Friends Journal .... a Quaker perspective ... September 1, 2018

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​​​​​​​ A Quaker Perspective on Hope by Kate Davies Oné gloomy fall day in the early 1980s, I was on a tour of the infamous toxic waste dump in Love Canal, New York, with government officials from Canada and the United States. The dump’s contaminants were leaking into the Niagara River, and hence into Lake Ontario, the source of drinking water for 40 million Americans and Canadians. Needless to say, this was causing widespread alarm on both sides of the border, and, as an environmental policy analyst for the city of Toronto, my job was to prepare an appropriate response for the city council. By that time, all the local residents had been evacuated, and there was a high chain link fence surrounding the site with large warning signs every hundred yards proclaiming “DANGER: HAZARDOUS WASTE AREA. UNAUTHORIZED PERSONNEL KEEP OUT” in big red and black capital letters. Looking through the fence, I could see rows of boarded up houses and empty streets. The silence was palpable, and I felt overwhelmed as I looked at the poisoned earth and the uninhabited neighborhood. The knowledge that the children were most seriously affected, combined with the fact that there were hundreds of other abandoned sites leaking contaminants into the river and the lake, became too much to bear. Looking back... Read More

Kate Davies is a member of Whidbey Island (Wash.) Meeting and author of Intrinsic Hope: Living Courageously in Troubled Times. She is also senior fellow at the Whidbey Institute and professor emeritus at Antioch University. Share:     Related reading  Say the Wrong Thing: Stories and Strategies for Racial Justice and Authentic Community By Dr. Amanda Kemp. Joy Will Come Press, 2016. 46 pages. $20/paperback; $9.99/eBook. Turn a corner these days, and you will run into a new book on racism. Many of them will offer you a thought-provoking ride. What makes Amanda Kemp stand out in the heart and mind of this… A Quaker Argument against Gun Control When good intentions have unintended consequences. PODCAST AVAILABLE. Quaker House at the United Nations Imagine you are in the living room of your home. Now imagine the same scene, except that in addition to you, the room is filled with diplomats from around the world who represent their countries at the United Nations. I don't have to imagine this —I see it on a…

Practising the future togetherr

From Quakers at Pendle Hill,

Wallingford, Pennsylvania, USA

Spirituality/Secularism in the Parliament of Australia

 The Greens senator Lee Rhiannon wants the Lord’s prayer to be replaced by a secular statement. 

Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

The Lord’s prayer would be abolished from the start of Senate sittings and replaced by a statement that includes religious and non-religious beliefs, under a push instigated by the Greens.

On Wednesday the Greens senator Lee Rhiannon will move a motion for a Senate inquiry into the proposed alternative: “Senators, let us in silence pray or reflect upon our responsibilities to all people of Australia and to future generations.”

The move is supported in a letter signed by progressive religious leaders including Fr Rod Bower, of the Anglican parish of Gosford, the reverend Margaret Mayman, of Pitt St Uniting church, and rabbi Jeffrey Kamins of the Temple Emanuel at Woollahra.

Guardian Australia understands the Greens believe they have enough support to set up an inquiry. Senators Stirling Griff and Rex Patrick confirmed Centre Alliance will support the motion, although Patrick noted this is “not the same thing as supporting replacing the prayer”.

Griff suggested the alternative prayer “ensures the moment is more relevant and personal for the individual”.

Senate sittings begin with the Lord’s prayer, a Christian prayer including the words “our father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name”.

Rhiannon said the statement that opens parliament “should be inclusive of people of all beliefs and faiths”.

 Battle lines drawn as Turnbull and Shorten try out election rallying cries

Katharine Murphy

Read more

“The Greens are suggesting the proposed new opening statement be referred to the Senate’s procedure committee for a public inquiry that better reflects the secular nature of our country and our parliament,” she said.

“A secular nation like Australia should be free from religious bias and not impose religious influence on citizens or parliamentarians.

“We should work for religious tolerance in the structures of government.”

Mayman said it was “time for the Senate to move on from an opening prayer that belongs to the era when Christianity as the majority religion in Australia was given precedence over other faiths and belief systems”.

