Economic justice
The Friend reports on a YMG session about economic justice
British Quakers have committed themselves to a statement describing the world’s economic system as unjust. The description appeared in a minute of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) last week. ‘The global economic system is posited on continued economic growth and, in its pursuit of growth, it is often violent, unjust and destructive,’ states the minute. It adds, ‘We need to ask the question whether the system is so broken that we urgently need to work with others to put in place a different system’.
Friends and Meetings are encouraged to ‘return to the place from which testimony comes’ by rededicating themselves to openness to the Spirit’s leadings on economic issues. The minute refers to the ‘small steps’ that individual Friends can take.
Ethical trade
The statement followed a session on economic justice, which began with presentations on ethical trade and the work of Quaker Social Action. The speakers talked of inequality both in the UK and overseas. The ministry began with comments on the actions that individuals can take to live more justly, but other Friends were keen to focus on the need to challenge capitalism itself.
‘I would think that part of the solution would be if we can find a way to link our personal responsibilities, with what we buy or don’t buy, with the corporate witness,’ said one Friend. Another applauded the comments on ethical shopping but urged Friends to go further.
‘Capitalism encourages us to go on buying more and more,’ he said, ‘Alongside all we can do as individuals, we need to develop a stance that says we need a system that is more in tune with our testimonies and we need to work to that end’.
There were contributions about the power of transnational corporations, with one Friend focusing on recent revelations about Rupert Murdoch’s News International. ‘I’ve watched the spectacle of a large corporation taking over the democracy of this country, through buying our police, possibly our politicians and dominating our media,’ she said, ‘We are all culpable. We have sleepwalked into the loss of our democracy by not being aware of the power of large corporations’.
An incredible injustice
One Friend attacked the government’s cuts programme, describing changes to the benefits system as ‘an incredible injustice’. Another emphasised that testimonies are not simply beliefs but are a witness to an experience of the Spirit. She spoke of an earlier call from BYM to hold apartheid South Africa in the Light at 9.00pm daily.
‘For months and years, I found it possible to do that because I knew others were doing it,’ she explained ‘What would happen, Friends, if we committed ourselves from this gathering to a corporate discipline of waiting and opening for the leadings of the Spirit on the matter of economic justice?’
The need to move ‘out of our comfort zone’ was mentioned by several Friends. ‘One of our problems, Friends, is simply inertia,’ said one speaker, ‘How many of us get our electricity from a more sustainable company?’ Another Friend sounded a note of caution, pointing out that not everyone can afford to spend money as ethically as they would like.
The shortest ministry summed up the anguish felt by a number of Friends over the realities of the economic system. The speaker simply stated: ‘We should not have the choice to torture and enslave,’ and then resumed his seat.
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