all within a short

distance of our Quaker village. We’ve identified a field a short walk away from our tented village for those who like to bring their roof with them, the campers. Access for all is a big priority, and full pastoral support will be offered including a dedicated member of staff. Come alone and there will be opportunities to meet up with others; bring a non-Quaker partner for whom there’ll be plenty on offer; or bring the whole family knowing that there’ll be something for everyone, almost every moment. And enjoy the day off – local Quakers have been busy for months preparing activities, visits and opportunities to ensure a great day out – or in – whichever you prefer. Most of all, don’t be put off by the cost – your meeting almost certainly has funds to support you, and Britain Yearly Meeting has a bursary scheme available if your meeting is unable to help. For more news of the gathering visit http://groupspaces.com/ quakerymg. Booking forms will be sent to meetings and available online before the end of 2013.

The University of Bath campus. Photo: The University of Bath

Quaker News – Winter 2013

News in brief 12

Sharing Quaker stories from World War I

At the outbreak of World War I, Quakers and many others faced life-changing choices. Some joined up; some refused to kill when conscription came in and faced tribunals and imprisonment or alternative service. Their stories were of courage, not cowardice. Many served on the frontline, unarmed, saving lives. The White Feather Diaries, to be launched in August 2014, will tell their stories in a real-time social media project to chart the personal journeys of five Quakers up to the implementation of the Military Service Act in 2016. Quakers’ dilemmas are stored up in family memories. Please tell us their stories by contacting Anne van Staveren on 020 7663 1048 or emailing annev@quaker.org.uk.

Witnessing for peace on the centenary of war

Many meetings plan to witness for peace on the commemoration of World War I. South Wales Area Meeting will send a film about conscientious objectors to every school in Wales. Friends House, Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, Northern Friends Peace Board and Quaker meetings are working together to produce a major exhibition and resource pack. If your meeting has plans to mark the centenary, please record them at www.quaker.org.uk/wwimap.

Painting from autograph book of Friends Ambulance Unit, Herbert Wilmot, 1917

Quaker News – Winter 2013

New post to support work in Palestine and Israel Quaker Peace & Social Witness, on behalf of ecumenical partners, will soon be advertising a new post to enhance the research and advocacy work of the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel (EAPPI). This one-year post will help the programme to strengthen ecumenical, interfaith and NGO partnerships, to better support ecumenical accompaniers in their advocacy efforts and to take advantage of advocacy opportunities as they arise at national or EU level. EAPPI is an initiative of the World Council of Churches. It aims to contribute to ending the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, and to work for a just and sustainable peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Quakers in Britain manage the programme on behalf of Churches Together in Britain & Ireland and its partner organisations. The post will be advertised in December at www.quaker.org.uk/ jobs.

New Friends House garden will increase accessibility

Wheelchair-users could have full access to the garden entrance and restaurant at Friends House for the first time in 2014 if plans to re-landscape Friends House garden get the green light. The plans include a new Disability Discrimination Act compliant ramp to the entrance and terraces outside the restaurant and the Quaker Centre Café. The scheme also includes an external disabled lift to the restaurant. Changes in regulations for buildings drawing more than 200 Amps from the grid mean that Friends House must have a new electricity substation. Trustees agreed in October to turn this problem into an

opportunity: while upheaval was inevitable, the garden would be re-landscaped to make Friends House accessible to all and a place of outreach to the community. In re-landscaping the garden existing plants will be replanted elsewhere wherever possible. Special care will be taken to relocate the magnolia tree. The work will be largely funded from proceeds of the sale of a long lease on Courtauld House, another Quaker property. Donations will not be used, and the works will not reduce expenditure on the centrally managed Quaker work.

Image: John McAslan + Partners

Friends House switches to 100% renewable electricity

Friends House has teamed up with over 30 Quaker meeting houses to collectively buy electricity from Good Energy. Good Energy supplies electricity from 100% renewable, non-nuclear sources. Friends House, the London offices of Quakers in Britain, will now be powered by a mix of 57% wind, 30% solar, 7% hydro and 6% biogen energy. Staff at Friends House hope that this strong commitment to renewable energy will encourage others to make the switch. Moving to green electricity is just part of a wider initiative to improve Friends House’s carbon profile. Other measures include the installation of low-energy lighting and improved insulation.

