Exeter Friends talk peace and reparations
'A couple of the teachers said that they really liked the idea of “living adventurously”, and one even said they were “energised” by the notion of connecting to the divine through experience.'
Exeter Quakers invited Religious Education teachers from across Devon for a training session last month.
Laura Conyngham, from Exeter Meeting, told the Friend: ‘Their organiser asked that the Quaker view on reparations and climate justice be included, while our team of Friends hoped to look after the teachers, share what we do in the silence, and encourage more visits from schools.’
In seventy-five minutes, Friends welcomed six teachers with tea, cake, ‘Teach Peace’ packs, white poppies and other resources, followed by half an hour of ‘Quaker quiet’, in which there were contributions on decision-making, simplicity, climate justice, reparations and peace, followed by questions.
According to Laura Conyngham, the teachers were receptive. ‘They were interested in how ministry works in practice. When one of us admitted to one head of RE that we Quakers tend to be a bit backward about putting ourselves forward, she said, “Well, you shouldn’t be!” She felt we overlapped in pretty much every way with the things they are trying to cover more widely in the school syllabus: social responsibility, sustainability, justice, but most of all peace-making. A couple of the teachers said that they really liked the idea of “living adventurously”, and one even said they were “energised” by the notion of connecting to the divine through experience. We are delighted.’
The after-school in-service training session was held at Exeter Meeting House on 20 October.
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