29 January 2010 £1.70 the DISCOVER THE CONTEMPORARYFriend QUAKER WAY Meeting the family Same-sex marriage update The Friend in Kenya The Lords’ work continues Chocolate dreams Thoughts about the Bible Gone for good? For and against the Friend INDEPENDENT QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843 CONTENTS – VOL 167 NO 5 3 Government makes religious same-sex union pledge 4 Army approach to London schools recruitment queried 5 Activists call for end to Haitian debt 6 A key for the future Judy Kirby 7 Comment Alison Leonard and Grace Crookall-Greening 8-9 Letters 10-13 The Friend in Kenya 10-12 We are family In my second week in Kenya I was offered Jez Smith a hot bath by my Quaker host family. I 13 Giving thanks to God on life’s highway accepted eagerly without thinking that they didn’t have running water let alone hot Jez Smith water. When it had been prepared I was 14 Quakers and the Bible led to the bathroom and presented with this tub on a stool. Within moments the Michael Wright penny dropped and I gave thanks for the 15 ‘No’ to the Old Testament kindness of my hosts. Unfortunately, due to my height I couldn’t stand up straight in Michael Oppenheim this cubicle so I washed outside. After all, 16 q-eye: witness who would see? As I cheerily washed the first plane that I had seen in two weeks 17 Friends & Meetings flew low overhead! I waved. Jez Smith Cover image: Jez Smith with young Friends from the Chwele Yearly Meeting youth choir at the Young Quakers Christian Association Africa Triennial in western Kenya, December 2009. Photo: Chwele Yearly Meeting youth choir. The Friend Subscriptions Advertising Editorial UK £72 per year by all payment types Advertisement manager: Editor: including annual direct debit; George Penaluna Judy Kirby monthly payment by direct debit £6.50; online only £45 per year. Articles, images correspondence For details of other rates, Tel/fax: 01535 630230 should be emailed to contact Penny Dunn on [email protected] [email protected] 020 7663 1178 or [email protected] www.thefriend.org/advertise.asp or sent to the address below. the Friend 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ Tel: 020 7663 1010 Fax: 020 7663 1182 www.thefriend.org Editor: Judy Kirby [email protected] • Production editor: Jez Smith [email protected] • Sub-editor: Trish Carn [email protected] • Arts editor: Rowena Loverance [email protected] • Environment editor: Laurie Michaelis [email protected] • Subscriptions officer: Penny Dunn [email protected] Tel: 020 7663 1178 • Advertisement manager: George Penaluna, Ad department, 54a Main Street, Cononley, Keighley BD20 8LL Tel: 01535 630230 [email protected] • Clerk of the trustees: A David Olver • ISSN: 0016-1268 The Friend Publications Limited is a registered charity, number 211649 • Printed by Headley Bros Ltd, Queens Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH 2 the Friend, 29 January 2010 News Government makes religious same-sex union pledge Symon Hill reports on the House of Lords debate on Monday that led to a government commitment ‘to look at this issue further’ The government will consider Quakers ‘are encouraged by the to withdraw his amendments measures to give legal recognition commitment of the government following the government’s to religious same-sex partnership to listen and consult and give this promise ‘to look at this issue ceremonies, following campaigning measure serious consideration’. further’. Gillian Ashmore said by Quakers and other groups. The government’s new position that Friends looked forward ‘to The commitment marks was revealed during a debate on working with government to seek a a significant shift from the the Equality Bill. Waheed Alli, a gay solution’. government’s previous position. Muslim and Labour member of the However, it seems unlikely that Until this week, they had Lords, proposed amendments to the government will make much maintained that no change was allow the use of religious language progress on the issue before a needed to the law on same-sex civil and religious premises in civil general election, which must be partnerships, which does not allow partnerships. held by June at the latest. the use of religious language or ‘This is not meant to be an attack It is not clear what position religious premises. Campaigners on the tenets of religion,’ said the Conservatives would are now waiting to see if the Waheed Alli, ‘It is the Quakers, the take on the issue if elected to commitment is followed up. Liberal Judaism, the Unitarians, government. David Hunt, a Tory Speaking in the House of Lords who want this provision’. spokesperson in the Lords, said on Monday 25 January, minister He suggested that ‘the mood ‘I agree we’ve come a long way Glenys Thornton said that she was outside’ of the House was [on gay rights], but we have to ‘not unsympathetic’ to the case for supportive of the proposal. pause for a moment’. However, legal recognition of religious same- Most speakers in the debate he acknowledged that there sex