Opportunities to work for peace in 2014

If you have a deep commitment to peace and are looking for an opportunity to begin full-time working in the peace field, or if you know someone who does, do look out for the Peaceworker vacancies that will be advertised in 2014. Quaker Peace & Social Witness hopes to recruit five or six people and place them for a year with organisations in the UK and East Africa that are working on an aspect of peace. The Quaker United Nations Office will recruit two programme assistants for its work in Geneva. The adverts will be placed on our website at www.quaker.org.uk/jobs, in The Friend, and in newsletters and websites of organisations that bid for a Peaceworker. Adverts for placements in the UK and Geneva should appear January or February, with the East Africa placements being advertised later in the year. For more information, please contact Helen Bradford on 020 7663 1071 or at helenb@quaker. org.uk.

Teach Peace Pack flying off the shelves

Quaker Peace & Social Witness has worked with the Peace Education Network to create a resource to assist anyone who wants to explore peace themes in a primary school setting. It includes significant peace dates around which you can build activities, a short quiz, examples of peace symbols, stories of overcoming violence, links to the web for short clips and visual images, poetry, prayers and much else. The pack has received excellent feedback so far. Quaker teacher, Rachel Ramaker, said: “I love the peace pack and used the first assembly as inspiration. I’ll be using the others later in the year.” Staff at Bathford Primary School, Somerset, were so inspired that they held a peace-themed assembly for the whole school within days of receiving the pack. Copies are available from the Quaker Centre Bookshop, phone 020 7663 1030 or visit www.quaker. org.uk/shop. If you are already

using the pack, Isabel Cartwright, Peace Education Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain, would love to hear your stories. Please email isabelc@quaker.org. uk or phone 020 7663 1087.

Young Quakers to crew tall ship in spring 2014

Quakers aged between 14 and 17 will crew a tall ship around the Irish Sea in April 2014. It will be a unique opportunity to develop community, explore Quakerism and worship together. The crew of forty was selected from a much larger number of applicants and will be made up of young people from 23 British area meetings. There will be a mix of people who are new to Quakerism, those new to Quaker events and those previously involved with Quaker events for children and young people. The crew will meet together for the first time in March at a preparation day, where the process of becoming a team and building a Quaker community will begin. We hope this five-day adventure will have a lasting effect on all who participate. Further updates will be posted at www.quaker.org.uk/ tall-ship-event-2014.

(Scotland) Bill in November. If passed, the bill will provide for marriages and civil partnerships of same-sex and opposite-sex couples in Scotland, and will allow Quaker same-sex marriages to be recognised in law. MSPs listened to public opinion despite organised opposition, agreeing the motion with 98 voting for, 15 against, and five abstentions. The bill will return to Holyrood’s Equal Opportunities Committee for scrutiny before a final vote early in 2014. Welcoming the move, Scottish Quaker Phil Lucas said: “It’s a matter of justice and equality. We want this because Quakers have a longstanding commitment to equality and we wish to express our belief in the right of all committed couples who love each other to be treated equally.”

Quaker faith & practice 5th edition out this winter

The fifth edition of Quaker faith & practice will be published on 11 December. It will be available in hardback, paperback and a variety of e-book formats, including for Kindle and iPad. New webpages on the Quakers in Britain website will provide more accessible online reading. Large-print and audio versions will be available early in the New Year. Eight chapters have been edited for the new edition, following changes to our committee, administrative and accountability structures and more open membership procedures. Amendments to chapter 16 reflect Yearly Meeting’s decision in 2009 to recognise same- and opposite-sex marriages as equal. Every local meeting will receive a free copy of the new edition. Further copies and e-books can be ordered at www.quaker.org.uk/qfp.

