Friends promote peace at military celebrations

Quakers across the country expressed their commitment to peace on Armed Forces Day

Quakers across Britain marked Armed Forces Day, 27 June, by expressing their commitment to peace in a variety of ways.

Members of South East Scotland Area Meeting produced a leaflet to distribute in Edinburgh. They handed it out during a parade and military ‘entertainment’, Jane Pearn explained to the Friend.

Jane produced the flyer, and chose the wording following consultation with members of her Area Meeting and representatives of Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW). ‘My aim was to keep our messages as positive as possible, and to frame them in direct, simple, accessible language,’ she said. Phrases on the leaflet included ‘War harms everyone involved in it and damages our planet’ and ‘Quakers say: violence cannot bring about lasting peace’.

‘Not surprisingly, we met with some hostility from the crowd But we also had some interesting conversations, including with those
who have family in the military. Tourists were often more receptive to the leaflets and a Swedish visitor commented: ‘I’m so glad that you are doing this’, Jane said.

English and Welsh Friends also marked the occasion. Members of Colwyn Bay Meeting were involved in a Conwy County Peace Group event on 26 June, including Donald Saunders, a Friend who chairs the peace group. Joanna Bourke, professor of history at Birkbeck, University of London, spoke on ‘Wounding the World: Militarism and What We Can Do About It’.

Bury St Edmunds Friends, with members of the local Amnesty International group, held an hour-long silent vigil in the garden of the Meeting House, as a response to the increasing militarism in British society, Graham Gosling told the Friend.

York Friends’ monthly hour-long peace vigil coincided with Armed Forces Day. It took place in the shadow of York Minster, New Earswick Quaker Kurt Strauss told the Friend.

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