Members of the working group with two foundrymen, inspecting the mould
Art of the possible: The Pity of War Working Group
‘The aim is to help keep the terrible cost of war, before the general public’
In 1651, George Fox said that he ‘lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars… I was come into the covenant of peace which was before wars.’ To pursue similar aims, Pity of War is a Quaker-inspired charity attempting to install a powerful sculpture at the National Memorial Arboretum. The aim is to help keep the terrible cost of war, especially for civilians, before the general public. Peace advocacy, we believe, requires different strands: explanation, yes, but people also need to feel the effects of violent conflict on ordinary lives through visual imagery. Remember the affecting impact of the picture of the Syrian boy, Alan Kurdi, washed up on a Turkish beach.
Recently, Jeff Beatty from our working group spent a week in Calais at the Refugee Community Kitchen. One evening he distributed 350 meals. He was overcome by what he witnessed: the dignity shown by all, and one event of solidarity in particular. A young Nordic man, who had been charging asylum seekers’ phones with a generator, took his turn in the queue for supper and accepted his ration. Was there God in that young man? We believe so. Returning from Calais Jeff cried a lot.
You might not think it, but the work towards a just, peaceful world is accelerating, through hard work. As Joseph Rowntree said in 1904, ‘Much current philanthropic effort is directed at the effects of weakness and evil, but less thought or effort is directed to their underlying causes. The soup kitchen in York never has difficulty in obtaining financial aid, but an enquiry into the extent and causes of poverty would enlist little support.’
Joyce Gee, a Clun Valley Quaker, first voiced her concern about civilian victims of war nearly ten years ago. This was supported by our Area Meeting and Meeting for Sufferings. A working group has worked with a sculptor, Peter Walker. We have been impressed by his dedication, giving time, energy and his own money.
Since starting, maquettes have been deposited in several cathedrals around the UK, as well as in St Paul’s in Minneapolis and the British Embassy in United Arab Emirates. The pandemic prevented our fundraising launch but we have raised enough to make a full-sized mould.
Our target for completing the installation is now approximately £12,000. The memorial is significant, but a wider aspect of the project is educational outreach.
Pity of War is an ecumenical project that arose from a Quaker concern. It is a physical representation of, and an educational seed for, our peace and equality testimonies. The terrible civilian casualties and suffering we see in Ukraine are a tangible example of the pity of war. Please support the project however you can.
Jan Arriens, Jeff Beatty, Kit Byatt, Barbara Mark and Linda Murray-Hale are from the Pity of War Working Group. More details at www.pityofwar.org.