Quakers welcome support for equal marriage in Scotland Quakers in Britain warmly welcomed the overwhelming support given by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to the Marriage and Civil Partnership

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Conscientious objection recognised in new UN resolution 14

For over 50 years Quakers have advocated at the UN for the rights of conscientious objectors. Anne van Staveren reports on the first major resolution on conscientious objection to be adopted by the Human Rights Council. The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted, without a vote, its first substantive resolution on conscientious objection to military service. The resolution recognises the right to conscientious objection to military service and calls on states to stop imprisoning – and repeatedly punishing – conscientious objectors. It acknowledges that an increasing number of states recognise conscientious objection for volunteers/professionals as well as conscripts, and it permits applications for conscientious objector status prior to, during and after military service, including reserve duties. It also addresses the question of asylum for conscientious objectors. The resolution was adopted on 27 September 2013, and was largely the result of work by delegates from Croatia, Costa Rica and Poland. It was welcomed by the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) in Geneva, which has advocated for conscientious

objectors at an international level for over half a century. Rachel Brett, QUNO’s Geneva Representative for Human Rights and Refugees, said: “Recognition of the right of conscientious objection to military service has led courts in several countries to rule that this must be protected domestically. That the resolution was adopted by consensus is an encouraging indication of a greater willingness to engage from those who persist in imprisoning objectors at present.” QUNO Geneva, which receives core funding from Quakers in Britain, was instrumental in persuading the UN Human Rights Committee and the Human Rights Council to recognise that conscientious objection to military service is protected under the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion (Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights), paving the way for this resolution. QUNO, along with War Resisters’ International, Conscience & Peace

The United Nations Human Rights Council in session. Photo: UN Photo/Jess Hoffman

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Tax International and the Centre for Civil and Political Rights, has prepared an online ‘Conscientious Objector’s Guide to the International Human Rights System’, available at http://co-guide.org. Anne van Staveren is Media Relations Officer for Quakers in Britain.

Geneva Summer School

QUNO Geneva works to promote the peace and justice concerns of Quakers at the UN. The Geneva Summer School (GSS) has been an integral part of QUNO’s work since 1955, aiming to give around 25 young people each year an opportunity to learn more about QUNO and to foster their interest in international affairs. GSS alumni have gone on to work in or study human rights, international development and international relations. Quaker Peace & Social Witness offers bursary funds for those unable to find the funding themselves, and provides a staff member to accompany and support the participants throughout the event. Staff at QUNO organise the two-week-long programme and arrange speakers – often senior officials and diplomats. Do you know a young Quaker who might benefit from this opportunity? Or are you such a young Quaker yourself? If so, please visit www.quaker.org.uk/ quno or contact Helen Bradford at helenb@quaker.org.uk or on 020 7663 1071.

You are always welcome at Friends House Contribute to Quaker work

Serve on a Quaker committee: phone 020 7663 1121, email nominations@quaker.org.uk or visit www.quaker.org.uk/ quaker-service. Make a donation or leave a gift in your will: phone Rosie Carnall on 020 7663 1066, email rosiec@quaker.org.uk or visit www.quaker.org.uk/donate.

Subscribe to Quaker News Children from Canterbury Meeting examine one of the Library’s artefacts with Melissa Atkinson, Visual Resources Development Officer. Photo: Rosie Carnall

Have you ever wondered what happens at Friends House? How do the staff employed by Britain Yearly Meeting support Quaker work? You are always welcome to come along and find out. Many Friends visit us on an individual basis, calling in to the Quaker Centre for coffee (and free Wi-Fi) whilst waiting to catch a train from Euston, or making use of the Library for their own research. But we really enjoy having arranged visits from meetings so that we can ensure that there is time to meet for longer conversations and build connections by finding out about different Quaker communities. It’s often the Library at Friends House that’s the highlight for groups of Friends who come to visit for the day. The Library staff prepare a selection of materials relevant to the locality the visitors are from, as well as special items from the archive such as the Nobel Peace Prize medal and Elizabeth Fry’s journals. We recently welcomed visitors of all ages from Canterbury Meeting, and even the youngest of the group found the Library display fascinating. Visiting groups also meet with

staff from different departments to hear about their work, take a tour of the building and have a meeting for worship in the Quaker Centre worship space. If you would like to connect more with the central work but don’t feel it’s possible to come to London, we can arrange for a member of Britain Yearly Meeting staff (or a central committee member) to visit your meeting. Paul Parker, the Recording Clerk, has visited meetings across Britain, from Scotland to Cornwall, and staff from Quaker Peace & Social Witness and Quaker Life engage in a variety of visits to support meetings with their concerns and witness. Britain Yearly Meeting has been described as a ‘community of communities’ and we are glad to provide these opportunities to meet across geographic boundaries. We’re always keen to hear from meetings who would like to visit or be visited, or to explore which opportunity might suit them best. To find out more please contact Eudora Pascall, Meeting Relationships Officer, on 020 7663 1019 or at eudorap@quaker.org.uk.

