Revised outline for Presentation at Peace Forum

Educating for Peace on the Korean Peninsula
http://www.afsc.org/document/educating-peace-korean-peninsula

Wuna Reilly
American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
Dalian, China



Presented at the Conference:
“The Tasks of Peace Education in Asia and the Role of Religions”
November 9-10
Seoul, Korea


For most scholars, non-government organizations (NGOs), and educators, “peace education” generally refers to providing education about peace—teaching, writing, and talking about various aspects of promoting, achieving, and maintaining peace. In my presentation today, I would like to talk instead about “educating for peace.” By educating for peace, I refer to the use of diverse educational programs in order to advance the cause of peace. I believe that education can be one of the most powerful ways to promote peace on the Korean peninsula and in Northeast Asia. In particular, educational programs can be very effective in building ties of cooperation across dangerous divisions and in reaching out to North Korea. I believe that educational programs have perhaps the greatest potential to bring about the kinds of mutual understanding, personal friendship, cooperation, and confidence at the personal, institutional, and national levels which are necessary for the transition to a more peaceful and prosperous region.

I should first define what I mean here by education. I am referring to all types of education and training, including capacity-building projects, exposure study tours, educational exchanges, as well as more traditional classroom education and professional training programs. Educational programs which are done with the goal of helping other people, without personal benefit, are uniquely suited to building interpersonal trust and mutual assistance. Education can strengthen mutual understanding and bolster the confidence and capacity of all participants. As anyone who has ever been a teacher understands, in any good educational setting, the teachers learn as much as the students, if not more. Such education which is given without prejudice, with respect and with sincerity, can be transformative for everyone involved. Education, if we understand it broadly enough, can be a powerful force for peace. But it is necessary that we design and implement educational programs with a clear sense of what are the obstacles to peace in this particular situation, and an understanding of how an educational program will help contribute to transforming the situation into a more peaceful one.

My presentation will proceed in three parts. First, I will define the current political situation in relations with North Korea, focusing on the roles and involvement of the major political actors in the region, including the United States. Laying out this groundwork is essential for understanding how education can play a role in this particular situation. Then, I will talk about the potential for educational and training programs to address some of these divisions and problems, focusing particularly on engagement with North Korea. I will give some examples of the kinds of programs that I believe to be particularly important, and talk about the obstacles and potentials that these programs may face in the future. Finally, I will explain how this approach of “educating for peace” can help to broaden and deepen our understanding of peace education.

I. Situational Analysis

To reach peace in Northeast Asia is a long and difficult journey. The memories of the Japanese invasion and colonial era, the cold war ideological division, and the different social political systems have influenced generations of people in different countries. The polarization along different economic systems among these countries has magnified the fault line. These multi-layered deep conflicts can not be solved in a short time or by one document. Patience and forgiveness is the only way to help us work toward peace.

At the present time, the situation in the region is still extremely tense. The North Korean nuclear test poses powerful challenges on many levels. At the global level, it challenges and could further undermine the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty as well as international norms established to contain and ultimately eliminate the catastrophic dangers posed by nuclear weapons.  At the regional level, the nuclear test exacerbates anxieties among North Korea’s neighbors about their own national security and could in time generate a regional nuclear arms race. The nuclear test also tears open one of Northeast Asia’s deepest wounds - the Korea War.

The Korean War is not over.  Fighting ceased with an armistice, not a peace treaty, and US troops remain in South Korea. For many in the North, the presence of the world’s most powerful military on their southern border is a vivid reminder of their continued vulnerability to powerful external actors.  The fact that the United States forces fought under the United Nations flag in Korea undermines North Korean trust of the UN even today. The US invasion of Iraq has further eroded North Korea’s confidence in relying upon the international system to ensure its national security.