“It is time to embrace words that are inclusive and respectful of religious diversity,” she said.

“The archaic language of the current prayer suggests that religious ideas are anachronistic and irrelevant in a pluralistic society.

“The use of the Lord’s prayer is not respectful of Christian faith, as it reduces the prayer that Jesus taught his followers to pray to a rote recitation in this context.”

The letter signed by religious leaders notes the Australian Capital Territory’s legislative assembly begins with a similar non-denominational statement.

“We believe this statement more accurately reflects the multicultural nature of our diverse communities,” it said.

The letter was signed by the Tibetan Buddhist Society of Canberra, the Lebanese Muslim Association at Lakemba and the Quakers at Surry Hills.

The Religious Society of Friends, Peace and Social Justice

This article has come from the journal, The Friend, which is published by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain.

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‘Conchies’ play goes to Edinburgh Fringe

31 May 2018 | by Rebecca Hardy

A play about a community of conscientious objectors will be performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival

A scene from the play. | Photo: Courtesy of Ian Sharp.

A Lincolnshire pacifist community that included several Quakers 

is the subject of a play being taken to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

Ian Sharp’s play Remembrance, which premiered last year, tells the story of a community of conscientious objectors (COs) that grew up around the villages of Legsby and Holton-cum-Beckering during the second world war.

The production will be presented at Edinburgh Meeting House and has Quakers in the cast, including the ninety-nine-year-old sole surviving CO of the community, Donald Sutherland.

Playwright Ian Sharp told the Friend: ‘The play is based on several interviews I did with surviving members over many years and some from the 1980s that I stumbled on. It tells the story of the community, its ideals and how the community broke up, mainly via their testimonies and with other scenes. One of our cast is the son of two “Conchies”. as they were called.’

Remembrance premiered last December at the Broadbent Theatre in Wickenby, where it sold out for three nights. One of the performances was specifically for people with family connections to the conscientious objectors, including musician Damon Albarn, whose grandfather was a member, and the actor Jim Broadbent, whose father Roy founded the Legsby community.

Ian Sharp said: ‘There wasn’t a dry eye in the house.’

Another member was Francis Cammaerts, who later become a key figure in the French resistance movement. His nephew is Michael Morpurgo, author of War Horse.

... those quirky Quakers are at it again!

Quakers to ‘drop God’?

10 May 2018 | by The Friend Newsdesk

Friends featured in the national news last week

Quakers were in the national news last week with articles appearing in two leading newspapers stating that Friends in Britain were considering ‘dropping God’ from a newly revised Quaker faith & practice (Qf&p).

The first report in the Times, headlined ‘Quakers may cut out God in faith update’, began: ‘References to God could be reduced or removed from the Quakers’ main book of guidance as part of a “once in a generation” update to the faith’s teachings.’

This was followed two days later with an opinion piece by Simon Jenkins in the Guardian, ‘The Quakers are right. We don’t need God’, in which he wrote: ‘The Quakers are clearly on to something. At their annual get-together this weekend they are reportedly thinking of dropping God from their “guidance to meetings”.’

The articles followed a press release issued on 29 April by Quakers in Britain. This, highlighting the forthcoming Yearly Meeting of Friends in London, did not mention removing any reference to God. It stated: ‘More than one thousand Quakers from across Britain are heading to London next week for Yearly Meeting. They may decide to re-write “Quaker Faith and Practice”… Each new generation of Quakers has revised the book. A new revision may help it speak to younger Quakers.’

Paul Parker, recording clerk, was interviewed by Justin Webb on the Today programme on 7 May. He said: ‘God is pretty important in religions but I do not think we are about to do away with God at all’. He explained that Friends have been asking ‘what is the right language to talk about religious experience today?’ and said Quakers use a number of terms to describe their spiritual experience. ‘We don’t try to impose any beliefs on people… you can only speak with integrity if you have experienced something yourself.’ He also stressed the importance of Quaker heritage.

The misleading headlines and articles produced a mixed reaction among British Friends and in Ireland some Friends expressed deep concern and hurt.

