Quaker News 89 by Quakers in Britain

Quaker News C

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

African peacebuilders share their stories No 89 Spring/summer 2014

Contents The new tide of militarisation in the UK Prisoners are citizens too Stories of African peacebuilders Being a Quaker community today News in brief Getting ready for Yearly Meeting Gathering

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Cover: Cécile Nyiramana is one of 25 peacebuilders from East Africa featured in the new book This light that pushes me – see pages 8 and 9. Photo: Nigel Downes

Editorial “We know the power of God’s Spirit at work in the lives of people within the community of our meetings… We also know that we are engaged in a life-long growth into faith, and experience a continuing irruption of grace into our lives which demands and sustains a commitment to a life of discipleship. We recognise this power at work in people of all ages, races and creeds: a transforming power which can issue in lives of joy, humility and service.” (London Yearly Meeting, 1986) Quaker faith & practice 10.02 This issue of Quaker News is rich in stories redolent with community and service. The issues important to our Quaker community in Britain jump out from the new posters by Quaker Peace & Social Witness (page 3) – there is even a poster that local Quaker communities can tailor for their own messages! The relationship between our faith community and others has been tested and in many cases strengthened by our stance on same-sex marriage (pages 11 and 12). Quaker Life is developing resources to help Quakers explore the idea of spiritual community (page 10). And in August our national Quaker community will come together for Yearly Meeting Gathering (page 14) at Bath, seeking to understand ‘What it Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

means to be a Quaker today’. The value of our community is measured not just in its effect on ourselves, but through the difference each of us makes in the world. The book and exhibition This light that pushes me (pages 8 and 9) tell the moving personal stories of peacebuilders in Africa, working to repair the communities in which they live. I have been inspired and humbled by reading about these examples of discipleship. Closer to home, the effects of militarisation on our own community in Britain are explored in a new briefing (page 5), made all the more relevant by the many reminders of the centenary of World War I (page 4). The rights of prisoners as fellow citizens in our community are also explored in a briefing paper (page 7). Could you contribute to our Quaker community through your own ministry, through personal witness, other service or financially (pages 15 and 16)? Each of us has our part to play and our gifts to bring at each stage of our “life-long growth into faith”. These stories, and more, are woven into the tapestry of Quaker worship, work and witness in the world. 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 1019 Printed by Headley Brothers on paper from sustainably managed forests.

Please don’t throw this magazine away – pass it on to others to read or recycle it.

New posters highlight the issues that matter to Quakers today Quaker Peace & Social Witness has launched a set of four striking posters to help Quakers and meetings to speak out about peace, sustainability, economic justice and other issues that matter to them. Quakers in Britain have always provided a public witness to peace, but in recent years we are increasingly called to witness to sustainability and economic justice too – whether by calling for climate action or strengthened energy policy, speaking out about food banks or social security cuts, or protesting against the arms trade. As a result Quaker Peace & Social Witness has commissioned a new series of posters. Three of these are intended to powerfully and visually communicate the Quaker commitments to “Champion peace not the arms trade”, “Sustain life over profit” and “Cut poverty not community”. The hope is that they will be used on placards at protests, pinned on notice boards, and displayed outside meeting houses across Britain. The posters have already been spied in many places! The posters were designed with a nod to the past as well as to the future. The designer drew inspiration from historic Quaker peace posters. Updating these with sharp lines and simple shapes has resulted in a series of bold images. The fourth, mainly blank, poster is for Quakers to use as they wish, as a means to express their own witness and commitments. You may want to write a statement about a local issue and display it outside your meeting house, or write your own words to take on a protest. We also hope this poster will provide an opportunity for all-age activity. Issue 86 (April 2014) of Journeys in the Spirit contains an outline for a children’s meeting and an all-age worship session making use of it. See www.quaker. org.uk/journeyschildren.

We’d love to know what you choose to do with the adaptable poster. If you are happy to share with others then please send your slogans – or even better, a photo of your poster – to qn@quaker. org.uk. You may even see them reproduced in this magazine! champion peace.pdf

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The posters are available in B2 size (500mm x 700mm) from the Quaker Centre Bookshop, priced at £2 each or £5 for the set of four. Visit www.quaker.org.uk/shop, email quakercentre@quaker.org.uk or phone 020 7663 1030 to place an order.

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cut poverty.pdf

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QUAKERS WORK FOR A WORLD WITHOUT VIOLENCE. WE REJECT GOVERNMENT SUBSIDY OF THE ARMS TRADE AND CALL FOR ALL MONEY SPENT PREPARING FOR WAR TO BE DIVERTED TO BUILDING PEACE NONVIOLENTLY.

CMY

COMMUNITY quakers believe the earth was made to be a common treasury. we campaign against inequality and work for a world in which resources are shared.

NOT THE ARMS TRADE www.quaker.org.uk follow us @britishquakers

sustain life.pdf

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www.quaker.org.uk follow us @britishquakers

general poster.pdf

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SUSTAIN LIFE

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QUAKERS ARE CALLED BY FAITH TO BUILD PEACE AND JUSTICE FOR A FAIRER WORLD.

QUAKERS IN BRITAIN ARE TAKING ACTION TO PROTECT THE EARTH. WE CALL FOR AN ECONOMY AND SOCIETY IN BALANCE WITH A HEALTHY LIVING PLANET.

