Britain Yearly Meeting 2016: Centrally managed work
Friday activities at Yearly Meeting included presentations of centrally managed work
The wide range of centrally managed work done in the name of Friends by Britain Yearly Meeting staff was the subject of an informative session on Friday afternoon. A number of staff gave inspiring short talks.
Friends heard of a one-year project for a young worker that has been funded by Friends. Impressive stories were told of ‘wet-behind-the-ears’ youngsters who went on to head up programmes building peace in strife-ridden areas. Friends were encouraged to invite them to visit their Meetings and inspire them, too.
Friends were told that through our pension funds and church money we are all complicit in industries against our conscience. Quaker Peace & Social Witness’ (QPSW) sustainability section works on using our money to change attitudes towards renewable energy. Small steps, like London Quakers’ regular Meeting for Worship in the BP-funded British Museum, have a ‘butterfly’ effect.
Friends learned about the Turning The Tide peacebuilding programme in Kenya and the work done there by Quakers. They work on the hidden and invisible violence, and walk alongside people, helping them to see for themselves and gain the confidence to act. QPSWs East Africa section measure their results not in numbers, but by what has changed.
Quaker Life entertained Friends at the session with the challenging and sometimes weird demands that come in their daily phone calls, like: ‘How do you unappoint someone?’