Harry Albright, an experienced journalist, ex-editor of the Friend and member of the Book of Discipline Revision Preparation Group, described the Simon Jenkins article as ‘utter nonsense. I don’t think those who identify as nontheist have that agenda. What is important is that as we have evolved as a Yearly Meeting, and nontheist Friends have been welcomed into the community, we need to express what they believe without lessening what other Friends believe.’

He explained: ‘I would be very surprised if we were presented with a revised book years down the line that had no mention of God, Jesus or any biblical quotations. What would not surprise me is to be presented with a Book of Discipline that presents a broader spectrum of belief than the current one does, and includes ideas that the current one does not, for example, on sustainability and modern means of communication.’

Friends attending Britain Yearly Meeting had a mixed reaction to the story. Lucy White, from Tottenham Meeting, told the Friend: ‘I think the writer might have got the wrong end of the stick because it wasn’t what we were going to discuss. If it generated some publicity, that wouldn’t be a bad thing.’

Alison Buckley-Jones, from Alford Meeting, told the Friend: ‘I was half encouraged because at least it put Quakers on a mainstream radar, but it gave the wrong impression that we were going to become a notionally spiritualistic organisation rather than a religious one.’

The article in the Guardian by Simon Jenkins had 5,358 shares across social media, and received 1,441 online comments below the article. Several Quakers responded. A Young Friend, Chris Venables, tweeted: ‘Great to see Yearly Meeting being written about – it’s wrong to think revising Qf&p is primarily about language though, it’s about embracing the complexity and challenges of the modern era, and opening ourselves up to new voices and sources of wisdom.’

Why I Am a Quaker

QUAKER (RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS) CONCERN FOR LAND REFORM

Quaker concern for land reform

 22 Feb 2018 | by Rebecca Hardy

Friends concerned with housing equality 

have been urged to join a campaign to start a Land Value Tax

Friends concerned with housing equality have been urged to join a campaign to start a Land Value Tax (LVT). Jocelyn Gaskell, from Yealand Meeting, hopes to start a campaign within British Quakerism.

LVT is a method of raising public revenue by means of an annual charge on the rental value of land. She told the Friend that her motivation came out of a longstanding concern for peace and justice: ‘I have been in housing need in the past myself and am aware that this problem has been building for years. I’m horrified and saddened by the homelessness we have now. We need a radical way to tackle it.’

Jocelyn Gaskell explained that the idea of LVT is that people and businesses pay a contribution for the benefit of investment in that land. She said: ‘Canary Wharf went hugely up in value when the Jubilee Line was extended. Private landlords benefitted from public money going into infrastructure.’

She believes that LVT would make the system fairer.

Jocelyn Gaskell developed her interest in LVT in November 2017 at Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW)’s new economy training weekend in Manchester. She was prompted to act and has now written an in-depth briefing, with a blog on the Quakers in Britain website. She is urging other Friends to join her and has had a positive response.

On Twitter

at 

Earth and Economy

@EarthEconQuaker

Prophetic Witness, Pragmatic Action by Dianne Randall --- from Friends Journal

What does it mean to be prophetic 

in a time of political division?

For most of my life, I have been convinced by Martin Luther King Jr.’s assertion that the moral arc of the universe was slowly but steadily bending toward justice. I imagined a slender birch tree arching toward the ground of justice: the beloved community where equality, freedom, and peace are universal truths understood and practiced every day. But in the past year, that arc has snapped back. I’ve felt shock and dislocation at having a president who lies constantly, bullies persistently, and fosters insecurity in both the foreign and domestic policy of the United States.

I grieve for our country’s political, social, and cultural upheaval as the fissures of our political institutions have become deeper, the media louder, and truth seems distant from ordinary life. I also recognize that the sharp edges of President Trump—as offensive as they are—are manifestations of problems that are more entrenched than the election of 2016. The militarization of our foreign policy and our domestic policy is not new; structural racism in our public policies is not new; an ambivalence towards—or worse, outright rejection of—refugees and immigrants is not new; sexual harassment by men in power is not new. And yet, this moment in time feels like an epic struggle for righteousness. My search for meaning in this turmoil has led me to consider anew our Quaker prophetic witness as it is alive today. How does our faith practice guide and sustain the Religious Society of Friends?

