Quaker faith in action

Dear friends,

the Quaker Faith in Action February Newsletter came out at the end of last week. Retrospective on February events and looking ahead to upcoming Quaker grassroots activism.

You can sign up here: https://www.quaker.org.uk/resources/newsletters/quaker-faith-in-action

Here's the intro to give you an idea:

Hi Friends and welcome to February's Faith in Action newsletter.

As we have received news from Friends and visited events this month, the theme of 'gathering' has emerged.

We have stories about a sit-in people's assembly at the Royal Courts of Justice; being together at one of our Faith in Action online drop-in sessions; and last month's Peace Walk. We also look ahead to our Creative Tactics for Peace gathering in May (book below!) and introduce you to Citizens UK, an organisation with which meetings around Britain are becoming involved.

With more besides, our hope again is to inspire ways to Act, Reflect, Learn and Celebrate.

We're continuing our trial of making the newsletter available in audio format – see the blue ‘Listen’ button above. Please let us know what you think of this.

With our friendship and solidarity,

Bridget, Martha, Dixe and Joe
Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW)
www.quaker.org.uk/our-work

To safeguard current and future Quaker work, Quaker faith in action page admins are on furlough for the time being. For updates Quaker activism, please head to Quakers in Britain. Stay safe, stay home, & we will be back soon!

Quakers furlough staff to protect jobs and services Quakers in Britain have taken the decision to furlough two thirds of staff across the organisation.

"Friends can support UK climate strikers in a number of ways," says Anya Nanning Ramamurthy, an 18-year-old Quaker who worships at Tottenham. "Do reach out to your local climate strike groups and see if they need any support or resources."

Read about how Quakers in Britain staff are supporting UK Student Climate Network strikers, and what Quaker meetings can do to help.

A Quaker climate striker talks campaigning through lockdown Self-care and Zoom calls: 18-year-old Quaker Anya Nanning Ramamurthy speaks to Lyndsay Burtonshaw about the practicalities of continuing climate strikes online

Overcoming fake news and easing community tensions: an update on how Turning the Tide peacebuilders in Kenya, Rwanda and Burundi are adapting to Covid-19 restrictions.

Working for peace in East Africa during the Covid-19 crisis ​Tobias Wellner looks at how community organisers in Kenya, Burundi and Rwanda are nurturing nonviolence during a pandemic.

A court case that Quakers in Britain has followed with interest for the past four years has been concluded. The ruling affirms the right of local authorities to make ethical choices in their pension investments.

Quakers welcome Supreme Court appeal ruling on ethical investments The UK Supreme Court ruling affirms the right of local authorities to make ethical choices in their pension investments.

Clergy attack tax-haven firms seeking coronavirus bailouts Companies registered in offshore tax havens should be refused corporate bailouts, church leaders have said amid criticism of attempts by business owners such as Sir Richard Branson to receive

Thank you to everyone who has written to their MP about releasing prisoners. It is working: ministers are feeling the pressure.

Sadly 13 prisoners have already died as a result of the pandemic, and many more continue to be at risk.

To write to your MP about this issue, please take a look at simple points to include in your letter here: quaker.org.uk/news-and-events/news/prisoners-at-risk-in-pandemic

Ministers under pressure to release more prisoners amid virus crisis Ministers have come under renewed pressure to release thousands more prisoners after it was revealed that more than 500 jail staff and inmates have contracted Covid-19. The Liberal Democrats, in a move backed by prison reform groups, are calling for the Government to temporarily release prisoners de...

Happy ! Needing a distraction from lockdown? Check out our new climate justice resource list 🧐

Containing a wide range of climate-focused films, documentaries, articles, books, podcasts & kid-friendly activities, this list has something for everyone 👉 quaker-prod.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/store/cd693b937af26d7b17277076ebc82fa170e33599c49ef61f6eca4c22f15b

Let's ensure that everyone has a lifeline!

Many migrant families across the UK are barred from accessing financial aid at this difficult time. Read on to get an idea of what this means for families, and how you can help by contacting your MP. The podcast at the end is well worth a listen too.

Find out more about Quaker work on migration here: www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/social-justice/migration

The Government must provide a lifeline for all The Coronavirus crisis has touched the lives of people of all backgrounds across the country - but Government support fails to mirror this.

Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network - QARN is joining with others to campaign for the lowering of the exorbitant Home Office fees currently required of people who have been accepted as qualifying for Discretionary Leave to Remain following an application for asylum.