The nuclear test signals, in part, a declaration by the government of North Korea to their own citizens that, with or without foreign assistance or cooperation, they will defend themselves. The world should not underestimate or ignore this sentiment, just as we cannot pursue policies of non-proliferation without considering the security environment which leads states to pursue nuclear weapons capabilities. The security concerns of North Korea must be taken seriously. Isolating or ignoring North Korea is not only unrealistic; it is dangerous.

After the second nuclear test, the Unite Nation member states have increased sanctions towards DPR Korea. As a result, the situation around the Korean Peninsular has been getting more complicated. Political changes and tensions within key countries which relate to the DPRK have greatly increased uncertainty over the future direction of the Korean Peninsula.  While the new Obama administration in the United States has not yet clearly laid out its policy toward Northeast Asia, South Korea’s president has turned his more hard-line DPRK policy into a domestic political struggle with groups who are less critical of the North.  Adding even more uncertainty to the situation is the concern over Kim Jong Il’s health, the transition to the next generation of DPRK leadership, and questions about DPRK domestic stability.

Since President Lee Myong Pak took office early last year, the denouncing of the Sunshine policy developed by former President Kim Dae-jung has turned into a total reversal of the ROK’s policy toward DPRK over the past decade. All major intergovernmental projects between the North and South have either totally stopped or been severely damaged. To echo the ROK’s denunciation of the Sunshine policy and the related joint declarations, DPRK has announced its intent to abolish all agreements with the ROK, including the peninsular peace treaty. The results of this hard landing in response to the ROK’s policy change were not expected by either the ROK or the DPRK. They seem to have both miscalculated the other’s response, due perhaps to a failure to acknowledge the hard realities of each other’s domestic environment.   For the DPRK, it has lost millions of dollars of income generated by inter-Korean cooperation.  For the ROK, it has lost immeasurable value in its soft power gained by Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy.

In February 2009, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton visited three Northeast Asia countries: Japan, South Korea and China. Clinton’s visit has shown that the Obama administration has chosen a practical and limited approach toward Northeast Asia and the DPRK issue. For the Obama administration, the first and most important issue is the financial crisis and global economic recession. The second set of issues is related to the Iraq war and Middle East issues including Iran.  Within Northeast Asia, the North Korea issue is not very closely linked to the US’s domestic economic concerns, and therefore has not been particularly high on the foreign policy agenda.

From the perspective of costs and benefits, this approach to the DPRK is a logical choice for the Obama administration. Fully ‘solving’ the Korea Peninsular issue is an ambitious goal which would require that the DPRK to give up all nuclear weapons and sign a peace treaty with the US.  This would ultimately mean that the US has to restructure its entire Asia-Pacific security structure, including the alliances and military bases in Japan and South Korea. At this stage, given the US’s current political and economic priorities, it is not possible for the new administration to take on such a shift.  The new administration’s approach may disappoint the wish of some in the DPRK to resolve the nuclear issue and advance diplomatic relations as soon as possible both for domestic political reasons and financial reasons.  However, the DPRK may have very little leverage on the negotiations with the US since the pros of solving the issue do not exceed the cons, at least in the US’s point of view. If the DPRK misunderstands the viewpoint of the US government, it may take other extreme steps to attract attention, as it has in the past.

Finally, this year marks 60 years of Sino-DPRK diplomatic relations. Premier Wen Jiabao’s trip to Pyongyang to commemorate the ‘year of friendship’ reiterated the alliance ties, and also may have provided some stimulus to re-start diplomatic talks in the region. Kim Jong Il’s trip to the airport to receive Wen was a clear signal of the importance that relations with China hold for the DPRK. Even though these high level exchanges did signal some warmth in Sino-DPRK friendship, they did not change the fundamental nature of the Sino-DPRK relationship.

