Issue 30-08-2013
Featured story
Thought for the Week: Spiritual energy
am now ninety-seven years old and have been a member of the Religious Society of Friends for the last fifty-five years. My interest in the things of the Spirit goes back to a series of ‘random coincidences’ that I experienced during the second world war.
Top stories
Fertile soil?
Sometimes in Quaker life there are very satisfying synchronicities. In recent years, for instance, while the Yearly Meeting has been embracing sustainability, often at an abstract level, the Quaker Gardens Project has been slowly germinating, following the careful journey of a tested Quaker concern.
Celebrating, Manchester style
Once past the shock of seeing figures of authority entering into the spirit of the day, the carnival atmosphere becomes heady. So gay and straight people really can have fun together! And on a jolly bank holiday weekend in Manchester, Quakers were celebrating events that helped make all this possible....
Quaker statement on Syrian crisis
A strong appeal to the British government to refrain from military action in Syria has been made of behalf of Quakers in Britain. A statement signed by Paul Parker, recording clerk of Quakers in Britain, was released from Friends House this week. It appeals for a nonviolent response to...
Quaker witness at Burghfield
Quakers will be part of a peace witness at the Burghfield nuclear warheads factory in Berkshire on Monday 2 September. A group of protesters intend to nonviolently blockade the two gates of the factory, where work is being done on the final assembly and maintenance of Britain’s nuclear warheads,...
Appeal at Friargate, York
The archaeological dig in the grounds of Friargate Meeting in York, which has attracted a lot of local interest and press attention, is concluding. Andrew Jones, an archaeologist and member of Friargate Meeting, has made an appeal to Friends for information regarding one fascinating object that was unearthed.
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Tapestry panels at Greenham
An exhibition of panels from the Quaker Tapestry is being held at one of the most iconic locations of peace witness in Britain. The National Needlework Archive, which will host the exhibition, is situated at the old Greenham Air Base near Newbury in Berkshire.
Boost for Salter Statues Campaign
A local charity that was set up to raise money to replace a statue of Quaker Alfred Salter that was stolen in 2011 has been boosted by a donation of £5,000 by Ladbrookes.
Education in Ireland
Education has been at the heart of recent changes in Irish society and was the main subject of concern at Leinster Quarterly Meeting, which was held at Enniscorthy Meeting House, in County Wexford, at the end of June. The first part of Quarterly Meeting dealt with business and administrative matters....
Quakers and academies
The philosophical arguments for educational academies are based around a belief in libertarianism. Schools should have the right to construct their own curriculum, to have some freedom of intake, to establish their own conditions of service for staff and to be flexible about the working day. Control from central, and...
Brooklyn Friends School
America: place of big skyscrapers, bright lights and dramatic people. When arriving at Brooklyn Friends School I expected to see giant displays of Quakerism – through art, song and how they conduct their day. I was surprised to discover that the school’s beliefs were pursued, as at Ackworth, in a...
Reflection: Stuff
Stuff! We have so much of it. In our consumer culture, even the most spiritually-minded of us have accumulated a shocking amount. Stuff carries memories for us, announces our identity. It may consist of beautiful and precious things, or it may be files and correspondence that have made us useful....
Eye - 30 August 2013
Tents unfurled, deck chairs unfolded, picnics unpacked… yes, the Quaker Campers have been at it again! Fifty Friends, aged from one to seventy-ish, came together in a field at Barn Farm in the Peak District from 27 July until 3 August for Quaker fellowship and fun. Chris Edwards got in touch with...
Letters - 30 August 2013
The Lone Parent Trap The Fox Report (16 August) gave a shocking insight into the daily humiliation and fear experienced by many lone parents claiming benefits. The assumptions underlying Jobseekers’ Allowance are that there are secure jobs, which would pay a living wage, and that claimants must be compelled to apply...