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OVER PROFIT www.quaker.org.uk follow us @britishquakers

www.quaker.org.uk follow us @britishquakers

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Quakers remember those who opposed World War I 4

International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is marked around the world on 15 May each year. As a peace church that regards conscientious objection as a fundamental human right, Quakers in Britain have chosen this date to begin marking the centenary of World War I. We will be joining with other peace groups to hold events at Friends House, Tavistock Square and the Church of St Giles-in-theFields in London. Ahead of its launch in August, we will be announcing in the Library at Friends House the names of the five conscientious objectors whose diary extracts will appear in The White Feather Diaries. This online storytelling project draws from the writings of five Quakers during World War I to chart their journeys and dilemmas as the war unfolded. Their stories highlight how ordinary people can find themselves doing

extraordinary things because of their faith. Some of them served in medical units during the war and witnessed the full horror of the front line; others, who refused alternative service, were persecuted and imprisoned for their conscience. We invite meetings to consider holding an event in their community on 15 May to tell some of the untold stories of Quakers who opposed the war. You can share details of these and any other centenaryrelated events by posting them on our interactive map at www.quaker. org.uk/WWImap. A free World War I resource pack is available to help meetings engage in outreach and peace education around the centenary. Email quakercentre@quaker.org. uk or call 020 7663 1030 to order a paper copy, or download it from www.quaker.org.uk/WWI.

World War I resources for children and young people Two special issues of Journeys in the Spirit have been published on the topic of World War I. These resources – a children’s and a youth edition – offer ways to introduce children and young people to the war and explore some of the dilemmas faced by those who opposed it. They include activities that help children to consider notions of conscience, courage and cowardice, and to explore the qualities of a peacemaker. They invite children to ‘reclaim’ the white feather, a symbol of alleged cowardice. We will soon release two World War I school resources, Conviction and Conscience. Conviction will help secondary school students consider the consequences of warfare and violence and learn about conscientious objection as Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

a human right. Conscience, for use in primary schools, encourages children to explore families’ wartime experiences through group activities that draw on letters, posters and images from the time. We hope both sets of resources will help young Quakers think about how to create a more just and peaceful world. The special issues of Journeys in the Spirit are available now. Download them at www.quaker.org.uk/cyp-resources or request free printed copies by emailing cypadmin@quaker.org. uk or calling 020 7663 1013. The school resources will be available in early summer. You can pre-order printed copies from the Quaker Centre: email quakercentre@ quaker.org.uk or call 020 7663 1030. They will be free to download at www.quaker.org.uk/education.

Slipping under the radar: the new tide of militarisation Efforts by the UK government to militarise society are of growing concern to Quakers in Britain, but many people are not aware that this is happening. Alick Beale looks at how Quakers can help to expose this new tide of militarisation. Education Secretary Michael Gove believes that “Every child can benefit from the values of a military ethos”. Under the Department for Education’s ‘military skills and ethos programme’ we have already seen the fast-tracking of ex-service personnel into teaching and a £10.85 million expansion of the Combined Cadet Force to create 100 more units in state secondary schools by 2015. Beyond our school gates we are seeing further examples of militarisation. Armed Forces Day, launched in 2009, marks a shift in tone from the solemn commemoration of Remembrance Day to a more heroic narrative. In contrast to the ‘never again’ message underscoring the cost of war and the hope for peace we are now confronted by a jingoistic and celebrity-endorsed day demanding unconditional support for UK troops. There has also been a deliberate conflation of support for military personnel and support for the wars in which they serve. This allows politicians to stifle criticism of war – it becomes difficult to criticise war if by doing so one is widely perceived to be denouncing the armed forces community. To raise awareness of this issue Quakers in Britain recently released a briefing, The new tide of militarisation. It seeks to highlight the government’s militarisation strategy, which is affecting many aspects of Britain’s publicly funded social, political and educational life. It analyses this militarisation and aims to get people talking about it as a starting point for action. The new tide of militarisation examines government reports that explicitly identify a need to

build public support for the armed forces, from which the Ministry of Defence stands to gain two key things: a public more willing to fund the military and a greater ability of the military to recruit. These objectives are driving Britain’s new tide of militarisation. Militarisation challenges the root of our peace testimony and undermines efforts to build a society based on peace and justice. This is an emerging concern, and the work has been carefully discerned by the Peace, Education, Campaigning & Networking Subcommittee of Quaker Peace & Social Witness. Sam Walton, Peace & Disarmament Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain, has worked closely with the committee since 2011, when it began considering the issue: “There is a comprehensive government strategy to militarise society. Many people, even in the peace movement, are not aware of this. We hope our briefing will help Quakers start a wider conversation about militarisation that will lead to greater awareness and scrutiny.”