In sum, regardless of the conflict at the moment, without bring a society to a sustainable economic level, all conflict will continue to worsen. On both the economic and diplomatic fronts, the DPRK still faces many obstacles. It lacks the political and economic structures to effectively deal with the outside world, and lacks personnel to carry out long-term, extensive exchanges.  Officials persistently underestimate the time and changes needed to fulfil their own domestic needs, much less to address the necessary changes in the international political environment.  The political and economic situations are closely related: both demonstrate the scarcity of human expertise to devise and carry out successful policies of economic reforms and political engagement. After half a century of a command economy, knowledge of how to conduct profit-oriented business and administer a modern market economy is extremely scarce within the DPRK.  North Korean institutions pursuing important reform initiatives lack access to information, international resources, networks, and innovative concepts. Without any comparative context, it is difficult for North Korean officials and experts to evaluate their own economic situation or develop new strategies.  Developing such “human capital” is essential for sustainable, equitable economic development in North Korea and for moving toward a more peaceful Northeast Asia region.  

II. Role of ‘Educating for Peace’ with North Korea

In this difficult environment, educational programs can help to build the human capacity necessary within North Korea to support sustainable engagement with the outside world and to support its domestic economic change and development. I will just list a few of such typical programs:

1. Long-term educational programs

Projects which bring North Korean experts and students out to China and other neighboring countries for extended study programs can provide a number of important benefits for peace. First, they give an opportunity for individual exchanges and first-hand experience of life in a very different society. Building such ties of personal trust and familiarity with the outside world will be critical in fostering the level of confidence that is necessary for the DPRK to make successful transitions to a more open economy and society. Second, such programs can work with a younger generation of DPRK experts and students—ideally people in the 20s and early 30s. This provides an invaluable opportunity to influence their life-views for decades to come. Sociologists have found that formative experiences in these younger years have a profound impact upon people’s life choices and values for the rest of their life. Finally, such programs build institutional ties between North Korean institutions and their partner institutions in the region. This provides a long-term foundation for further engagement and cooperation as the political environment improves.

2. Short-term study tours

For higher-level DPRK officials, it is more valuable to have brief study tours to neighboring countries in Asia. These programs can provide an invaluable ‘eyeopening’ opportunity for influential individuals to learn about institutions, policies, and experiences in critical areas of economic development for other similar countries.
Learning from others’ experiences provides a valuable comparative context for DPRK officials and experts who will have to develop their own, unique path forward, based on their specific context, strengths, and limitations. These study tours and other exposure programs can have more direct or immediate impact, as influential officials have the resources and opportunity to direct resources and make policy decisions within the DPRK.

3. Workshops and Conferences

Multilateral gatherings which bring together experts, officials, and other organizational representatives can provide an important opportunity for people to build ties of personal trust, to exchange information and experiences, and to plan joint programs together. Such workshops with the DPRK are generally most productive if they are conducted in a quiet, ‘off-the-record’ format, and are oriented toward the discussion of practical issues. They work best if they are oriented toward a collective program or issue, rather than everyone focusing on North Korea or prescribing a certain solution for the DPRK. If it is a truly equal and open gathering, with everyone moving together toward a common goal which has clear and obvious benefits for the participants, then such workshops can be a productive venue for collaboration, trustbuilding, and future cooperation.

In sum, all of these programs are examples of how “educating for peace” can play an important role in promoting peace on the Korean peninsula. There are several common factors which must be remembered, however. First, all such programs should be practical, oriented toward delivering real, specific benefits for the DPRK. Rather than talking about abstract ideas or vague concepts, it is better to have a focused, technically-oriented program which meets the real and pressing needs of DPRK participants today. Secondly, the programs should always be sensitive to the very real and pressing limitations imposed on DPRK participants by their domestic environment. An unrealistic expectation of what DPRK participants might be able to say or do once they leave the country temporarily can damage long-term cooperation and harm fragile trust. A sophisticated understanding of the complex realities of North Korean politics, society, and economy is essential. Finally, as all good educational programs, these should never been seen as ‘preaching’ or prescribing a given answer or approach. Only educational programs which are truly designed and implemented with an approach of sincere respect and equality can be effective contributors to peace.

