From Quaker Peace & Social Witness: Earth & Economy

Urgent action: Infrastructure Bill

Can you write to your MP today?

On Monday MPs will get to vote on fracking.

They will be debating the Infrastructure Bill. This will be the last real chance for us to influence the Bill.

We want to ensure that new legislation does not lock the UK into a direction of travel inconsistent with rapid reduction in carbon emissions, making the UK energy system less equitable for people and the Earth.

Can you email your MP today [link]?

QPSW is most concerned about provisions in the Bill which:

• Change the trespass law so as to allow companies to extract oil and gas from under your home without your permission, including by fracking.
• Legislate for maximising the economic recovery of UK oil.

We are supporting amendments put forward by MPs which would remove these clauses; and new clauses being put forward which would insert a ban or moratorium on fracking into the Bill.

Please can you email your MP today asking them to support these amendments? Even better could you send an email to your MP(s) as a meeting, perhaps after Meeting for Worship on Sunday?

We have drafted a template letter [link - you will find further link to Word document lower part of page] to help you with this. Please amend it as you see fit. You’ll find the email address and other details about your MP here.

We have also prepared a briefing for Friends [link] intended to provide you with information about the Infrastructure Bill; how draft legislation within it challenges our commitment to sustainability; and what you can do to change it.
Contact Sunniva Taylor, Sustainability & Peace programme manager for more information, on sunnivat@quaker.org.uk or 02076631047

PS If you are in London on Monday you may want to come along to a rally at Parliament calling for ‘No fracking anywhere’. It will take place 12.30 – 3pm, Old Palace Yard (On the west side of St Margaret Street/Abingdon Street), opposite Parliament, Westminster, near SW1P 3JX. Sunniva will be there at 12.30 for an hour or so, with a ‘Quakers for Climate Justice’ banner. More details here.

In meeting for Worship today

Advices & Queries 22





Respect the wide diversity among us in our lives and relationships. Refrain from making prejudiced judgments about the life journeys of others. Do you foster the spirit of mutual understanding and forgiveness which our discipleship asks of us? Remember that each one of us is unique, precious, a child of God.


Faith & practice 8.11

Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee works for Britain Yearly Meeting to translate our faith into action. As Quakers we are impelled by our faith to make our lives an active witness for peace and justice. Our historic testimonies to equality, justice, peace, simplicity and truth challenge us to alleviate suffering and seek positive social change.
....
Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee seeks to express corporately our experience that the Holy Spirit moves people to serve and learn from their fellow human beings and to promote peace and social justice.


Only the first and last paragraphs were read - for the whole section follow this link


Information on Quaker Peace & Social Witness to follow in a separate post

New meeting in Haverfordwest

See link to Cwrdd â’r Crynwyr: Hwlffordd // Quaker Quest Haverfordwest blog for more information.
3rd Wednesday of the month


LINK HERE

Voices of Conscience short films and discussion in Aberteifi/Cardigan

On Wednesday 26th November Cardigan Quaker meeting will be showing the films from the Voices of Conscience series followed by time to discuss the issues raised.
A warm welcome to all at Canolfan Byd Bychan/Small World Theatre, Aberteifi/Cardigan 7.30pm - there will be tea and coffee served! 
The project was initiated by South Wales [Quaker] Area Meeting - the DVDs have teachers notes and have been sent out to all schools and FE colleges in the South Wales area. teachers would be most welcome to this event to explore the ideas.

A link to Small World's information page for address and parking information

you can see the short films here in Cymraeg or English

"This new resource aims to explore a lesser-known aspect of World War I through the true stories of people who made a personal stand against war on grounds of conscience, and who looked for another way. The stories shed light on the World War I period, but are also relevant to contemporary society. They are particularly powerful because they allow ordinary people to tell their own stories, accompanied by photographs and illustrations.

This is a South Wales Area Meeting project of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). It is generously funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, with contributions from South Wales Area Meeting, North Wales Area Meeting, Mid Wales Area Meeting, Southern Marches Area Meeting, Meeting of Friends in Wales, The Spirit of Sulien Trust, Cynefin y Werin and many local Quaker Meetings and Quaker individuals from across Wales and beyond."


A link to UK Quakers projects looking at WWI, of particular note are The White Feather Diaries the first instalments have been posted there will be more next year

Forces Watch at Area meeting

South Wales [Quakers] Area Meeting had a bilingual afternoon workshop given by Forces Watch
There is a lot to read but well worth it is you are interested in
a. the age of recruitment to the armed forces in the UK - with parental consent you can sign up from the age of 16 - the UK is the only European that allows sign up before the age of 18
b. and/or the recruitment that goes on in schools
c. and/or "The new tide of militarisation" [this links to a Quaker publication - England & Wales do have different education policies]] in the UK - in schools and general life.


The information from Forces Watch 4 links to pdf documents:
Link to briefing overview that they gave up
Link to Military activities in UK Schools & Colleges: what are the issues & what can you do
And an overview  of conscientious objection in the UK armed forces today


Those people who signed up at 16 were more likely to die on active service in Afghanistan than those who sign up later [is this because of their youth or the actual job they end up doing in the armed forces]. Although armed service personnel are not put on the front line until they are 18 there were some notable mistakes with regard to Afghanistan.


There are several issues to think about here and you might not be in agreement with all and some may feel they wish to see the total abolition of the armed forces.


Forces Watch website
Forces Watch on Twitter
Forces Watch on Facebook

the Swarthmore lecture 2014

If you'd like to just listen






The book "Open for transformation: Being Quaker – the 2014 Swarthmore Lecture" is available from the bookshop at Friend's House - printed or digital formats LINK TO BOOK

Readings at Meeting for worship & other things that came up

Advices & Queries 4




"The Religious Society of Friends is rooted in Christianity and has always found inspiration in the life and teachings of Jesus. How do you interpret your faith in the light of this heritage? How does Jesus speak to you today? Are you following Jesus' example of love in action? Are you learning from his life the reality and cost of obedience to God? How does his relationship with God challenge and inspire you?"

And at our Meeting for worship for Business we were read a section of Quaker Faith & Practice 3.09 "Participation on meetings for church affairs":

"On taking your seat, try to achieve quietness of mind and spirit. Try to avoid having subcommittees or conversations just as the meeting is about to begin. Turn inwardly to God, praying that the meeting may be guided in the matters before it and that the clerk may be enabled faithfully to discern and record the mind of the meeting."


Being Friends Together was mentioned:

Being Friends Together has been developed by Woodbrooke and Quaker Life to help Friends in meetings to:

• develop spiritually, both as individuals and meetings
• learn about aspects of the Quaker and Christian traditions
• develop and express their sense of Quaker identity
• grow as communities
• feel supported to live out Quaker testimony in their lives and localities
• integrate all generations into the life of meetings

so we hope that there will be something here to suit every meeting’s interests and preferences! It also offers a simple discernment process to help meetings identify where they would like to focus their energy and attention first, supported by optional visits from experienced Friends or do-it-yourself guidance on the website. LINK TO WEBSITE