We have produced the briefing to encourage Quakers to engage with the issue, and you or your meeting may wish to consider ways to bring militarisation to the attention of your local community. We have sent a copy of the briefing to all local meetings, but please get in touch if you would like further copies. It is also available online at www.quaker.org.uk/militarism. In the autumn we will launch a resource pack that draws on case studies of action Quakers have already taken on militarisation. Perhaps you, your meeting or your peace group have been selling white poppies, held a peace vigil or given a talk on Armed Forces Day. Whatever form of witness you’ve been involved in we would love to hear from you. Alick Beale is Editorial Coordinator for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Sam Walton disarm@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1067 www.quaker.org.uk/disarm

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Supporting community projects that ‘do economics differently’ 6

Since 2010 small grants have been available for Quakerbacked sustainability initiatives. Sunniva Taylor explains why the remit has now been widened to include projects that take a fresh approach to economics. To create a more just and sustainable world we need a new approach to economics, and Quakers can play a role in developing a clear vision of an alternative economic system. The shape of this vision is still emerging, but we know that it is likely to be radically different to the economic system we currently live within, to be driven by moral values, and to involve a new way of relating both to each other and to the earth. However, neither we nor the other groups working for this vision have a blueprint for what it will be and how we will get there. So, though we can learn from research and debate, our progress has to come at least partly by just getting on with doing something here and now. This is why Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) is extending the remit of what were previously called ‘QPSW Sustainability Grants’ to fund projects that do economics

differently. To reflect the change we are renaming them ‘Sustainability and New Economy Grants’. In some ways this is not a radical change, as Sustainability Grants have previously gone to projects that fall within this area: for example, in 2013 we gave some seed funding to help set up a community renewable energy company in Exeter. All the projects QPSW has funded that build community around sustainability – such as food-growing projects – or demonstrate the desire for low-carbon living send out a signal that an alternative is possible. However, QPSW now hopes to give more support to projects that are actively trying to challenge the structures and relationships that hold up the current economic system, and that demonstrate the reality of an alternative. There are an increasing number of projects that are creating new economic structures, transactions and initiatives – think alternative

Applying for a grant

The relaunched Sustainability and New Economy Grants will be open for applications in April 2014, with £5,000 available for distribution. Projects applying for a grant must be initiated or supported by a Quaker meeting. More information about how to apply for grants is available at www.quaker.org.uk/ sustainability-grants.

currencies, community land trusts, cooperatives and sustainable food growing. In developing and participating in activities such as these we move a little closer to the vision and its reality; we withdraw support and power from oppressive structures, and we demonstrate that change is both possible and practical, and in doing so encourage others to try similar things. In her 2011 Swarthmore Lecture, Pam Lunn spoke about ‘practice’ in its various guises – spiritual, psychological, emotional and deeply practical. These grants are intended to support the practice of doing economics differently in the hope that this activity will help to realise a new economy, and to strengthen Quakers as we grapple with the other practices too. Sunniva Taylor is Sustainability & Peace Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain.

Disley Quaker Meeting received a QPSW Sustainability Grant in 2011 to help them increase the biodiversity of their garden and to create more possibilities to use it for social and educational purposes. Photo: Sarah Rowbotham

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Contact: Sunniva Taylor sunnivat@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1047 www.quaker.org.uk/sustainability

Prisoners are citizens too A new briefing paper outlines the issue of voting rights for prisoners in England, Scotland and Wales. Paula Harvey explains why this matters to Quakers, and why now is the time to try to influence government policy. People in UK prisons are citizens, not outcasts. They remain bound by the laws of the country, retain rights such as access to healthcare, and continue to pay tax on their savings and anything they earn during their sentence. And yet they are denied a key right of citizenship. Regardless of their offence or the length of their sentence, prisoners in England, Scotland and Wales cannot vote in local or national government elections. This situation is not the result of well-considered and reasoned decisions: it comes from piecemeal legislation introduced over the last 150 years. Because this affects all prisoners it constitutes a ‘blanket ban’, and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has more than once declared it illegal because it breaches the right to take part in free elections. The UK government disagrees and wants to maintain the ban, seeing it as part of the punishment. The government takes the line that offenders convicted of serious

crimes have lost the moral authority to vote. The Scottish government recently reconfirmed that prisoners cannot vote in the national referendum on independence. Why does it matter? Well, because the punishment of being sent to prison is the removal of liberty and it is no longer the practice to add more punishments, such as hard labour. Exercising responsibility is part of post-prison rehabilitation, and exercising one’s right to vote is part of the responsibility. Quakers believe that we are all unique, precious children of God, even those who have transgressed. Advices & queries encourages us to be “alert to practices here and throughout the world which discriminate against people on the basis of who or what they are or because of their beliefs. Bear witness to the humanity of all people, including those who break society’s conventions or its laws”. Quaker Peace & Social Witness’s Crime, Community and Justice Subcommittee began monitoring this issue in 2011, and has published an information briefing setting out how to take action. Now is the time to try to influence government policy on the voting rights of prisoners. Under pressure from the ECHR, the UK government has published a draft bill to give prisoners the right to vote. A joint committee of MPs and peers has looked at the bill and recommended that all prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or less should be entitled to vote in all UK parliamentary, local and European elections, and that other prisoners should be entitled to apply, six months

Quakers’ commitment to criminal justice

Quakers have a long-standing historic involvement with the criminal justice system on both sides of the bars. In the 17th century, early Quakers were imprisoned for their radical beliefs. Ever since, there has been a continuing concern for prisoners and the conditions in prisons, as exemplified in the prison reform work of Elizabeth Fry (1780–1845). This involvement continues into the present day with a commitment by Quakers to address the criminal justice system at all levels.