III. Conclusion

In conclusion, I would like to suggest that we should broaden our understanding from “peace education” to “education for peace.” I believe that we should broaden our understandings in several ways. First, we should adopt a broader definition of what we consider as education, to include a wide variety of exposure visits, study tours, short-term training programs. Second, we should broaden the focus and content of these programs. Paradoxically, simply talking about “peace” will not bring peace. Instead, we need to recognize in each particular situation, what are the obstacles to peace and how can we use a diverse range of educational programs in order to advance toward a real and sustainable peace. Finally, we should expand beyond the traditional focus just on youth in doing education for peace. We are never too old to learn. The definition of what we teach, who we teach, and how and where we teach should be driving our activities in the area of education for peace. Only then will we bring the full power and potential of education to our work for peace, in Korea and around the world.

Quakers in the World - Quakers in Korea

Quakers in the World - Quakers in Korea

Quakers in Korea

The Quaker presence in Korea dates from the end of the Korean War (1950-53).  In the aftermath of the war, The Friends Service Unit (FSU) – a joint arm of the British Friends Service Council and the American Friends Service Committee – provided humanitarian and medical aid to refugees and others affected by the war.

From their base in Kunsan, the FSU initially tackled problems of severe malnutrition.  Later Houses for Korea was set up by AFSC’s Floyd Schmoe, providing refugees with the materials and training to construct their own houses.  Schools were started in the camps, with Korean teachers paid for by the FSU.  Adult literacy classes were started for war widows, and games of volleyball and basketball were organised.

The FSU was heavily involved with training local Korean doctors and nurses.  They set up a physiotherapy unit to help war amputees, and ante-natal and midwifery service and both out-patient and in-patient services for sick children.

When the FSU was wound up, at the end of 1957, local Koreans who had been working with the Quakers wanted to continue their connection with Quakerism.  With the help of American Quaker families living in Seoul (in particular, Reginald Price and Arthur Mitchell), a group began to meet regularly for silent, unprogrammed worship, and for study and discussion.

The first Quaker text to be translated into Korean was Rufus Jones' Quaker's Faith  in 1960.  It watranslated by Yoon Gu Lee and printed for distribution among members.

Seoul meeting was eventually recognized as a monthly meeting in 1964 under the care of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC), and in 1967 moved into its own Meeting House.  As one member of the meeting was blind, the meeting became involved in the welfare of the blind. Some members gathered periodically to transcribe religious articles into Braille and a work camp was organized to repair a road near one of the homes for the blind.

One Korean who had first encountered Quakers through their work in Kunsan was the human rights activist, Ham Sok Hon. Ham was impressed by the Quakers’ pacifism, egalitarianism and their active participation in questions of social justice.  Ham started to attend Seoul Quaker meeting and became a member of the Society of Friends in 1967, after attending the Friends World Conference in North Carolina.

“You were already a Quaker before you became one,” an American Friend, Arthur Mitchell, told him.

Ham spoke out against dictatorship and injustice in South Korea.  He carried out a hunger strike in 1965, was imprisoned in 1976 and 1979, and was placed under house arrest in 1980.  South Korea finally achieved full democracy in 1987. The following year, when the Seoul Olympics were held, Ham was selected to be the head of the Peace Olympiad, which drew up a declaration calling for world peace.

Under Ham’s leadership, and with the support of Mary and Lloyd Bailey, who stayed in Korea during 1983/4 under the auspices of the Friend in the Orient Committee of Pacific Yearly Meeting and continued to correspond with the meeting for many years after, Seoul Meeting flourished.  Although membership declined after Ham’s death in 1989, it has revived again since 1998.

Conscientious objection has been a key issue for Quakers in South Korea.  In a country still technically at war with North Korea, compulsory military service is considered essential and for many years COs had no option but to serve or to go prison.  QUNO (Quaker United Nations Office) and FWCC were among those who campaigned for some form of alternative service to be offered, and this was finally implemented in 2007.

