Latest News
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Taking the equality challenge
The decision to accept this honour was not easy and has involved considerable soul searching. As a Quaker, I am called upon to witness to our Testimony of Equality and this is what compelled me to go to Riga PRIDE 2007 and the subsequent PRIDE parades in Central & Eastern… -
Quakers at Eurosatory
Around twenty Quakers from across Europe witnessed at the Eurosatory arms fair near Paris this week, dressed in white and declaring that ‘War is not the Answer’.
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Muswell Hill centenary
The first of our celebrations to mark 100 years of Friends in Muswell Hill was held on the weekend of 12 to 13 June. On the Saturday we had a garden party in our pretty organic garden, the pond on the left of the photo being an inspired solution to…
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Palestinian Quaker wins prestigious prize
This year's Anna Lindh Memorial Fund Prize has been awarded to Palestinian Quaker Jean Zaru. Six members of Sweden Yearly Meeting attended the prize-giving ceremony in Stockholm on 10 June. On introducing Jean Zaru, the former archbishop of Sweden, KG Hammar, referred to Jean’s life and steadfast work for peace…
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News in brief
Quaker House Belfast Meting for Worship A special Meeting for Worship to lay down and celebrate the work of Quaker House, Belfast, was held at Frederick Street Meeting House on Saturday 5 June. People associated with the project came from all over Britain and Ireland to worship and to share…
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Nuclear conference reaches agreement
A month-long United Nations conference to review progress on disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons ended with agreement to move forward in a number of areas. A breakthrough came when states agreed to convene a conference in 2012 aimed at achieving a Middle East free of weapons of mass destruction,…
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Sex and the Spirit
We arrived for ‘Sex and the Spirit’ weekend at Woodbrooke apprehensively. Would we be obliged to share aspects of our lives that we would rather remain private? Were we about to be sold a particular message with which we might not agree? Would the event be grounded in Quaker testimonies,…
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Britain Yearly Meeting Epistle
To all Friends everywhere, We send you loving greetings from Britain Yearly Meeting, held from 28th to 31st May 2010. Quakers of all ages from Britain and other yearly meetings gathered at Friends House London. It has been a joy to ‘see one another’s faces’ and to bring the spirit… -
Inspiration follows routine business
The first session of Yearly Meeting is usually fairly routine: formal acceptance of the appointments in Documents in Advance and any supplements. Martin Ward stepped away from the table as newly appointed clerk Lis Burch replaced him. Chris Skidmore is the first assistant clerk and Julia Gordon second assistant. -
Journalists at Yearly Meeting?
‘Those who came to mock remained to pray.’ A paraphrased quote from Oliver Goldsmith provoked a wonderful fellowship of laughter late on Monday morning. The question of whether journalists should be allowed into sessions of Yearly Meeting had produced plenty of interesting, thoughtful and challenging views… and the odd laugh.…
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