The Fall 2023 Issue of Among Friends – the quarterly journal of the FWCC Europe and Middle East Section – is now available online at the following link:

 https://fwccemes.org/news/among-friends-issue-158-autumn-2023

You can find a range of interesting articles, events, book reviews etc in this issue.

At this time we, Quakers in Ireland, are in shock as we witness the continuing tragedy of Israel and Palestine’s relationship entering a new and terrifying phase. We mourn the lives lost now, adding to the generations of death and misery that has scarred this region, exacerbated by the actions over centuries of outside forces.

We must speak out against the attacks on civilians, the taking of hostages, the cutting off of food, water, electricity, and humanitarian aid. So too do we call for the de-escalation of this terrible cycle of violence. 

We know that no military solution will bring a permanent end to this tragedy. We know that only a just peace, based on international law, can do that. We join with those calling for the international community to focus now, working together with the people of Israel and Palestine, to bring this forward.

Our focus in the coming year, across the worldwide family of Quakers, is on Ubuntu, the Zulu concept emphasising our deep human interdependence, captured by the phrase “I am because we are”. That human interdependence is true of all the citizens of Palestine and Israel. It is true of all of humanity. So let us understand that we are also intimately involved in this tragedy. Let us seek to uphold everyone in the Light. 

Will Haire, Clerk, Ireland Yearly Meeting, Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ireland, 12th October 2023

We gathered for Ireland Yearly Meeting 2023 in the Dominican Retreat Centre, Tallaght, West Dublin.   Tallaght was a small village in the 1950s and has grown to be the third largest town in Ireland.  St. Maelruan founded a monastery there in 769 and it was a place of pilgrimage for a thousand years.  The four pillars of Dominican Life are prayer, study, community, and preaching, neatly capturing our theme for 2023 – Building Community Together – and gently reminding us that there are few ideas or aspirations novel to Christians over the past 20 centuries.

As ever, the joy and miracle of IYM is the meeting of old Friends and the making of new ones. We need only make one new acquaintance or come away with only one resolution, but that is sufficient. More is less. Coming together in person is invaluable beyond any zoom or remote contact. It is why IYM in person continues to be the highlight of our Quaker year. 

For those who cannot attend IYM in person, it is wonderful that we can now offer the option of attending remotely.  All the plenary sessions this year were blended, with several speakers joining us online, and the quality of sound and video recording was very good.   

During the week before IYM began in person, a series of Special Interest Groups were held on Zoom – exploring Quaker history, life reflections, peace-making and food waste.  These encouraged thoughts and conversations to which we returned during the in-person meetings.    

A notable concern across many of our sessions was how to connect, or reconnect, our communities in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.  We shared experiences from our meetings and heard from representatives of other faiths.  We heard that post COVID is an opportunity not a threat, that we need to break out of buildings to “be a light in our communities”.  We should concentrate less on “events” and more on service to the community.  Interfaith dialogue can be hard work, with a mix of attraction and aversion, like magnets. “Why do Quakers do it?”  We do it to find out others’ experience of the Light. If we do not do it, then misunderstandings can grow into difficult barriers.

We also considered our wider Quaker Community. It was heartening to hear from Friends from Brussels, Britain, Norway and Finland. Stuart Masters from Woodbrooke joined us on Zoom and shared information on the Community of Early Friends. Tracey Martin of QCEA in Brussels spoke of the progress they had made after the difficulties that followed Brexit.

At our Yearly Meeting on Ministry and Oversight, a panel of three friends reflected on how we can encourage ministry in our meetings.  The question was asked: “is our silence killing Quakerism?”   One speaker quoted Thomas Kelly, that we should seek the inner flame, to listen to that of God within and ask oneself “What do you find of God there?”.  Another speaker found that she had learned to listen to the still small voice within. To speak only from the heart. To encourage one another to minister, but to be led by the spirit as to whether one might speak or not.  A third speaker reflected on George Fox’s experience at Firbank Fell – “Let your life speak”.

In the discussion that followed, some spoke of the deep value of the silence, especially new attenders.  There was a suggestion that one might use a verse of scripture.   Another spoke of the value of spoken and unspoken ministry; that both are valuable.

Another concern which manifested over several sessions at IYM was peace making and peace building.  Reflecting on the Quaker Peace Testimony, we heard how Quakers have responded differently to wars over the past century.  While all Quakers are peace makers, not all are pacifists, and we rely as always on the Spirt and our conscience to guide us. It was accepted that the current war in Ukraine does not admit simple analysis but requires prayer and reflection and patience with one another. A practical solution which might be offered is to make refugees of whatever origin feel welcome and to work against a pernicious anti-immigrant culture, still small but vocal in Irish society.