before their scheduled release date, to be registered to vote in the constituency into which they are due to be released. The bill does not go as far as we would like, but it is perhaps a good start. We hope you will encourage your parliamentarians to support the right of prisoners in England, Wales and Scotland to vote. To do this you can use our information briefing, which is available at www. quaker.org.uk/ccjg-briefings and from Paula Harvey (details below). Paula Harvey is Crime, Community and Justice Programme Manager for Quakers in Britain. Contact: Paula Harvey paulah@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1036 www.quaker.org.uk/ crime-community-justice Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

This light that pushes me 8

Quaker Peace & Social Witness supports Quakers and other peacebuilders in East Africa to challenge the root causes of violence in their communities. A new book and exhibition invite us to look into their eyes and learn their stories. Quaker Books has just launched a book that tells the personal stories of Quaker peacebuilders from nine countries in sub-Saharan Africa. This light that pushes me presents photographs and personal testimonies of 25 people who have chosen to pursue nonviolence, forgiveness and reconciliation over revenge, bitterness and violence. Having experienced the worst that human beings can do to one another, these peacebuilders are reaching out to their enemies, bringing conflicting sides together, and helping others to emerge from emotional trauma. They are doing this not in spite of what they have experienced, but because of it. Africa is home to the largest number of Quakers in the world, with well over 200,000 active members in 19 countries. The peacebuilders in the book are Quakers themselves, or are involved in Quaker peacebuilding work, most of it local and grassroots in nature. Woven into their stories is the belief that somewhere within our imperfect selves, however

Quaker News â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spring/summer 2014

hidden under layers of grief, loss, tragedy, hurt and disillusion, there is something good, something wise, something knowing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a divine kernel that pushes us to keep struggling to fix our broken world. As part of the launch of This light that pushes me, an exhibition featuring photographs and stories from the book will be hosted at Friends House, London, until 8 May. There will also be a film and discussion series on related themes. At a pilot showing of the exhibition in 2013, some visitors said that listening to the recorded audio of the peacebuilders while looking at the faces was like meeting them in person. Some have even written messages to individuals in the exhibition, prompting touching exchanges between strangers cultures apart. We hope the book and exhibition will help to raise the profile of African grassroots peace activists, some of whom are supported by Quakers in Britain through our East Africa Programme (see box on opposite page).

About the East Africa Programme

Our East Africa Programme supports African Quakers and other local peacebuilders to change the core conditions that lead to violent conflict. As part of that, we amplify grassroots voices that are too often silenced. We help to build local nonviolent movements for accountability in government and a just peace. We support projects in Kenya, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Find out more at www. quaker.org.uk/east-africa.

Participants look at a scaled down version of the exhibition during a Quaker Peace & Social Witness workshop in Pakistan, 2013. Photo: David Mowat

Get involved

“Someone can’t forgive with a broken heart. We need first to heal our wounds... then start the work of peace and reconciliation.” Cécile Nyiramana

This Light that Pushes Me

“A beautiful book... about the human capacity to give heart and soul to work for nonviolent change in the hardest of circumstances.” Simon Fisher, author and trainer co-founder of Responding to Conflict

Someone can’t forgive with a broken heart.

We need first to heal our wounds... then start the work of peace and reconciliation. Cécile Nyiramana

features peacebuilders from nine sub-Saharan African countries. All

“Here are the faces of our beloved community. Prepare to receive their gift and hold it close.” John Paul Lederach, Professor of International Peacebuilding Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame

are Quakers or involved in Quaker work and all have experienced some form of violence. Using photographs and personal testimonies, this book traces the journeys that have transformed that suffering

£12.00

the work of peace and reconciliation. Cécile Nyiramana This Light that Pushes Me features peacebuilders from nine sub-Saharan African countries. All

“A message about the human spirit’s capacity to seek love over hate, to turn darkness into light, to overcome adversity. It is a story of ordinary people – traditionally the weak, the powerless – becoming powerful in their own right.” Tim Langford, filmmaker “Here are the faces of our beloved community. Prepare to receive their gift and hold it close.” John Paul Lederach, Professor of International Peacebuilding Kroc Institute, University of Notre Dame

are Quakers or involved in Quaker work and all have experienced some Stories of African Peacebuilders

This Light that Pushes Me

Someone can’t forgive with a broken heart. We need first to heal our wounds... then start

form of violence. Using photographs

This Light that Pushes Me

£12.00

and personal testimonies, this book traces the journeys that

have transformed that suffering into a force for social change.

Stories of African Peacebuilders

into a force for social change.

This light that pushes me is available now in hardback, featuring 29 colour photos by professional photographer Nigel Downes, who kindly donated his time to the project.