These excessive fees, paid by people in already vulnerable situations, also help fund the wider immigration system.

Read this downloadable, printable leaflet for information on how you can help asylum seekers at this difficult time ➡️www.qarn.org.uk/homepage/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/EXCESSIVE-FEES_Leave-to-Remain-in-UK-leaflet-for-printing-April-2020.pdf

When the lockdown began, Quakers in Bristol opened up their kitchen to give people without homes a place to prepare food safely.

Perhaps your own Quaker meeting has been taking action during the pandemic, in ways big or small. If you've been able to provide support to people at particular risk of Covid-19, comment below or email us at [email protected]. We would love to hear about it 💛

Central Bristol Quakers donate kitchen to support those without homes Central Bristol Quakers have donated the kitchen in their meeting house to help feed homeless people made even more vulnerable by the Coronavirus crisis.

Navigating uncertain waters: Covid-19 and inequality Isolation, disruption and confusion have interrupted many of our lives. Kékéli Kpognon and Andrew Lane chart a way through by focusing on those who have been surviving these conditions for years.

Do you know someone who could spend 3 months in Palestine and Israel monitoring human rights? Could you?

Applications are open for 2021. Closing date: 24 April. See www.quaker.org.uk/applyeappi for details.

EAPPI get involved We believe that everyone can take action to help end the occupation and bring about a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. We need a movement of people who can take action for peace. Will you join us?

'We need to temporarily stop short prison sentences; limiting the rapid churn of people vulnerable to Covid-19 in and out of prison to keep the prison staff and prisoners safe.'

Quakers in Britain are co-signing this important letter to the government regarding prisoners who are exposed to high Covid-19 health risks. If your action group can add its name to the list of signatories, please do so.

Further information: www.revolving-doors.org.uk/blog/save-lives-prevent-use-short-prison-sentences

Many Quakers have asked Quaker Peace & Social Witness for tips on handling conflict in their communities. To meet this need, we have put together this booklet of tips on how to respond to conflict creatively, safely and effectively.

We are proud to share 'Engaging in conflict, challenging hate' with you all, in digital form, at this difficult time. Written by Lisa Cu***ng of Turning the Tide, it features contributions from HOPE not hate and Tariq Bashir of Who is your neighbour?.

Free paper copies will be available to order – when we are allowed back in the office!

Engaging with conflict: a toolkit for difficult times A new resource from Quakers in Britain shares tips on responding to conflict in a challenging yet caring way.

Quaker Social Action have been helping food banks cope with a surge of demand caused by the pandemic. Read all about it in The Friend!

QSA helps with surge of foodbank demand Quaker Social Action (QSA) has been helping foodbanks cope with the surge of demand caused by the pandemic. Giles Robinson, from QSA, told the Friend: ‘After...

The Network of Christian Peace Organisations - NCPO, of which Quakers in Britain is a member, urges the UK government to discontinue the sale of arms during this crisis, and call on all involved in current conflicts around the world to lay down their arms.

Statement regarding Coronavirus: 30th March 2020 António Guterres, Secretary-General of the UN, called for a global ceasefire in light of the coronavirus, saying: The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war. The threats we face as a planet, health pandemics and climate change among them, demand a coordinated international response with no...

The COP26 climate talks, due to happen in Glasgow in November, have been postponed to 2021. A new date is yet to be fixed.

It’s right that world leaders focus on responding to Covid-19. These talks are very urgently needed and we call on leaders to ensure they happen next year.

A short delay could help leaders and civil society fully prepare for COP26. It’s essential that people from all round the world – including from countries that will be hardest hit by Covid-19 – can take part and influence the negotiations.

Postponement could help ensure the widest possible participation.

In the meantime, the UK must ensure that its approach to economic recovery from the impacts of Covid-19 is designed to support a just transition to zero carbon.

Virus forces postponement of key climate talks A key climate conference due in November is delayed over disruption caused by the coronavirus.

'Being vulnerable has not been difficult for me – it has been a lot like normal life. As more is known about the virus, and the effects on it of the medicine I take, I may come out of the ‘vulnerable’ category. If that happens, I’ll be able to answer calls for help as well as put them out.

But even if it doesn’t, I’ll still be part of the web of my community, lighting up the filaments with my shopping lists, nurturing and nourishing our mutual aid structures and keeping them alive.'