Read More

Quakers' International Peace Training in Indonesia starts to-day

Hosted by  Friends Peace Teams in Asia West Pacific

Quaker faith & practice --- A friendly introduction to the Quaker Way

Woodbrooke is with Gladys M. Injera and 21 others.

6 January at 02:09

Join our FREE Online Course 'A Friendly Introduction to the Quaker Way' which allows you to study the basics of Quakerism in your own time between 19th January to 1st March 2018.

We will be discussing what happens in Meeting for Worship, exploring what Quakers mean by ‘testimony’ and explaining simple spiritual practices for you to experiment with.

The course can be found at http://moodle.woodbrooke.org.uk/course/view.php?id=261

The Dale Hess Diary of Peace and Social Justice events - 17-07-24

Below is a calendar of peace and social justice events compiled on a weekly basis by Dale Hess. Dale is a Quaker and, together with Lorel Thomas, is joint Clerk of the Victorian Regional Meeting of the Society of Friends.  Dale is active in Pace e Bene Australia. Lorel is the National Co-ordinator of the Australian Network to Ban Landmines and Cluster Munitions.

Tuesday 25 July, 7.30 pm: Peacemaking in the Modern World. For the last 9 months, Jasmine has been based in Al-Khalil (Hebron) in Palestine. Each day she has accompanied Palestinian children and adults as they negotiate the reality of checkpoints, restricted access to their own neighbourhoods and have to endure the reality of occupation. You have the chance to hear from Jasmine about her work with the Christian Peacemaker Teams and what it means to be seek peace in the modern world. Location: Brunswick Uniting Church, 214 Sydney Road, Brunswick. Supper afterwards. More details? Go to https://www.trybooking.com/RAQX. Sponsored by Brunswick Uniting Church & the Palestine Israel Ecumenical Network. For more information? Contact PIEN

Wednesday, 26 July, 6 pm: Weapons or Well Being?  There will be a panel discussion in the Sunderland Theatre (Medical School, Grattan St entrance) on the controversy about Melbourne University's new connection with Lockheed Martin, the world's largest arms seller. It's been organised by the Medical Association for the Prevention of War Student Group. Speakers included Dr Margie Beavis from the Med Faculty, the president of MAPW and an ICAN colleague, Alex Edney-Browne, who is doing an interesting PhD at Melbourne on drone warfare, and Professor Richard Tanter. The organisers have tried to get someone from both Lockheed Martin and the university administration, but for some reason have had no luck. Apart from the obvious questions about partnering with an organisation that draws 78% of its sales from armaments, there are critical questions university governance in this case.

Wednesday, 26 July, 7.30 pm: The Environment and Social Justice - Pope Francis’ Inspirational Reflections on Ecological Care: An evening of reflection and discussion. Guest Speaker is Dr Deborah Guess. Deborah Guess works in the area of ecological theology and is a research associate at Pilgrim Theological College, University of Divinity, Melbourne, where she teaches Christianity and Ecology. Deborah is also a long-time member of the Australian Christian Meditation Community and grows organic fruit and vegetables at her permaculture property at Warburton. Place:  St Joan of Arc Parish Hall,  118 New St. Brighton. An initiative of the social justice group, St Joan of Arc. For more information contact Helen on 0418 999 800.

Friday 28 July, 7 pm for 7.30 pm: Stand Up for Justice! Julian Burnside AO QC is our guest speaker at St Francis Xavier Church Hall, Mayona Road, Montmorency. Opening speakers: Omar and Saad al Kassab. Q and A panel with all the speakers, joined by Kobra Moradi. This is a free event. However, bookings are essential: https://www.stickytickets.com.au or email massginfo@gmail.com

Saturday 29 July, 1 pm – 5 pm: Asylum Seeker Resource Centre Community Action Workshop.  In these workshops we share tools and resources we can all use to help re-frame conversations with family, friends and people of influence on the rights of people seeking asylum. The content is designed to complement any existing advocacy people may already be involved in, but it's also an ideal entry point if they haven't been involved much before. On the day you will get to meet and work with like-minded people wanting to take action in their local area. As an organisation that shares humanitarian and human rights values with the ASRC, we would like to extend an invitation to your members to come along to our upcoming Community Action Workshop in the Bayside area. Venue: Highett Neighbourhood Community House, 2 Livingston Street, Highett 3190. Please RSVP here!