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Stories of African Peacebuilders

“Extraordinary accounts of people who experienced the worst that a human can do, yet turned their suffering into grace, forgiveness and healing. Each story is an inspiration.” Carolyn Hayman, Chief Executive, Peace Direct

“A unique and innovative narrative on the human tragedies of armed conflict and how victims can defy the odds to rebuild their lives. Highly recommended reading for students and practitioners of conflict intervention and peacebuilding worldwide.” Professor Kenneth Omeje, Centre for African Studies University of Bradford “Extraordinary accounts of people who experienced the worst that a human can do, yet turned their suffering into grace, forgiveness and healing. Each story is an inspiration.” Carolyn Hayman, Chief Executive, Peace Direct

This Light that Pushes Me

Stories of African Peacebuilders

This Light that Pushes Me

Visit the exhibition at Friends House, London, between 2 April and 8 May – see www.quaker.org.uk/ africa-peacebuilders for full events listing ● Borrow a copy of the exhibition to show at your meeting house or a venue near you: 020 7663 1075; lauras@quaker.org.uk ● Buy the book, available from the Quaker Centre Bookshop for £12: www.quaker.org.uk/shop; 020 7663 1030 ● Listen to audio recordings of five of the peacebuilders’ stories. Visit www.quaker. org.uk/peacebuilder-stories This Light or use your smartphone to that Pushes Me scan the QR code below ● Contribute financially to help sustain our work in East Africa: www.quaker. org.uk/donate. ●

Being a Quaker community today 10

John Gray sets out some of the thinking behind a new resource being developed to help Quakers in Britain explore their shared spiritual life and the ways in which they connect with their local communities. Quaker Life believes that developing spiritual depth as individuals and as meeting communities is what will enable the Religious Society of Friends in Britain to grow and flourish. We also believe that Quakerism has something vital to offer those seeking meaning or spiritual community but who do not find a home within mainstream churches. We are exploring new ways of organising, worshipping and being a community together that will allow us to be more accessible and responsive to seekers and enquirers, especially families with children, whilst remaining authentically Quaker. We are learning about effective outreach and its relationship to the shared life of our meetings. A review of Quaker Week 2011 noted the strong connection between our spiritual lives, a spiritually grounded, engaged Quaker community, and effective outreach. How do we understand and connect with the communities that surround our local Quaker meetings? Are meetings interested

in being more open and creative about who we regard as being members of the local Quaker community? And how could we be encouraged to experiment? One recent example of Quaker Life’s work has been exploring how to expand local meetings’ engagement with children in their community. Two thirds of local meetings in Britain have no children’s meeting. A 2011 report by Simon Best, Meetings engaging with children, young people and families, noted a rigidity of thinking within some meetings about how worship is regarded, particularly all-age worship and the timing of worship. The report threw down a challenge, contrasting modern Quaker attitudes with those of the 1650s, which generated forms of worship relevant to the seekers of the time. If you were creating new ways for those outside your Quaker community to encounter Quaker worship, what for you would be the essentials of Quakerism that you’d want to build into those new ways? It’s likely that for most Quakers,

About Quaker Life

Quaker Life is a central committee and department of Britain Yearly Meeting. It works with Quakers in their meetings and with local and national committees to help deepen the spiritual lives of Quakers and Quaker meetings, and to enlarge our worshipping community.

‘essential’ Quakerism isn’t about the length of a meeting for worship, or the day of the week it takes place, or existence of roles such as clerks, elders and overseers. Probably more likely are essentials such as a direct and transforming encounter with the divine through stillness and waiting; a community united in seeking deeper spiritual truths; a community in which all are equally valued for who they are. Quaker Life is producing a resource to help Quakers and meetings explore the issues, questions and challenges raised in this article. The resource will offer a process and tools for a journey of reflection and discovery. If you or your meeting have reflections or experiences that could feed into the development of this resource, we’d love to hear them. You can also contact us to register your interest in receiving a copy of the resource when it is published later this year. Contact: Richard Summers richards@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1096 www.quaker.org.uk/quaker-life

Witney Quaker Meeting. Photo: Mike Pinches

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Are Quakers in Britain saying Jesus was wrong? FAQs on same-sex marriage Quakers in Britain have taken a clear and very public position on same-sex marriage – but not all churches share this view. Marigold Bentley reports on an online resource to help Quakers discuss this issue with people of other faiths. Why did Britain Yearly Meeting decide to recognise same-sex marriage? Do all Quakers in Britain feel this way? Are Quakers saying that Jesus was wrong? Does Britain Yearly Meeting think that the other churches are wrong? These are just some of the questions that Quakers might be asked about same-sex marriage. Since the decision by Yearly Meeting in 2009 to treat same-sex and opposite-sex committed relationships in the same way, our work to advocate for the legal recognition of same-sex marriage has been high-profile and brought us lots of media attention. Friends serving in interchurch or interfaith roles are especially likely to come across these questions, and they must be answered with tenderness. Being able to speak to other faith communities with a confident Quaker voice can be a joy, but it can also be challenging. Aware that the 2009 decision was causing some conflict between Quakers and church bodies, the Quaker Committee for Christian

& Interfaith Relations (QCCIR) decided in 2012 to embark on an exercise to identify some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about same-sex marriage that Quakers were grappling with. It was QCCIR that drafted the text for the booklet We are but witnesses immediately following the 2009 decision. This was primarily intended to help non-Quakers to understand the decision, but it was taken up by Meeting for Sufferings – the national representative body for Quakers in Britain – and widely distributed throughout the yearly meeting. It continues to be used by Quakers as an explanatory document. Compiling the FAQs proved to be a deeply challenging task. Questions were collated from Quakers and choices made about which to include. QCCIR enlisted help from a Quaker theologian. After much soul-searching and fine tuning of text, the committee finally reached the point at which the FAQs were considered good enough to be placed on the web.

