Latest News
The Friend launches 1914-18 Digital Archive appeal
This issue of the Friend contains an appeal letter for our exciting new project to make all copies of the Friend from world war one available online. They are a treasure trove of British social history and offer a fascinating insight into the life and witness of Friends at...
Stories of COs to be celebrated
Quakers around the country are to launch a four-year project to tell the suppressed stories of world war one conscientious objectors on May 15, International Conscientious Objectors’ Day. The launch, at Friends House in London, will be hosted by writer and broadcaster Geoffrey Durham and Ruth Cadbury, prospective parliamentary candidate...
Bruce Kent campaigns against Trident at Darlington FMH
Bruce Kent, the veteran campaigner for peace and social justice issues, spoke at Darlington Friends Meeting House (FMH) on 23 April. It was part of his national speaking tour seeking to galvanise people to oppose spending £100 billion on renewing the Trident nuclear submarine programme.
Ireland YM public lecture
The idea of acting on principle rather than consequence was explored by Ian Kirk-Smith in this year’s public lecture at Ireland Yearly Meeting held at The King’s Hospital School in Dublin from 24 to 27 April. Ian, who is editor of the Friend, talked about his life as a...
Petition asks for end to Eurosatory
An online petition has been launch by a collective of concerned groups asking for the closure of the Eurosatory arms fair. The collective ‘No Eurosatory 2014’ includes Movement Quakers France, the International Fellowship of Reconciliation, the Network Franciscan Gubbio, Pax Christi and other pacifist groups. Eurosatory, scheduled to run from 16...
Sustainable security blog re-launched
The Oxford Research Group have re-launched its blog Sustainable.Security.org. The blog was initiated to create a space to develop a better understanding of modern insecurity within a ‘sustainable security’ framework. It emphasises the need for integrated and preventative approaches to the complex security challenges of today.
Friends to protest at Eurosatory
French Quakers will again be holding a peace witness at the Eurosatory arms fair on the outskirts of Paris this June. The fair, held this year between 16 and 20 June, is the ‘second largest international land and air-land defence and security exhibition’ in the world. In 2012 some 1,432 companies exhibited and...
Meeting for Sufferings: Quakers to stop offering civil partnerships
Same sex Quaker weddings will, henceforth, be registered as religious marriages and no civil partnership option will be offered, it was decided at Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) on Saturday 5 April. In 2012 MfS accepted the registration of religious premises for civil partnerships as a first step towards a change in...
Militarism report published
The growing militarisation of British society in recent years has been highlighted in a new report published by Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW). Sam Walton, who wrote the report, entitled The new tide of militarisation, said that although militarism has always been an aspect of British society it...
Quaker young people living adventurously
Tuesday 14 April marked the start of the Quaker Tall Ship event for young people aged 14 to 17 from across Britain Yearly Meeting. This event, planned over the last eighteen months, sees forty young people, seven adult volunteers and one member of the children and young people staff become the crew of...