Meeting for Sufferings: QWRC renewed
The first annual report of the Quaker World Relations Committee was heard at Meeting for Sufferings
Anne Bennett, clerk of the Quaker World Relations Committee (QWRC), spoke to its first annual report.
She described how QWRC is ‘building a new committee on the footprint of the predecessor’, and stressed that the new team is considerably smaller. Its primary focus is ‘to form a two-way conduit between Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) and Quakers worldwide’.
Much of the committee’s work to date concerned preparation for those travelling to the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) World Plenary Meeting in Peru in January 2016. Anne spoke of the key messages from the plenary. Among them was that ‘the energy, passion and value of our younger adults is a huge resource, underused in BYM’.
She also asked Friends for help when QWRC brings overseas Friends to Britain for intervisitation.
Several Friends spoke warmly about their experiences in Peru. One described Friends from different Quaker traditions reaching out to each other ‘with a willingness that was moving and terribly deep for us all’. Another said that he ‘came away with a renewed belief that Quakerism is a world religion’.
Comments
It is refreshing and lifting to read how important and valuable the input of young adults Friends are for BYM. It is also true of young Friends too. I see this is being more valued and brought into the live of BYM more too. If we are not a connected Society, we can expect this of the greater Societies and cultures we live in as well benefit from the insights and views from the future generation.
By asruth on 9th April 2016 - 9:23
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