About QCCIR

Quakers in Britain as a faith community has formal relationships with other churches and faiths at a national level through bodies known as ‘ecumenical instruments’ in England, Wales and Scotland. Quaker Committee for Christian & Interfaith Relations (QCCIR) is the Quaker committee responsible for engaging with these and with Churches Together in Britain & Ireland.

It has been striking how the process of working on the FAQs has enabled the committee to spiritually grow together. Feedback on the FAQs from Frank Kantor, General Secretary of the Free Churches, shows that they are appreciated – even by those who do not agree with us on this issue: “Whilst I do not support the Quaker position on same-sex marriage, the wisdom and grace with which your committee has engaged with these sensitive and potentially divisive questions is most commendable.” You can see the FAQs at www.quaker.org.uk/ same-sex-marriage-key-questions. Marigold Bentley is Secretary to Quaker Committee for Christian & Interfaith Relations. Contact: Marigold Bentley marigoldb@quaker.org.uk 020 7663 1060 www.quaker.org.uk/qccir

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

News in brief 12

Same-sex marriage legislation update

Quakers in Britain warmly welcomed the overwhelming support given on 4 February by MSPs to the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill. This will allow Quakers to marry same-sex couples in Quaker meeting houses in Scotland. Under the bill, religious bodies will opt in to perform same-sex ceremonies. Phil Lucas of General Meeting for Scotland said: “Scottish Quakers are delighted that this bill has been passed which will bring marriage equality to Scotland, which we have been working towards.” Meanwhile in England and Wales, same-sex marriages have been possible since 29 March. Quakers rejoiced with one Quaker couple whose marriage in Canada is now legally recognised here. However, those wanting to convert their civil partnership to marriage have to wait for secondary legislation, expected by the end of the year. Quakers have questioned government ministers on this delay. Follow Quaker support for same-sex marriage at www.quaker. org.uk/equal-marriage.

A rare opportunity to shape UK nuclear weapons policy

If you or your meeting are concerned about nuclear weapons, now is the time to write to your MP.

A Trident nuclear submarine. Photo: Fossni Photographic Section, NAT/MOD

Quaker News – Spring/Summer 2014

With a general election coming up in May 2015, the political parties are drawing up policies now that will dictate whether or not Britain replaces its Trident nuclear weapons system. If we don’t want a new generation of nuclear weapons, we need to influence those policies. “It is the first time in a couple of generations that there will be an election prior to such a major decision on Britain’s nuclear weapons,” says Paul Ingram, Executive Director of the British American Security Information Council. “Now is our golden window of opportunity.” A briefing paper is available to help you engage with this issue, and contains a draft letter to send to your MP. Visit www.quaker.org. uk/disarm to download it or call Jessica Metheringham on 020 7663 1107 to request a paper copy.

The T-shirt that helps to bust economic myths Lancaster Quakers have created a T-shirt that raises the issue of welfare. They were inspired by taking part in the Economic Mythbusters course, which Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) helped to organise last summer in partnership with the New Economics Foundation (NEF). The design of the T-shirt is based on a graphic created by NEF. It questions the ‘strivers versus skivers’ myth by showing that the able unemployed account for only 2.6% of the UK’s social security spending – almost three times as much is paid to people who are in work but don’t earn enough to afford the basic costs of living. After a limited initial run by Lancaster Quakers, QPSW has had the T-shirts produced in bulk and they can now be purchased from the Quaker Centre Bookshop for £5 each including P&P. Phone 020 7663 1030 or email quakercentre@ quaker.org.uk to place an order.

Quaker group-buying power supports renewable energy

A scheme launched earlier this year will help Quaker meeting houses, churches and charities to buy renewable energy collectively. Members of the Renewable Energy Group Buying Initiative (REGBI) can buy 100% renewable electricity on an annual joint contract, showing support for renewables while also keeping costs down by benefiting from group-purchasing discounts. The idea behind the REGBI scheme started at a local Quaker meeting. It is administered by 2buy2, a procurement service that helps churches and charities save money. Friends House in London and 37 Quaker meeting houses have joined the scheme. It is hoped that REGBI’s group-buying power will grow as more meeting houses, church buildings and charities sign up each year. Chayley Collis, a member of Huddersfield Quaker Meeting who helped initiate the scheme, said: “We think REGBI may be the first time group-purchasing power has been used to support 100% renewable electricity in the UK. We wanted to make a strong commitment to renewable energy sources and to demonstrate the widespread support there is for clean energy in the UK.” Visit www.2buy2.com/regbi to find out more about the scheme.

What has Meeting for Sufferings ever done for us?

