Issue 22-05-2015
Featured story
Thought for the Week: An encounter
‘Are you open to new light from whatever source it may come?’ Advices & queries 7 The Friend had arrived on a recent Thursday morning, and I had read the letters page over breakfast. A phrase in one of the letters stayed with me: it was ‘The Light of Christ is...
Top stories
Peaks and troughs
Children of prisoners, building the city of restorative justice, three examples of restorative justice in practice, and the principles on the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officers were four of the topics that involved the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) Quaker team attending the thirteenth UN...
A radical reformation
When I read a report from Meeting for Sufferings about proposed ‘regional gatherings’ ‘my heart did leap for joy’. I feel that the salvation and future for Quakers in Britain will only come about through this development. What does this mean in terms of real and appropriate accomplishment to improve...
Heart, head and hands
We are living in interesting times. The present world situation shows the worst and the best of the human experiment. Fortunately, within Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM), there is a lot happening. This includes good initiatives from Quaker Life (such as New Expressions) and Quaker Peace & Social Witness (such as...
Conscientious objectors remembered
Friends across Britain marked International Conscientious Objectors’ Day on 15 May. Liverpool Quaker Peace Group and Merseyside Peace Network organised a stall, where they drew attention to the fact that ‘conscription is still a reality in many countries’. Edward Bruce, convenor of the Peace Group, said: ‘We have found it so...
Friend highlights concern over palm oil
Banbury Friend Maria Huff is backing an online petition that highlights a concern over how palm oil is produced. She is also concerned about the association of the word ‘Quaker’ with this.
All articles
Campaign highlights plight of conscientious objectors
War Resisters’ International marked International Conscientious Objectors’ Day on 15 May by launching a campaign on behalf of the six hundred conscientious objectors (COs) imprisoned in South Korea.
QCEA quizzes the EU on the Mediterranean crisis
Friends participating in a Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) study tour took advantage of a visit to the Council of the European Union to question officials about Europe’s response to the ongoing crisis in the Mediterranean.
JRCT grant to strengthen Quaker values in Europe
The shared identity of Friends in Europe is being strengthened by a grant from the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust (JRCT). The grant was awarded to the Europe and Middle East Section of Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC/EMES) and will cover a period of three years.
Canadian Friends tackle ‘hate crime’ rumours
Canadian Quakers were mentioned in a recent Canadian Broadcasting Corporation report which stated that the country’s government ‘is signalling its intention to use hate crime laws against Canadian advocacy groups that encourage boycotts of Israel’.
Friends sign up to Alzheimer’s initiative
Twenty-two Quakers from New Earswick have volunteered to take part in an Alzheimer’s Society initiative designed to challenge how society thinks, talks and acts about dementia.
QSA project in running for award
Quaker Social Action (QSA)’s Homestore project has been nominated for an Aviva Community Fund award. The fund will be awarded to an organisation that has made a positive difference to its community. The winner is chosen by a combination of public votes and a judging panel. It is worth £25,000,...
Edinburgh University held to account over divestment
Students at the University of Edinburgh reacted with dismay to the news that the university had stopped short of divesting from fossil fuels. The University of Edinburgh announced last week that it ‘has committed to a change of fossil fuel investment policy’. This means that it will not divest, but â€...
Turning the tide of injustice
‘Making change happen’ was the theme of the Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) Annual Spring Conference, held at Hayes Conference Centre in Swanwick, Derbyshire, from 13 to 15 March this year. The focus of the gathering was on how QPSW, and particularly the Turning the Tide (TTT) programme, make change happen....
Vocal ministry
Does vocal ministry come from God or from the Friend who speaks it? How does it happen? Is it distinctive from utterances made at other times? How do we recognise ‘true’ ministry? Should we treat it as having a ‘special authority’? These were some of the questions addressed by a...
Eye - 22 May 2015
Exeter Quakers stand out Sheets and marker pens have inspired some industrious activity in Exeter Meeting. It all began when a group of Friends decided to join the ‘Wrap Up Trident’ demonstration, held in London on 24 January. The group decided against carrying the large Meeting banner and poles, which left...
Letters - 22 May 2015
Some are more equal than others At one of the special interest groups of the recent Yearly Meeting (YM) a politician’s name was mentioned and elicited both boos and hisses. This upset a friend of mine so much that she may not come to YM again. It seems inappropriate...