‘Shadows of war, prospects for peace’
Friends in York have held a day conference marking the end of the first world war
York Quakers held a day conference at Friargate Meeting House on 6 October as a contribution to the ‘York Remembers’ season, marking the end of the war in 1918.
‘Lifting the Shadow of WW1 and Prospects for Peace Today’ was an interactive day of lectures, workshops and displays, bringing together academics, local historians, poets and individuals involved in promoting peace.
Cath Harvey, manager at the Quaker Centre in Friargate, told the Friend: ‘We decided not to let the opportunity slip as we knew there would be red poppies everywhere, and we wanted to set up an alternative with white poppies.’
The event on 6 October included sessions on ‘The Development of Arms Control’ by Nick Ritchie, of the York Politics Faculty, and ‘Can we Build a more Peaceful World?’ by Ben Griffin, of Veterans for Peace.
Simon Ball, from the Leeds History Faculty, also talked about Britain 1918-1979 and the ‘Long Shadow of War’, and Trudi Tate, from the Cambridge English Faculty, spoke about ‘The Hidden Legacies of War’.
Brenda Tyler, of Friargate Meeting, said that Quakers in Yorkshire offered ‘considerable financial support’.
