Quakers in France reflect on slavery
France Yearly Meeting was held near Nantes in July
A commemoration of the abolition of slavery in the past and a recognition of slavery in the world today was part of France Yearly Meeting held at the Centre des Naudières near Nantes in late July.
The goal of the meeting was to build a better understanding of where Friends were on the Quaker path and discern the direction they wanted to take.
In a letter to other Yearly Meetings, Quakers in France wrote: ‘We understood our position on the path through a sociological survey of forty-four questions: social, spiritual and ethical, and material.
‘We drew strength and inspiration from the European and global Quaker institutions [Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), European and Middle East Young Friends (EMEYF), Europe and Middle East Section of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC-EMES)and the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA)] when their representatives presented their aims and actions. We also discovered vitality amongst our own assembly, with Friends illustrating their Quaker practices in everyday life.
‘We worked on how to apply the Quaker testimonies in the practice of our faith in a programmed worship. At a workshop we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of our Assembly in order to address them. Thanks to a real discipline, created by excellent pre-planning, we have enriched our lives with a lot of questions and sought answers together.’
Friends also gathered at the Nantes memorial to the abolition of slavery to commemorate the slavery in the past and that which continues today. Representatives of the associations Tibhirine and ACAT, and the mosque of Nantes joined them.
The letter to Friends reflected on the significance of this multi-faith event. It stated: ‘By this commemoration we emphasised the unbroken link between the Quakers who came before us and ourselves, both hungry for social justice.’
The commemoration, Quakers in France wrote, had also helped guide their assembly ever outward: ‘One example of this outreach was that a person, whom we did not previously know, joined us throughout the next day to get to know us. He was warmly welcomed and he has expressed his desire to return.’
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