Wednesday 2 August 7:30 pm -9 pm: What Future for West Papua? In the early 1960s, West Papua was a Dutch colony, with a well-funded well-organised self-determination program, legislated by the Netherlands Parliament, and signed-off by Queen Juliana, with independence scheduled for 1970. By the end of the 1960s, West Papua was an Operational Military Zone within the Indonesian Republic. What happened, and what’s going on now? Speakers: Louise Byrne & Revd Peter Woods.  Venue: Yarra Theological Union Study Centre, Enter via 34 Bedford Street Box Hill. Street parking available. Entry by donation. Refreshments available afterwards. Download a flyer.

Sunday 6 August, 10.30 am: Peace Service. Hiroshima Day St Paul’s Cathedral. The Japanese Consul-General, Mr Kazuyoshi Matsunaga, has been invited by the Dean to deliver a brief message on peace, and the Melbourne Chapter of Ikebana International (Japanese flower arranging) will provide the floral arrangements, which can be viewed in the Cathedral throughout the day. St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets.

Sunday 6 August, 2 pm – 4 pm: Hiroshima Day Peace Vigil. Outside of St Paul’s Cathedral. Organised by Medical Association for the Prevention of War. St Paul’s Cathedral, corner of Flinders and Swanston Streets.

 

Sunday 6 August, 2 pm: Hiroshima Day Commemoration. Professor Richard Tanter will speak and the film Hiroshima will be shown. Organised by CICD and the Unitarian Church. Venue: Melbourne Unitarian Church 110 Grey Street, East Melbourne.

 

Friday 25 August, 7.30 pm: Screening of the film, Guarding the Galilee. Presented by Queensland-born actor Michael Caton, this new 30-minute documentary shines a spotlight on the battle to stop the biggest coal mine in Australian history, Adani’s Carmichael project. The award-winning documentary team captures the raw beauty of the Queensland outback, where Adani’s mine threatens essential water resources. Bayside Oxfam Group, All Souls Anglican Church, 48-50 Bay Road, Sandringham, Victoria 3191.

Friday 8 September – Sunday 10 September: Independent and Peaceful Australia National Conference 2017, Melbourne.Conference theme: War, Peace and Independence: Keep Australia out of US wars. Speakers: Assoc. Prof. David Vine, Dr Alison Broinowski, James O’Neill, Prof Richard Tanter, Dr Margaret Beavis, Dr Mik Gilligan, Senator Scott Ludlam, Warren Smith,Peace Activist from Jeju Island and/or South Korea. More details: ipan.australia@gmail.com; Website: http://ipan.org.au

Friday 22 September, 6 pm – Sunday 24 September, 6 pm: Australian Conservation Foundation Convergence 2017. Together, we can mend our world. Do you want to stop Adani's giant, polluting coal mine and be part of the growing community of people prepared to show up and speak out clean energy and our children’s future? Want to make a real difference? Learn skills and connect with people? Be inspired, empowered and energised? Then come along to a weekend of training and community building at Fitzroy Town Hall 22-24 September.  Your ticket includes vegetarian meals, materials and training. Scholarships are available if the cost of attending is a barrier as we want people from all walks of life to participate. Please get in touch with Chris for more information. Build people power: How to run a group with clear and effective roles to support each other, avoid burnout, create good strategy, have more fun; Practice the micro-skills of managing groups, conversations and meetings; How to sustain group involvement and maintain momentum between different campaigns; Increase your skills in advocacy; Build power in an enduring community with shared values that is active on multiple issues that impact our air, water, wildlife and communities; Understand your place as part of an inclusive, diverse and powerful movement, from small local groups to large organisations. Website.