partnerships. expressed support in principle. were many same-sex couples ‘We fully accept the fundamental However, some, such as the Liberal who wished to celebrate their importance of this issue to many Democrats’ equality spokesperson commitment to each other in the same-sex couples’, she added, Anthony Lester, said that the law context of their faith. promising to listen ‘particularly to needed to be more clearly drafted Later in the debate, there was those churches and organisations and nuanced in order to avoid surprise when the Lords narrowly who do wish to perform same-sex difficulties. passed another amendment to the unions’. Speaking on behalf of the Equality Bill allowing religious The issue has been of major government, Glenys Thornton organisations greater exemption concern to Quakers, particularly argued that allowing religious from anti-discrimination since Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) language in civil partnerships legislation. resolved last year to lobby for a could lead to discrimination The result was welcomed by change in the law to put same-sex against mixed-sex couples in civil socially conservative Christian marriage on an equal footing with marriages, in which no religious groups who want to be able to mixed-sex marriage. Similar calls language is allowed. In response, refuse employment to gay, lesbian, have been made by other religious Waheed Alli pointed out that bisexual and transgender people. groups, including the Lesbian and a mixed-sex couple can choose However, the vote drew criticism Gay Christian Movement, the whether to have a religious or civil from Cutting Edge, a coalition Unitarian Churches and Liberal wedding, whereas for a same-sex of Christian, Jewish, Muslim Jews. couple, only a civil partnership and secular groups opposed to Gillian Ashmore, speaking receives legal recognition. discrimination. It is as yet unclear on behalf of BYM, said that However, Waheed Alli agreed how the government will respond. the Friend, 29 January 2010 3 News Army approach to London schools recruitment queried Fresh concerns have been raised concentrated in the poorest a misleading picture of life in the about military recruitment in schools’. armed forces’. schools, following evidence that When questioned by the Friend, a The armed forces are already poorer students are most likely to Ministry of Defence spokesperson facing criticism for taking experience visits from the army. said, ‘The armed forces visit advantage of the recession to The news has fuelled worries schools only at the invitation of recruit people facing economic about young people joining the the school’. He added: ‘These visits hardship. Army recruiters in armed forces because of limited are to support schools’ careers London reported a twenty to employment opportunities. programmes and to offer advice on twenty-five per cent increase in Researchers from the London careers in the Armed Forces’. enquiries in January 2009 when School of Hygiene and Tropical While the report’s authors accept compared with the same period in Medicine found that forty per cent that ‘an army visit is contingent on the previous year. of London’s schools received army the school’s consent’, they say that The government is also visits between September 2008 ‘in practice it is more usual for the struggling to defend the and April 2009. However, fifty-one army to initiate the relationship’. recruitment of sixteen- and per cent of schools in the most David Gee urged teachers and seventeen-year-olds. The UK is disadvantaged fifth were visited, other school staff to reconsider the only European Union country compared with only twenty-nine decisions to invite the armed forces to employ soldiers aged under per cent of the middle fifth. into their schools. eighteen, a policy recently criticised ‘Letting army recruiters into He told the Friend, ‘It’s by Parliament’s Joint Committee schools may jeopardise young important that teachers think on Human Rights. people’s rights and welfare,’ said about whether they want to Symon Hill Quaker researcher David Gee, allow military recruiters into who co-authored the report, schools, given that these are slick A shorter version of this article ‘particularly as these visits are advertising campaigns that present appeared on the website last week. Christian groups aim to tackle poverty and homelessness Insisting that ‘there is enough for all’, three Christian already share hospitality, food, transport and lifestyles. organisations have challenged prevailing economic They include schemes such as ‘Nightstop’, which ideas by encouraging people to share, exchange and re- provides emergency accommodation in hosts’ own use, in order to combat the hardships of the economic homes, alongside ethical banking projects, food co- downturn. operatives and furniture recycling. Their website The call comes ahead of Poverty and Homelessness (www.actionweek.org.uk) includes a map of all the Action Week, due to begin on Saturday 30 January.