Artist’s drawing of the proposed memorial Photo: Image courtesy The Quaker Memorial Trust
Update: The Quaker memorial
Anthony Wilson talks about the latest developments
The idea of a Quaker memorial within the National Arboretum in Staffordshire is coming closer to reality. The Quaker Service Memorial trustees are looking to extend their number beyond the present four appointed by Staffordshire Area Meeting, at the same time as we build up our fundraising appeal beyond the £22,000 raised so far. The memorial should be completed in twelve months’ time, when the outreach programme will begin.
If only a small proportion of the 300,000 Arboretum visitors each year come to our site, we will still be addressing thousands of people in a reflective mood as they contemplate hundreds of memorials to military casualties: our design provides sheltered seating in an open circle, familiar to Friends who attend our smaller Meetings for Worship. The wording on the benches has been agreed by Meeting for Sufferings and the British Legion (which manages the Arboretum): this may be a ‘first’, and reflects the encouragement that we have received at all stages of our proposal.
The peace witness of those whose service is commemorated was mainly as conscientious objectors, serving in the Friends Ambulance Unit (FAU) and the Friends Relief Service (FRS) during and after the second world war. The task of the Memorial Trust will be to articulate a peace witness that speaks to people at our site today, people who may have lost relatives in conflicts whose causes rest on contested control of the earth’s resources – oil and water, forests and minerals, sea and land.
Quaker Service Memorial trustees will be working with QPSW to develop training days for Friends in attendance at the memorial, drawing on Quaker Life’s expertise in outreach. We also need to appoint a treasurer, as well as those experienced in modern communication and media methods, and with active links to Friends worldwide and the national and international peace movement. There will be no paid employees. In the tradition of the FAU and FRS, we welcome the participation of those not in membership who are ready to work in accord with the Quaker Business Method stipulated in our trust deed.
Comments
Very pleased to hear that the Peace memorial is coming closer to reality, just what is needed in this particular setting.
By Dorothy on 1st September 2011 - 15:03
Please login to add a comment
