Quaker witness against Vanguard honours John Woolman
‘He understood that abuse of the natural world is a source of poverty and war, as well as an offence against God’s creation.’
More than sixty Quakers gathered in the City of London this month, timed to coincide with the 250th anniversary of John Woolman’s death.
The gatherers, including Britain Yearly Meeting staff, sang Helen Yeoman’s song ‘Never Take Away My Voice’ while walking from St Paul’s Cathedral to the offices of Vanguard, one of the world’s biggest investors in fossil fuels. The leading banner carried the opening of Advices & queries 42: ‘We do not own the world, and its riches are not ours to dispose of at will.’
Bristol Quaker Julia Bush, who helped organise the witness, said: ‘We are inspired by John Woolman’s amazing record of eighteenth-century faith-led campaigning.
‘He understood that abuse of the natural world is a source of poverty and war, as well as an offence against God’s creation.’
John Woolman campaigned for the abolition of slavery, just relationships with indigenous people, and the protection of the natural world. He famously warned the rich that: ‘Nature hath a voice.’
A gathered Meeting for Worship was held outside Vanguard, and linked by Zoom to the Earth Quakers Action Team (EQAT), who were holding a simultaneous Meeting outside the Pennsylvanian home of Tim Buckley, Vanguard’s CEO. These actions were also connected with an online Meeting organised by Quaker Earthcare Witness (Earthquakes). This brought together more than 150 Friends across the USA, alongside those in Europe.
Eileen Flanagan, co-director of EQAT, said: ‘In his day, John Woolman spoke powerfully about the harm done out of greed, and we are doing the same today. Vanguard has put short-term profit over the well-being of people and the planet, which ultimately hurts us all, including Vanguard customers.’
Along with EQAT in the US, Earthquakes delivered a letter to Tim Buckley, asking him as ‘one of the most influential men in the world’ to act courageously on the climate.
EQAT has been campaigning for Vanguard to exit its fossil fuel investments, offer climate-responsible funds as a default, and to use its influence to drive climate-friendly action by industry.
Last month eight Quaker climate activists were arrested for protesting outside the company’s Philadelphia headquarters.
The Vanguard Group has $7 trillion in global assets, at least $86 billion of which is tied up in coal, along with billions in oil and gas, and stakes in deforestation-linked agriculture and military contracts.
The action took place on 7 October.
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