Issue 02-09-2011
Featured story
Developing Friends schools in Kenya
‘American Quakers brought the Bible and British Quakers brought education’. This recent statement by a Kenyan teacher still partially reflects the contrast between American and British Quakers in our relationship with Yearly Meetings in Africa. The first Quaker mission in Kenya was established by mid-Western American Quakers in 1902 and the...
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Religious groups lead the way on ‘green’ challenges
Britain’s Baptists look set to be the first religious group in the UK to use solar-powered electricity at their national headquarters. They have begun to install nearly two hundred solar panels at Baptist House, based in Didcot. The arrival of the panels marks the latest step in an increasing...
Exploding the myth of money creation by banks
It pains me to read in the Friend (‘The debt-based nature of our financial system’, 27 May) a misconception that I feel is common to almost all basic economics textbooks and pervades the thinking of would-be money reformers. I believe that it is simply not true that ninety-seven per cent...
The reflective mindset
Several articles in recent issues of the Friend have focused minds on outreach as we begin the run-up to National Quaker Week. Outreach ranges from unsubtle evangelism, which we are shy of (though George Fox, not to mention Jesus of Nazareth, was pretty keen on it), to more subtle reminders...
What do nontheists not believe in?
I’ve been trying to discover what it is that nontheists don’t believe in. I have looked at their website and asked a well-known nontheist but, so far, I am none the wiser. Do they really believe that there is no reality beyond a mundane human level of understanding,...
Update: The Quaker memorial
The idea of a Quaker memorial within the National Arboretum in Staffordshire is coming closer to reality. The Quaker Service Memorial trustees are looking to extend their number beyond the present four appointed by Staffordshire Area Meeting, at the same time as we build up our fundraising appeal beyond the £22,000...
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Gordon Barclay Vietnam Fund laid down
The Gordon Barclay Vietnam Fund (GBVF) has been laid down. Ratcliffe and Barking Monthly Meeting established the fund in 1968 when the Vietnam war was at its height and it became an independent registered charity in 1971 with Quaker trustees. The trustees met earlier this summer at the nursing home...
The Themba Trust UK
Trustees of the Themba Trust UK met recently and made the decision to dissolve the UK charity. Themba in South Africa will be ten years old in February next year and has had long standing support from British and South African Friends.
Letters - 02 September 2011
Conscientious objection Last week’s Fox Report (26 August) reminded me of a comment written by Jean Johnson, an American Quaker, at the end of her husband Paul’s letters from prison. He was a CO during the second world war. ‘During Paul’s time in prison I often thought of...
Oblivion
Enjoying the humour I sit to one side Until your approach, feeling Warm inside I take your hand And feel the world fall away Around me.