Meeting for Sufferings is the standing representative body of Quakers in Britain. Now almost 340 years old, it has moved on from its original purpose of recording and seeking to alleviate the persecution of early Quakers and fulfils a ‘visionary and prophetic role’ for Quakers in Britain. But what does that mean in real life? The clerks and arrangements group of Meeting for Sufferings will be travelling the country this year and next, meeting Quakers locally. We are working with local Quaker groups to organise regional events with the aim of strengthening the link between local Quakers and Meeting for Sufferings. The events will cover what Meeting for Sufferings is, and why it matters; how it works, and what happens when area meetings send minutes. They are also a chance for local Quakers to shape ways that Meeting for Sufferings will work in future. This year, events will take place in Scotland and North and South Wales, as well as in East Anglia and North-West, North-East, Central and South-East England. If you would be interested in attending one of these events, or could organise one in your area – or if you would simply like to know more – please contact Juliet Prager, Deputy Recording Clerk, by email at julietp@quaker.org.uk or by phone on 020 7663 1101.

Classic book shows conflict through fairytale mirror

Quaker Books has just released a new edition of Once upon a conflict by Tom Leimdorfer. Subtitled ‘A fairytale manual of conflict resolution’, the book uses familiar stories to help readers explore the nature of conflict and find ways to handle it constructively. The book was first published by Quaker Books in 1992 and is back by popular demand. Tom Leimdorfer is a former head of Sidcot Quaker School and has also worked for Quakers on issues of conflict and peacebuilding in Croatia, the former Soviet Union and his native Hungary. Once upon a conflict is inspired

by Tom’s belief that, while we can’t individually put an end to oppression and violent conflict, we can all be agents of change. It is available from the Quaker Centre Bookshop, priced at £4. Visit www. quaker.org.uk/shop or phone 020 7663 1030 to order your copy.

shape their work to strengthen and support local meetings. Lizzie Rosewood is Programme Developer for the Vibrancy in Meetings initiative. She has developed some initial proposals and is now at the stage of consulting Quaker meetings. Getting input from local and area meetings is vital in order to shape a programme that meets their needs. If your meeting would like to be part of this exciting process – to help design an initiative to bring vibrancy to our yearly meeting – please contact Lizzie at lizzier@ quaker.org.uk or write to her at Friends House, 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ.

Quaker Week theme for 2014 – Let your life speak

Support for Quakers involved with safeguarding

A weekend residential event for area meeting safeguarding coordinators will take place on 26–28 September 2014 in Felden Lodge, Hertfordshire. It will be run by Michael Booth and Chris Nickolay, the Britain Yearly Meeting Safeguarding Officer and deputy. Together with the Quaker Life Network Safeguarding Cluster, this is a way that Britain Yearly Meeting supports Friends in meeting their spiritual and legal responsibilities towards safeguarding children and adults from harm. If you would like to find out more about the event or about safeguarding, please contact Michael Booth on 020 7663 1023 or at michaelsb@quaker.org.uk.

Quaker Week this year will run from 4–12 October and our theme is ‘Let your life speak’. We are producing a new set of posters showing a variety of ways in which Quakers live out their faith in the world, both in campaigning and direct action as well as through the choices and decisions of their day-to-day lives. The posters, and a new catalogue of resources, will be available from the end of May. For further details contact outreach@quaker.org.uk or telephone 020 7663 1017.

2013 annual report out soon

Britain Yearly Meeting’s 2013 Annual report and Financial statements will be published in the spring. These documents report on the finances of our charitable organisation and the work it does on behalf of all Quakers in Britain. Copies will be sent to all Quaker meetings. You can read them online at www.quaker.org.uk/annualreport or request print copies by emailing publications@quaker.org.uk.

Vibrancy initiative seeks input from Quaker meetings

‘Vibrancy in Meetings’ is a project that aims to create support structures that will enable Quaker meetings in Britain to be more positive, coherent, confident and sustainable. A joint initiative of Britain Yearly Meeting and Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre, it will help both organisations to Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Getting ready for Yearly Meeting Gathering 14

In August hundreds of Quakers of all ages and from across Britain will form a vibrant community at Yearly Meeting Gathering in Bath. Colin Billett looks at how we can prepare and participate, even if we will not be there in person. Are you coming to Yearly Meeting Gathering? Have you booked your place and planned your journey by bus, bike or boat? Plans are coming to fruition, but now is the time for each of us to start the real preparation – what do you need to do to make this event one of joy and celebration, of discernment and vision, and to ensure “that good order, true love, unity and concord may be faithfully followed and maintained among all of us” (Quaker faith & practice 6.03)? Even if you can’t be with us in person, there is plenty you can do to share the preparation, and there will be opportunities to experience much of the gathering. We can all support one another in the spiritual preparation, in considering our continuing theme of what it means to be a Quaker today, with a focus on commitment and belonging. How does membership affect our feelings of commitment? Does being a member change our sense of belonging? And in what ways does membership enhance our spiritual journeys? If we hope to share our

responses to these questions, the time to start considering our own reflections is now, in our own hearts and minds and within our meetings. Have you made plans to share your spiritual journey? Part of the function of Yearly Meeting is to hear from the governance bodies that are accountable to us. Meeting for Sufferings will be reporting on its work, seeking a decision on the proposal to initiate the process of the revision of Quaker faith & practice, and updating us on the progress of the Minute 36 Commitment Group. Our trustees will report on the centrally managed work over the last year and show a short film about it, which will be made available to those at home. Quaker Stewardship Committee will bring us up to date with its work. Do you or your meeting have questions about these bodies’ work to bring to the gathering? Alongside our inward deliberations, we will also be looking forward to our next theme, that of living out our faith in the world. How does our faith manifest

