Meeting for Sufferings: Promoting peace
The centenary of world war one was discussed at Meeting for Sufferings on 6 October 2012
2014 to 2018 will see a series of events throughout Britain and Europe dedicated to commemorating the centenary of world war one. Meeting for Sufferings (MfS) were reminded that the Religious Society of Friends was ‘an historic peace church with a strong history of activism’ and that the commemoration would provide ‘opportunities to raise the public profile of Quaker peace witness’.
A fear was expressed that the commemoration could be used both as an opportunity to celebrate war and to portray it as something historical that Britain is no longer involved in – which is not the case. Friends were urged to ‘articulate clearly what our position with regard to war is and why it is held’ without ‘insulting the men and women who have had their lives irretrievably altered by their military service’.
It was important to acknowledge the role of Britain as a major supplier and producer of weapons; the continuing engagement in Afghanistan; and the increasing use and development of drone technology and other means of killing.Friends were encouraged to act locally, as well as nationally, and to use the tremendous resources available from Quaker Peace & Social Witness and the historical resources available in the Friends House Library and at the Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre.
Marigold Bentley feels that Meetings have an opportunity to discover personal stories of the time within their Local or Area Meetings. These stories will give a basis for them to tell of peacemaking within their local communities.The minute states: ‘We can strengthen our own spiritual understanding, work with other organisations locally and gather local personal stories.’ Meetings are encouraged to develop plans for making this remembrance. One Friend suggested that this was ‘an opportunity for a strong confident Quaker voice on Newsnight and other such programmes.’
The Imperial War Museum was established in 1917. MfS was reminded that it was to remember war as something of the past and is still actively collecting from wars today.
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