Issue 13-12-2013

Featured story

Thought for the Week: Nelson Mandela

FREE 12 Dec 2013 | by Central and Southern Africa Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends

We mourn the passing of our former president and leader, Nelson Mandela. Although Madiba was of a great age, his death marks the end of an era. The people of South Africa and the region are filled with love and sadness. We also express our condolences to his family and...

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Top stories

A roof but no home

12 Dec 2013 | by Siân Evans

Siân Evans opens the door on the impact of benefit changes | Photo: Photo: Focx Photography / flickr CC.

‘Housing its citizens in secure, safe, adequate homes is, Quakers believe, one of the marks of a civilised society.’  These words were spoken by Jenny Brierley at a recent Meeting for Sufferings in London. The issue of housing is particularly prominent as we approach Christmas and when government cuts...

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Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker values in education

FREE 12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

A major theme of Meeting for Sufferings, held on Saturday 7 December at Friends House, London, was that of ‘Quaker values in education’.  Friends were ‘making a start on a very broad and complex subject’ and the aim was to see what support ‘we might give to those involved in...

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Meeting for Sufferings: Report of Britain Yearly Meeting trustees

12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

Property dominated the report on the work of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) trustees.  The report was given by the clerk of BYM trustees, Jennifer Barraclough. Having realised that she had spent the last twenty years living in Quaker properties, she commented that our buildings are significant opportunities to show...

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Meeting for Sufferings: The Light

12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

A closeup of the centre of the new ceiling in the Large Meeting House at Friends House. The central square will be glass. | Photo: Photo: Trish Carn.

The decision to give an additional name – ‘The Light’ – to the Large Meeting House was raised by Jennifer Barraclough, clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting trustees, at Meeting for Sufferings.  A Friend described the choice of the new name as inappropriate. Another person commented that the name was a public...

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Meeting for Sufferings: Tabular statement

12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

Paul Parker, recording clerk for Britain Yearly Meeting, told Meeting for Sufferings how Friends House had responded to a request by Yearly Meeting 2013 to look at the tabular statement. He said it was an important data collection exercise that helped to inform decision-making.

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All articles

Meeting for Sufferings: Canterbury Commitment Group interim report

12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

The Canterbury Commitment Group presented their interim report. The group told Meeting for Sufferings that there had been widespread approval of the decision to publicly disinvest in fossil fuels. They said that BYM was the first institution to do this as a body.

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Meeting for Sufferings: News in brief

12 Dec 2013 | by Trish Carn

Meeting for Sufferings Arrangements Group The terms of reference for the Meeting for Sufferings Arrangements Group were presented as they needed to be updated. The assistant recording clerk is now called the ‘deputy recording clerk’ and a change in the way members were appointed was explained. The changes were approved.

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The Light

12 Dec 2013 | by Peter Coltman

The Hospitality Company is the ‘trading arm’ of Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM). It makes very good sense – and it is a Charity Commission requirement – to use our resources fully on behalf of the Religious Society of Friends. That is what the Hospitality Company does, by letting rooms within Friends House...

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Coming together

12 Dec 2013 | by Andrew Backhouse

How many people would you expect to come to a Quaker Regional Gathering? If you prefer, how many would you expect to have come to the old General Meetings? I can remember up to around eighty with some children as well. But on Saturday, 2 November, at Wilmslow we had 150 including...

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Low carbon sustainable community – going global?

12 Dec 2013 | by Laurie Michaelis

Reading the decisions from last month’s UN climate conference in Warsaw, you can feel the delegates’ anguish. They know the scale of the task before them. They express ‘serious concern’ about unprecedented warming of the climate system. They warn of the urgent threat to society. They underline the gap...

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The Nayler Passion

12 Dec 2013 | by Lauren Parkes

‘There is a spirit which I feel that delights to do no evil, nor to revenge any wrong, but delights to endure all things, in hope to enjoy its own in the end.’   These words of James Nayler are amongst the best loved in Quaker literature, and form the...

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Letters - 13 December 2013

12 Dec 2013 | by The Friend

First world war Why do we have to join in the world war one commemoration? As a seventy-eight year old Friend, I am wondering how alone I am in having no interest in taking part in 2014 in showing the Quakers’ excellent work in various ways during the first world war...

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