The American Friends Service Committee has maintained a presence in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea).  They currently run an agriculture programme, helping farmers introduce techniques of rice cultivation adapted to the short growing season in DPRK.

AFSC continues to campaign against North Korean nuclear tests, while warning that isolating or ignoring North Korea is not only unrealistic but dangerous.

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Further Reading and Credits

EXTERNAL LINKS

• Friends in Korea
• Papers of C Lloyd and Mary Margaret Bailey
• AFSC in North Korea

History of Korean Quakers

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1. History of Korean Quakers

By Bo-Kyom Jin

After the Korean War, some British and American Quakers came to Korea for rehabilitation programs. After the overseas workers had left Korea, some of the Korean assistants of the programs held the first Quaker Meeting in 1958 and some American Friends who worked at the international Cooperation Administration in Seoul supported them. Meeting began with silent worship for thirty minutes, and about an hour was given for study and fellowship.

FWCC encouraged Seoul Friends to build relationship with Japan Yearly Meeting or with Honolulu MM and two of the Koreans became Quakers whose membership belonged to Honolulu Meeting in 1958. Historically, Japan and Korea have had a difficult relationship since Korea was colonized and devastated by Japan. So it was difficult for us to intervisit for some time. The same year, AFSC energetically tried to bring some Koreans to the seminars and work camps in Japan and Korean Friends began to participate in the program. As the result of their visits, correspondence with Japanese Friends began taking place. In 1961, FWCC began sponsoring some
visitors and Friends in residence in Korea and Seoul Friends
requested a direct and official relationship with FWCC. The Meeting then had about thirty regular attenders and study programs were actively carried out and FWCC helped strengthen its links with overseas Friends.

In 1964, with the help of overseas Friends, a meeting place for the Seoul Friends was purchased after having had to change places of worship ten times in 6 years.“Seoul Friends Meeting Monthly Newsletter” was published in 1966. The Meeting decided to take up the leper village in Tandong as its main service project. The visiting Friends from Japan, USA, Australia and England, have strengthened us very much.
Every Sunday, Bible study was led by Sok Hon Ham, who was a
widely recognized spiritual leader in Korea. In 1967, Seoul Meeting became a Monthly Meeting under the care of the FWCC. The visit of the Chairperson of FWCC, Douglas Steere and his wife Dorothy in 1967 and his public lecture at the YMCA with about one hundred people in the audience meant a great deal in Quaker outreach. At the same year, Sok Hon Ham left Korea for the USA to attend the Greensboro Gathering and the tenth triennial meeting of FWCC.
After the meeting, he attended the Pacific Yearly Meeting, studied at Pendle Hill and visited many Friends Meetings and Friends in the United States and Japan. International Quaker contacts such as work camps, travel and study abroad(at Pendle Hill or at Woodbrooke in England), participation in Quaker conferences, an inter-visitation program with Japanese Quakers, and numerous visiting friends contributed greatly to nurturing Korean Friends during the 1970s and 1980s and are still an enriching experience to us.

In 1980, SMM was active having a study group, outreach activities and raised a voice of conscience under the dictatorship of military government. Under the leadership of Sok Hon Ham, Seoul MM flourished with members and attenders at its height numbering close to fifty. In 1988, a second floor was added to the meetinghouse to meet the demand of the growing memberships. In 1990s, Seoul MM
went through a dark period after the demise of Sok Hon Ham.
Fortunately, since 2000, Seoul MM has revived some of its vitality.

2. State of the Meeting
Over the past year our number of members has decreased from 20 to 10. Some of the attenders are Americans who are married to Koreans In the past few years, a worshipping group began to meet regularly and more than 10 F/friends continues to gather every week in Daejon (a city 2 hours far from Seoul) They have established a vibrant, worshipping and studying community. We used to have a retreat annually but there were no retreats in 2007/8 because of the absence of initiatives or the decrease of members. Vocal ministries are rare in Seoul MM and sometimes I feel eager for vocal ministries in my Meeting. In addition, the financial situation of SMM has gotten worse mainly as monthly donations decreased.