We reflected on how we can prepare for peace, hearing about work to prevent increasing militarism, and campaigning against the arms industry.  Florence Foster spoke about the peace building work of QUNO in Geneva.  Friends also spoke of their experience hosting refugees from Ukraine.  In discussion, we asked how Friends can help to create the conditions for peace in our own communities, with peace education programmes in schools and organising local events suggested.  

As always, our Young Friends both inspired and challenged us.  Our under-10s had learnt about Ukraine and the experience of the refugees.  They displayed their stones painted in yellow and blue and their paintings of sunflowers, which brightened our day.  We heard the epistle from JYM which appealed for more support and guidance from IYM.  More adult volunteers are needed to enable fun weekend events to be organised.

We were also challenged at a session on nurturing community, which dealt with our role on social media.  As well as a form of outreach, social media is a way of building and nurturing community, but Friends are not availing of it.  We heard about The Friendly Podcasts, a lockdown project which interviewed Irish and international Friends, now available on our website.  A show of hands proved that a significant number of Friends are active on social media in their daily lives, but a second show of hands showed that very few were engaging with Quaker material.  We left with a renewed sense of purpose, to follow IYM on Twitter and Facebook, and to like and share the posts regularly!     

A highlight for many at IYM this year was the Public Lecture given by Harvey Gillman on “Hospitality and the Pilgrim – a Quaker’s reflection on communion and community”.   It was a highly entertaining and engaging lecture, if indeed the word lecture is appropriate.  Harvey gently chided us for using ‘quakerspeak’ with people unfamiliar with our culture. One could see why Harvey served for a quarter of a century as outreach coordinator with British Friends in London. He managed to speak to people where they are, not where we might wish them to be.   It was Harvey’s experience that it was within the Quaker community he could find his real voice, his real self and his happy home. Many Quakers by convincement can find an echo is this sentiment.  The entire lecture is available online on www.quakers.ie 

Of course, as well as the plenary sessions we had bible readings, candlelit worship in the oratory, poetry reading, dancing and the much-loved IQFA and book stalls, all facilitated by the many Friends who volunteered.  Special mention to all who facilitated the catering and the numerous cups of tea during the day. If an army marches on its stomach, Quakers survive on caffeine. A friend once remarked the most important part of Meeting was the cup of tea afterwards!

Valerie O’Brien, Colm Hefferon, Padraic Murray and Bairbre Nic Aongusa

The Epistle for IYM 2023 is now available.

To access a signed copy, click here.

The title of this year’s lecture was: Hospitality & the Pilgrim: a Quaker’s reflection on communion and community given by Harvey Gillman.

A copy of his pre-talk text is available here via this link.

Or you can watch a recording of Harvey’s talk here >>

Through reflections on his own life journey, Harvey, who is a Member of Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, explores spirituality as a process of hospitality.

Harvey (who describes himself as a seeker, finder, explorer, discoverer, dissident, exile, would-be poet and heretic!) sees every human being as a pilgrim.

“We look for meaning, a sense of belonging and a way to act in the world which seem true to our experiences,” he says. “The self, the other, and the world itself are inter-related. How do we forge links in a world that often seems to pull us apart?”

Harvey, who was brought up in the Jewish tradition and joined Quakers as an adult, says he has always desired the constancy of community and that Friends/Quakers offered him the hospitality he was looking for and a space in which to breathe.

You can see a selection of Harvey’s books here.

To mark International Day of Climate Action 2022 (24th October), EcoQuakers Ireland has released a video of the sustainability gathering it hosted in Cork earlier this year.

The title of the event was ‘From Disappointment to Hope: Actions and Responses to Climate Breakdown’ and the speakers were Brían Ó’Súilleabháin, Convenor of EcoQuakers Ireland, Rev Andew Orr, Chair of Eco-Congregation Ireland, and Caroline Robinson, a Cork-based organic farmer.

Fran Brady of Dublin Meeting, who is the Religious Society of Friends representative on Eco-Congregation Ireland and a member of the EcoQuakers Ireland committee, wrote the following report about the gathering:

On 23rd April 2022 the EcoQuaker Munster Gathering was held in Cork Meeting House, against the backdrop of the Loving Earth Project, an exhibition of textile panels created by Quakers to celebrate the earth and to highlight how the earth is endangered by climate change. Thirty-seven people attended.

The objective of the gathering was to encourage those present to be active on issues of climate justice, loss of biodiversity and other environmental concerns within their Quaker Meetings or churches, as well as in their everyday lives.  

The gathering opened with a period of reflection during which attendees could briefly share something about their environmental story.

One nurse spoke of 80,000 trees planted by a Co. Cork nurse to offset the huge environmental footprint of health services.

A Sabbath for the land every seven years and a Jubilee year after 47 years to give the land a rest was lauded.