Clare Bonetree of Turning the Tide GB, our Quaker social action programme, shares her experience of mutual aid and self-isolating.

Solidarity not charity: Mutual Aid and Being ‘Vulnerable’ - Turning the Tide What’s the difference between solidarity and charity? Clare Bonetree shares some reflections. I was one of the early self-isolators, not because of symptoms but because I was informed that the medicine I take puts me at a higher risk of serious illness. Overnight I became ‘vulnerable’, one of ...

Quaker Voluntary Action are reviewing their working retreats for the coming months. Here is an update from them:

'What would be really helpful for us at the moment is for you to get in touch with us if you are interested in an event *in principle*, with no obligation or deposit payable at this stage, just to give us an indication of interest and for us to update you with developments.

'This will mean that we will be in touch with you directly nearer the time, when clear decisions have been made about that specific working retreat, and we can also - if applicable - let you know about rescheduling if/when this occurs.'

See their upcoming events page here: http://qva.org.uk/retreats/

Follow them here: Quaker Voluntary Action - QVA

A cross-party group of 98 MPs are urging the government to enable migrants to access Universal Credit for the duration of the coronavirus crisis. This means that they will be able maintain their own safety and reduce the spread of the virus, rather than being forced to work and putting themselves and others at risk in the process.

The list of MPs who signed the letter calling for this measure can be found here: https://labourlist.org/2020/03/76-labour-mps-urge-pause-on-no-recourse-to-public-funds-migrant-status/

Please get in touch with your MP if their name is not there.

Find out more about Quaker work on creating a culture of welcome for migrants and refugees: https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/social-justice/migration

Sanctuary Meetings A Sanctuary Meeting is a Quaker Meeting that is committed to building a culture of welcome for newcomers to Britain.

Recent events have created a worrying and uncertain period for people across the world, including in Palestine, where much of the West Bank remains on lockdown. Here at Quaker Peace & Social Witness we continue to extend our solidarity to the people of Palestine and Israel.

EAPPI UK & Ireland continue to plan ahead for 2021. The programme is seeking human rights observers to volunteer in the field for three months next year.

Full training and support is provided to all successful applicants; the deadline for 2021 intake is 24 April 2020. Click below to find out more.

EAPPI get involved We believe that everyone can take action to help end the occupation and bring about a just peace for both Palestinians and Israelis. We need a movement of people who can take action for peace. Will you join us?

Someone in your Quaker meeting may be struggling with the financial impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. Please spread the word of our hardship fund, the Hope Grant, so that they can make an application. Up to £750 is available in each case.

Hope Grants Hope Grants are small grants to improve the quality of life of Quaker members and attenders who are unemployed or unable to make a living wage.

'Every stage of our lives offers fresh opportunities. Responding to divine guidance, try to discern the right time to undertake or relinquish responsibilities without undue pride or guilt. Attend to what love requires of you, which may not be great busyness.'

Advices & queries; no. 28.

Art by Liberation Works (liberationworks.co.uk)

Friends World Committee for Consultation - FWCC World Office has been exploring Quaker work on sustainability across the world, as Friends and Yearly Meetings take action to promote sustainability at local, national and global levels. In February FWCC hosted the first online conference with Quakers worldwide, asking ‘How does God call us to act?’.

During the conference, a group of Elders were listening to the spoken ministry. After the conference they wrote reflective statement, which can be read here: www.fwcc.world/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/FWCC-Sustainability-An-Online-Conference-Statement-2020-English.pdf

Learn more about FWCC here: http://fwcc.world/

Sustainability Statements – Friends World Committee for Consultation

Quaker veterans: what are your thoughts on the government's decision to move the May Day bank holiday to VE Day?

John Lynes of Hasting Quaker Meeting speaks to the Guardian about his many years of taking action for justice, peace, and sustainability.

Experience: I’ve been protesting for seven decades I always carry a flask of tea. If you’re drinking tea, it’s unlikely anyone will think you’re about to start a riot

Who pays the price for UK ‘security’ policy abroad? And when do ordinary people get a say over our security policies?
Quaker peacebuilder Diana Francis writes for Rethinking Security

Security Policy Review: Time for Public Debate As the UK prepares to rewrite its national security strategy, Diana Francis argues that the people must have their say on their own security and who pays the price for UK ‘security’ policy abroad.…