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Quaker Activism Rocked the Country the3 January 2020 Friend| £2.00 ‘Quaker activism rocked the country.’ A news round-up of 2019 6 Dec 20/12/19 14:25 Page 1 the INDEPENDENTFriend QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843 3 January 2020 | Volume 178, No 1 www.thefriend.org News round-up of 2019 4 Activism, Meeting houses and more Rebecca Hardy Letters 8 Everything to play for 10 The power of music David Saunders Thought for the week 11 Our better nature Alison Leonard Threshing it out 12 Friends in Finland Sue Glover Frykman Cake and conversation 14 General Meeting for Scotland Mary Dower Review 15 Embodiment by Dinah Livingstone Frank Regan Q Eye: a look at the Quaker world 16 Friends & Meetings 17 And holy resolutions were kindled in our hearts as a fire which the Life kindled in us to serve the Lord while we had a being, and mightily did the Word of God grow amongst us, and the desires of many were after the Name of the Lord. O happy day! O blessed day! the memorial of which can never pass out of my mind. And thus the Lord, in short, did form us to be a people for his praise in our generation. Francis Howgill (1618–1669), on early Friends Quaker faith & practice 19.08 right), while a ninety- merits’ and there could News round-up of 2019 one-year-old Friend, John be ‘considerable merit’ in Lynes, from Hastings loosening planning laws. [email protected] Meeting, was filmed on The year ended with Channel 4 being arrested unequivocally good news for blocking Dover however for Quakers who Docks in September. ‘It’s have long-campaigned Quaker activism rocks cynically deployed in my generation that has against arts sponsorship the country defence of this trade’ caused all the trouble so from the petrochemical 2019 was a year in which and agreed to set up an here I am,’ he told the giant BP. National Quaker activism rocked ‘alternative peace fair’. cameras. Galleries Scotland the country. Hundreds Quaker peace activist Sam The Metropolitan announced that it would of Friends took part in Donaldson told the Friend Police were forced to end its relationship with the mass protest against that there was ‘a growing perform an embarrassing the oil company in order the Defence and Security awareness about DSEI, U-turn during the XR ‘to address the climate Equipment International but there’s still a lot of ‘Autumn Uprising’ when emergency’. It said that (DSEI) arms fair in work to be done’. a temporary ban on the after the BP Portrait September, shutting Meanwhile, Art the activists gathering in Award 2019 exhibition, down the road for around Arms Fair provided central London was ruled which opened on 7 nine hours and raising ‘creative resistance’ to unlawful. Friends had December, the Award awareness of the world’s the arms fair, showcasing lined up to condemn the would no longer tour largest arms fair in a work from over seventy Met’s approach, while Paul to the Scottish National sea of peace banners. artists including: Anish Parker, recording clerk Portrait Gallery ‘in its According to Roots of Kapoor, Zehra Doğan, of Britain Yearly Meeting present form’. Climate Resistance (RoR), which Ralph Ziman and (BYM), tweeted: ‘Good campaigners hailed the mobilised Friends, around Guardian cartoonist to see the courts doing news as ‘seismic’. forty people were arrested Martin Rowson. The their job and defending on the ‘No Faith in War’ Amish Kapoor print sold the right to protest. Friends push for child day when police officers for £2,000. The climate emergency smacking ban interrupted around 700 Friends also flocked demands no less.’ Quakers helped changed people of faith during a to join the Extinction It was a busy year for the law last year when Meeting for Worship and Rebellion (XR) climate Young Friends too as Scotland became the ordered them to move. justice movement, which they joined the growing first country in the UK There was good news brought creative and throngs of ‘Fridays for to make it a criminal for activists however anarchic disruption across Future’ strikers and offence for parents to when the Welsh Britain in a bid to raise demanded meaningful smack their children. government said it would awareness of the climate climate action, while The move came after ‘review’ its role in the crisis. Quaker James Swedish climate activist Quakers in Scotland DSEI fair and Hong Kong Deane, from Central Greta Thunberg spoke campaigned for the withdrew its delegation. Meeting in Bristol, was to a packed room at ban. In March, General Rokhsana Fiaz, the mayor one of the twelve partially Friends House in London. Meeting for Scotland of Newham, also called naked XR protesters who Meanwhile, anti-fracking made a submission to the the arms fair ‘abhorrent’ stormed the House of campaigners continued Equalities and Human after the council passed Commons public gallery their witness after an Rights Committee about a motion ‘rejecting the on 1 April and stripped earthquake measuring 2.9 the Children (Equal economic arguments off to a thong (pictured, magnitude caused damage Protection from Assault) to buildings in Lancashire. (Scotland) Bill welcoming The year promised the proposal. It said: WORDS an encouraging close ‘Quakers believe that when the government nonviolence is something announced a moratorium that needs… practice ‘Precious pockets of on fracking, but Quaker throughout a lifetime, Peace & Social Witness and that the grounding (QPSW) later highlighted for a nonviolent life starts calm in an otherwise an article in The in childhood.’ Independent newspaper Mairi Campbell- hectic world.’ revealing a civil service Jack, the former document that said Scottish parliamentary Duncan Wilson, chief executive of Historic England, on ‘future applications will be engagement officer for Quaker Meeting houses. considered on their own Britain Yearly Meeting 4 the Friend 3 January 2020 (BYM), called for more Quaker in same-sex NUMBERS resources to be put marriage denied CTE into place as ‘violence presidency never happens in a The news that Quaker vacuum’. She tweeted: Hannah Brock Womack ‘Smacking isn’t the only (pictured, right) had issue children face, and 116 been blocked from resources need to be put The number of people arrested during the ‘Stop DSEI’ her appointment as a week, including many Quakers. into communities to help Churches Together in make children safe.’ England (CTE) president Eighty-four MSPs voted because she was in a in favour of banning same-sex marriage sent outright the physical ripples through the press. punishment of children The decision, which in Scotland, after the sparked sadness and Members’ Bill was anger in the Quaker lodged by the Scottish community, was picked Green Party MSP John up by the national media Finnie, who highlighted with interviews with the damage which Hannah Brock Womack smacking is proven to do running on BBC Radio to children’s long-term mental health. The Bill, Sheffield, BBC TV Look which was supported North (Yorkshire), and by the Scottish National BBC Radio 4 Sunday. Party government, Paul Parker, Britain removes the defence of Yearly Meeting (BYM) ‘reasonable chastisement’ recording clerk, also which exists in English spoke on Premier Radio law. Fifty-seven other alongside Paul Goodliff, counties already prohibit of CTE. the physical punishment While some Friends, of children. particularly from the Womack. Photo: Hannah Brock Photo: Evelina Utterdahl. Photo: Evelina the Friend 3 January 2020 5 arguably has almost of Friends who had News round-up of 2019 perfect conditions for a rallied to support the spiritual experience…’ group, gathering outside [email protected] he said. ‘We focussed Cheltenham crown court, on providing a calm, the activists later received peaceful space, in the suspended sentences or middle of all the noise community orders in LGBT+ community, all denominations in and clamour, and to offer February. expressed outrage at the membership of CTE an experience of stillness Chelmsford Meeting decision, others, such would accept a president before anything else, with upheld the group and as the Quaker Gender who is married to conversation only coming allowed them to use and Sexual Diversity someone of the same sex. later if it felt necessary… their Meeting house as a Community (QGSDC), Although Hannah Brock a large number of people central base. told the Friend that, Womack remains the did simply rest in the tent despite being ‘saddened’ fourth president, she will with us, in stillness, a Historic England by ‘this discrimination… not be able to take her welcoming invitation that recognises beauty of we continue to uphold place alongside the other they will associate with Meeting houses those leaders in Christian CTE presidents when they Quakerism.’ The beauty of Quaker denominations still gather and will be ‘empty- Joseph Fuller added buildings was officially wrestling in good faith chaired’ instead. that he was ‘convinced recognised when with the concept of equal CTE subsequently put that the particular quality seventeen Meeting houses marriage’. out a statement saying: of the festival allowed were granted listed Hannah Brock Womack ‘An ongoing process of people to reach that [state status or had their listed pointed out that for discussion, listening and of vulnerability and trust] status upgraded by the the first time CTE was prayer has begun.’ with far greater ease than Department for Digital, now ‘embarking on in everyday life’. Culture, Media and Sport conversations about Quakers head to The stand held daily (DCMS) on the advice of sexuality… as a direct Glastonbury Meetings for Worship. Historic England. result’ and that ‘this is Quakers undertook some Described by Duncan no longer an issue to be musical outreach in 2019 ‘Stansted Fifteen’ Wilson, chief executive brushed under the carpet’. when, for what is thought receives suspended of Historic England, She added that, while she to be the first time ever, sentences as ‘precious pockets of ‘could walk away… I feel I it had an official presence The year started with the calm in an otherwise have to stay in this strange at Glastonbury Festival.
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