The many and varied contributions set the tone for an inspiring Gathering, where three excellent speakers spoke on the topic: “From Disappointment to Hope: Actions and Responses to Climate Breakdown”

Brían Ó Súilleabháin, actor and convenor of the Eco Quaker Ireland Committee, charted the work of EcoQuakers since the World Quaker Gathering in Peru called on Quakers to live out the changes needed to sustain the Earth as home to humans and the natural world.  Following on this call, Ireland Yearly Meeting 2016 asked Meetings to develop sustainability plans no matter how simple.

Twenty Quaker Meetings, two-thirds of all Meetings or Worship Groups, prepared plans. A booklet entitled Responding to IYM 2016: Living sustainably and fairly on this earth was published then by EcoQuakers and in 2020 Quakers and Ethical Investment  was published.

A survey of Meetings early in lockdown showed a willingness to be sustainable but a need for a blueprint. This revelation led to the researching, compiling and publishing in 2021 of Regenerating our Common Home: Quaker Considerations for Restoration and Protection of the Environment. This book shows how our everyday activities can contribute to pollution, desertification, bio-diversity loss, extraction of fossil fuel and climate change. A step-by-step guide as to how to make a difference within and outside our Meetings, the book provides definitions and calculations for sustainability, carbon zero, carbon neutral and many other concepts. The final chapter is a case study of the eco-refurbishment of Cork Meeting House, which provided EcoQuakers with a wonderful space for the gathering,  

Rev Andrew Orr, Anglican Priest-in-Charge of Youghal Union, Chaplain to Midleton College and Chair of Eco-Congregation Ireland (ECI) spoke about Eco-Congregation Ireland, founded in 2005, to encourage and mentor churches and congregations along their sustainable journeys. ECI’s affiliated congregations are Roman Catholic, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches and the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

Environmental measures can be incorporated into all aspects of life: Spiritual, Practical, Community and Global. It’s under these headings that congregations are assessed for an Eco Award. A Gold Award has been initiated for congregations who accomplish exceptional environmental work after their initial award and who mentor another congregation.

The gift of God’s creation is celebrated especially at the Season of Creation and Harvest Time while Climate Justice Candles raise awareness of environmental justice in churches and congregations. Andrew spoke about the challenges, and opportunities, of endeavouring to make buildings and land as sustainable as possible. Climate Stewards, a web-based tool, enables churches to measure the carbon footprint of different activities; energy, travel, food, waste, water and other expenditure. The All Ireland Pollinator Plan, an initiative to aid bio-diversity and sustainable land use, is ideal for churchyards and burial grounds.

Organic farmer Caroline Robinson, who has been growing food without chemicals for nearly a quarter of a century, said it is humbling to work with nature and iterated that, if chemicals are avoided, land gets better and better. Her belief is that healthy soil results in healthy vegetables, rather than trying to feed vegetables planted in impoverished soil.  There is freedom and independence attached to growing food, especially in the current world situation.

Caroline and her husband produce local food for local people, making their food available at local Farmers’ Markets. In the small group discussions, and the plenary session which followed, food sovereignty, including indigenous food sovereignty, featured strongly. Indigenous crops grown over many years regenerated land rather than depleting it. Indigenous people have much to teach us about food and farming. Though climate scientists often overlook traditional knowledge, conglomerate farmers are devoid of the innate knowledge and wisdom gained over generations, which keep small farming systems in balance. Food conglomerates tend to homogenise food systems, reduce variety of crops and ignore natural harmony.

Andrew finished his talk with a quote from the Ecumenical Patriarch Batholomew of Constantinople: “The real crisis lies not in the environment – which suffers the consequences of our actions –  but in the human heart. The fundamental problem is to be found not outside but inside ourselves, not in the ecosystem but in the way we think about, perceive, and treat this ecosystem.“

You can find out more about EcoQuakers Ireland here.

Welcome to The Friendly Podcast – a collection of Quaker voices!

The Friendly Podcast is an Ireland Yearly Meeting production featuring Quakers of all ages and backgrounds, at home and abroad, sharing their experiences and views as 21st century Friends/Quakers.

The Friendly Podcast is available on a number of platforms, including Spotify, Google Podcasts, Pocket Casts and Apple Podcasts as well as our YouTube channel. Or you can access it at the links below.

In Episode 10 Hugh O’Farrell-Walsh interviews:

• Charles Lamb, Roscrea Meeting, Ireland Yearly Meeting
• Mason George, Illinois Yearly Meeting, USA
• Danica Buchanan-Wollaston, Philadelphia Yearly Meeting, USA

Episode 9:

Liberty Britton, New York Yearly Meeting, USA

Jonny Wigham, Churchtown Meeting, Ireland Yearly Meeting

Joan Johnson, Waterford Meeting

This is the first series of the podcast. We would love to hear your feedback! Feel free to email your comments to Quaker House at office@quakers.ie