Issue 01-10-2021
Featured story
Thought for the week: Stanley Chagala Ngesa’s dual heritage
The Maragoli are a Bantu-speaking people who farm the Maragoli Hills in Western Kenya. They have lived in their present location for centuries, they say, after having originally followed the Nile upstream from Egypt.
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Quaker midwife highlights City fossil fuel investment
A Quaker midwife who took part in the Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests in London last month has said that she was partly motivated by the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report.
The world in love’s image: Southern Africa’s Richard Gush Lecture by Marie Odendaal
Our present and future lives, and that of our fellow inhabitants, depend on planet earth – a speck in the galaxy, one among an estimated two trillion galaxies or more. We are part of an an infinite, continually-expanding and ever-evolving cosmos. We humans too are evolving: works in progress, in continual...
Two for joy: Jill Shook meets a couple farming in Bolivia
The Kaufmans have lived in Bolivia for several decades but they are not typical Bolivian Friends. They are Conservative Friends who moved to Bolivia from Iowa twenty-five years ago and became cattle ranchers. They live as simply and as sustainably as possible. Neva has been a Friend all her life,...
Party political: Anthony Manousos on the fourth of July
As a child I loved the fourth of July, and looked forward to the fireworks. But when I became a Quaker I began to question the violence of the celebrations. When I hear ‘Bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there’ I donâ€...
Let us see what Peace can do: A shared statement organised by the Quaker United Nations Office
The International Day of Peace falls on 21 September each year and serves as a day devoted to strengthening commitments towards peace and non-violence. This is the sixth year that Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) has facilitated the creation and distribution of a sign-on statement supported by peacebuilding organisations across the...
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Friends celebrate new Yorkshire Centre
Friends in the north are celebrating the Quakers in Britain Yorkshire Centre, which will pilot new ways of working.
George Fox shortlisted for green plaque
George Fox has been nominated for a green plaque award run by a local council. John Catt of Loughborough and John Spencer of Gravesend, Kent, independently put forward the Quaker founder’s name to be awarded one of six green plaques from Leicestershire City Council.
Quakers join action for climate loss and damage
Quakers joined other organisations in launching a new Make Polluters Pay campaign, as part of the first ever international Loss and Damage Awareness Day.
Winchester Quaker artist in Heritage Day
Winchester Friends hosted a retrospective of the artwork of Quaker artist Andrew Rutter as part of its Heritage Day activities. Maggie Allder, clerk of Winchester Meeting, told the Friend: ‘Over two days [18 and 19 September] we saw over 240 visitors, served refreshments, showed off the architecture of our building, and enjoyed many...
Kiwi fruits: Philippa Fletcher reports from Aotearoa New Zealand
Dear Friends around the world: Kia ora koutou no Aotearoa. Hello from New Zealand! When I was asked to write about our most recent Yearly Meeting, I quickly agreed. Now I find myself apprehensive, knowing that many of you face difficult situations, whereas eighty-eight of us here in New Zealand...
Deep space: Oscar Mmbali has a lesson from Belize
One of the conversations we have had this year at Belize Friends Church is about creating multiple sacred spaces for people with various needs. I find that the Spirit is in this conversation.
Goshen Friends Meeting
Shadows of my childhood family align along this plain meetinghouse bench in Chester County, where I have come to worship. Once our row was anchored by my strong blue serge-suited Father. Now I sit immersed in today’s quiet, seeking Source.
Letters - 1 October 2021
Gender and sex Sex cannot be objectively defined, discretely measured, nor is it a static non-changing factor. In the world of biology, it is nearly impossible to get a single definition of ‘biological sex’, and even harder to pin down any single determining factor of sex. This is because the...