Subscribe to Quaker News by email, access electronic back issues or read online at www.quaker.org.uk/qn. Subscribe to Quaker News by post, make changes to your subscription or request paper back issues by contacting Andrew McVicar on 020 7663 1119 or at qn@quaker.org.uk.

Connect with Quakers in Britain

Phone us on 020 7663 1000, email enquiries@quaker.org.uk or write to Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ. Enter your postcode at www.quaker.org.uk/fam to search for a Quaker meeting near you. Find us on Facebook and Twitter: follow the links at www.quaker.org.uk/sm or search for ‘Quakers in Britain’.

Quaker News – Winter 2013

Quakers: committed to caring for peace and planet 16

Meet Rhiannon Redpath

Quakers share a way of life, not a set of beliefs. Their unity is based on shared understanding and a shared practice of silent worship, where they seek a communal stillness. Quakers seek to experience God directly, within themselves and in their relationships with others and the world around them. They meet together for worship in local meetings, which are open to all who wish to attend. Quakers try to live with honesty and integrity. This means speaking truth to all, including people in positions of power. The Quaker commitment to peace arises from the conviction that love is at the heart of existence and that all human beings are unique and equal. This leads Quakers to put their faith into action by working locally and globally to change the systems that cause injustice and violent conflict. Quakers try to live simply. They are concerned about the excesses and unfairness of our consumer society and the unsustainable use of natural resources. To find out more about the Quaker way visit www.quaker.org. uk or request a free information pack using the form below.

Request a free information pack: Name Address

Postcode Email Please send completed form to: Quaker Outreach (QN) Friends House FREEPOST NW2259 London NW1 2BR FREEPHONE: 0808 109 1651 E: outreach@quaker.org.uk Quaker News – Winter 2013

Rhiannon Redpath recently finished a one-year placement with Gender Action for Peace and Security as part of the Quaker Peace & Social Witness UK Peaceworker scheme. As she explores how to pursue her commitment to peace work, she reflects on her Quaker journey so far. Although I was brought up at Street Local Meeting, it wasn’t until I was 18 that I really started to engage with Quakerism on my own terms. The turning point was attending Junior Yearly Meeting in 2008. Being in a space full of 200 like-minded peers was an exceptionally powerful experience at an age when ‘being myself’ could feel impossible. I quickly sought out more spaces like that. Since that tentative beginning, my Quaker journey has been – dare I say it – adventurous. When I travel, I seek out Quaker spaces. Most far-flung, in 2010 I stumbled across the Casa de los Amigos in Mexico City, where I found a Quaker oasis in the urban jungle. To me, Quakerism is about this global community – it is that feeling of ringing the doorbell to a Quaker address in an unknown city and knowing that the person to open the door will greet you warmly. It’s that feeling of walking into a Quaker meeting anywhere in the world and knowing that you have as much right to share as anyone else. Closer to home, volunteering with the Children & Young People’s Programme has formed

a staple part of my Quaker diet for the last five years. This is work that I pursue in the hope that I’ll be able to facilitate a space for other young people akin to that which I experienced. Most recently, Quakerism has taken centre stage in my life through working as a UK Peaceworker for Quaker Peace & Social Witness. Here, I have had the opportunity to develop my witness to peace, as a Quaker and as a human being, through working on women’s rights in conflict, and also trying my hand at lobbying and campaigning. For me, Quakerism is where my spirituality and politics meet. It’s a platform from which I journey into my life. It’s the practice of active witness. Quakerism gives me both a loud and a quiet space in which to explore my commitments to the world. Quakers educate me, challenge me, reaffirm my belief in change and nurture my willingness to do something to bring about that change. As I look around at the vibrant Quakers in my life and share their vision for a stronger society and a better world, I have hope for the future. Watch this space...