Friends at the last Yearly Meeting Gathering in Canterbury, 2011. Photo: Mike Pinches

Quaker News – Spring/summer 2014

Yearly Meeting Gathering Yearly Meeting Gathering takes place every three years. It brings together Quakers and their families for a week of worship, learning, celebration, fun, spiritual growth, and Quaker business. This year it takes place at the University of Bath from 2–9 August.

itself in action, and what is our witness today? What is happening, and perhaps changing, in your life and that of your meeting? Consider these questions beforehand and come with heart and mind prepared. We shall also be looking backwards, to 1914, when Quakers faced such immensely difficult decisions. Bath will be a time to reaffirm our commitment to building peace in the world. The Children and Young People’s programmes will be a central and vibrant part of the gathering, and already we have more people booked onto them this year than ever before. The programmes will encourage spiritual and personal growth in age-appropriate ways, giving some participants the chance to join the adults for Yearly Meeting sessions. Throughout the week there will be activities, events and sessions that will inform, interest and challenge us. One of these will be the Swarthmore Lecture, which will be available to listen to at home or in meetings from the Sunday evening. Ben Pink Dandelion will call upon Quakers to return to a transforming and transformational faith. Will you be prepared, at Bath and beyond, to reflect on that call?

Willingness to serve could be your spiritual gift Contribute to Quaker work

Join the Quaker Life Network: phone 020 7663 1007, email qlnetwork@quaker.org.uk or visit www.quaker.org.uk/ qlnetwork. 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 A group of Friends meet to discuss Quaker business. The centrally managed work of Quakers in Britain is governed by ordinary Quakers serving on committees.

You could have a part to play in supporting the work you read about in Quaker News. This work, done on behalf of Quakers in Britain, is all under the care of Quaker process. Quakers from around Britain form the committees and working groups that take responsibility for the Quaker work undertaken at national level. We are seeking Friends who are willing to offer to serve the Society in this way – a wide variety of skills, talents and experience is needed. Those already involved often find that this work brings them new opportunities for spiritual development. As with appointments made locally, nominations committees meet to discern who should be approached to serve in these roles. It’s important therefore that we get to know Friends to understand their gifts and consider how they, as well as we, could benefit from their service. Willingness to serve is just one such gift! In order to help the various nominations committees get to know Friends, there has long been a Quaker Service Information form – known as the ‘yellow form’ –

in use. This enables you to let us know a little about yourself. An online version of the form was launched last year and the paper form is in the process of being updated and improved. Members of the Quaker Life Network are helping with a test run of the revised paper form. To do this they will be asking a Friend or two in their area to offer service to the yearly meeting and to give feedback on their experience of completing the revised form. We hope you will respond positively if you are approached! If you are willing to offer service to Britain Yearly Meeting you can complete the Quaker Service Information form online at www. quaker.org.uk/service or request a paper copy using the contact details below. You can also join the Quaker Life Network for information about other opportunities to get involved (see ‘Contribute to Quaker work’ box on right). For more information about Quaker service or the Britain Yearly Meeting nominations process contact the Quaker Service Team at nominations@quaker.org.uk or on 020 7663 1121.

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, update your subscription details or request paper back issues by contacting Eudora Ralph Pascall on 020 7663 1019 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 – Spring/summer 2014

Quakers: committed to caring for peace and planet 16

Meet Barbara Windle

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 – Spring/summer 2014

Barbara Windle is a member of York Area Meeting. She is a Friends World Committee for Consultation representative and spent six years serving on Quaker Life Central Committee. She writes about what being a Quaker means to her and the experience of committee service. I became a Quaker in my late thirties, after years assuming that organised religion had no place for my sceptically free-thinking theology. I can only signpost something of what being Quaker means to me. It allows me a God stripped of simplistic miraculous answers and expects me to be adult, learning for myself but in company with equals. Quaker revelation is continuing, not static, so it can balance steadfastness with change. It rigorously tests ‘new light’, without discouraging fresh growth. By not ossifying past insights, it keeps the original spirit intact – and can surprise itself and the world. I love the Quaker emphasis on being and doing. This keeps me on my toes, constantly demanding that I go beyond previous limits, yet allowing me to be myself. I love both my local and area meeting and the opportunity of wider work. The broader context helps me see how different elements fit together to ground Quaker witness. After six years serving on Quaker Life Central Committee, I marvel at how much local work it strengthens. ‘Support

for meetings’ sounds nothing, but think of all that material (and training with Woodbrooke) for eldership and oversight, resources for children and young people, safeguarding advice, Quaker Week preparations and outreach initiatives, help around Quaker employment, the Quaker Life Network, Friends House Library, Quaker Voices – and that’s not all! Working with Quaker Life has been an exciting, eye-opening privilege and so is being a Friends World Committee representative. It encourages me to see our Quaker world whole and link with others whose worship and background may diverge far from mine but who “feel the same Spirit that I do” (Isaac Penington). Quaker service often requires more than one expects but it gives great joy and satisfaction. And it sends me home enthusiastic to offer support there and, I hope, better equipped to be useful. If you would be interested in serving on a Quaker committee, please phone 020 7663 1121, email nominations@quaker.org.uk or visit www.quaker.org.uk/ quaker-service.