Since 2007, AVP programs have been introduced by a Korean Friend (Jonghee Lee) and co-facilitated by her and German Friends (including Ute Caspers). Most of the participants were NGO activists. A Direct Education workshop facilitated by George Leakey from the USA was also held in Seoul last year.
We are planning a Korea version of Faith and Practice. I know you have made your own Faith and Practice and hope that Australian Friends will give some useful advice to us.

Last year we had quarterly gatherings named Family gatherings. The intention is for us to invite our family members who are not Quakers and sing together and share food and fellowship.

We have an annual gathering (business meeting and fellowship)

3. Committee activities

We have Peace Service committee, Learning committee, Outreach committee, library and website committee, Facilities care committee, Finance committee. Our committees are not fully functioning partly due to shortage of manpower but we are thankful that we could maintain this Meeting and carried out some service activities.
From the beginning of the Korean Quaker history, service work was emphasized. As a first step, medicines were supplied to two Tuberculosis patients beginning in 1961 for two years. Work camps for orphans and the blind, In 1964, a house for leper patients was built. Emergency food was supplied in 1960s. In 2003, the Meeting participated in an anti Iraq War demonstration and actively raised funds to help anti Iraq War activists’ organizations. The meeting now supports Foreign Migrant Workers Center , Ssi-Al Women’s Center, and the Anti-Mine Association. Since the Korean War, landmines that were buried during the war have become a threat to civilians but those victims haven’t been cared enough by Korean government.
Our program consists of Business Meeting every 1st Sunday; George Fox Journal reading 2nd Sunday; Pendle Hill pamphlet discussion group every 3rd Sunday; Bible reading group every 4th Sunday.

4. Children in the Meeting

Child care issues emerged again during the 2008 annual meeting. At present, a few children attend the Meeting irregularly and SMM is going to assign F/fs to take care of them during the worship in case children come.

5. International Contacts

Sister Meetings : Canberra/Australia, Kapiti/ New Zealand, JYM
Hosted 2005 AWPS Section Gathering. Korean Friends have
attended international Friends gatherings including Bhopal, India gathering and Auckland and Dublin Triennials.

Epilogue :In December 2008, Seoul Friends had their annual meeting to review the past year and to think about and plan 2009. We are thankful that we could maintain this tiny meeting and that our worshiping group is getting more active.

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It Begins | commentary

It Begins | commentary

Obama and the Quakers’ North Korea Problem

MICHAEL RUBIN / FEB. 18, 2011

1

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In 1947, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) and the Friends Service Committee — non-governmental organizations belonging to the Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers — shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Presenting the award, Gunnar Jahn, chairman of the Nobel Committee, described the AFSC’s actions both during and after World War II. Seldom had the need for the Quakers’ relief operations been so great as during World War II. The Nazis, however, refused to allow the Quakers to operate in territory they controlled. The Third Reich was willing to make one exception, however. The Quakers could work in Poland, so long as they limited their assistance to those approved by the Germans. The AFSC refused to accept such restrictions. As the Allies beat back the Germans, the AFSC was ready, however, to assist “the prisoners who were released from concentration camps in 1945, all those who had to be repatriated from forced labor or POW camps in enemy countries, all the displaced persons who have no country to which they can return, all the homeless in their own countries, all the orphans, the hungry, the starving.”

Fast-forward to the present day. The AFSC operates a project in North Korea to help make collective farms more efficient. “In 1997, AFSC was one of the first two NGOs allowed to work directly with cooperative farms in the DPRK,” they explain, adding, “AFSC now works with four cooperative farms and with technical institutions to address production and soil fertility issues. AFSC country program also works with regional institutions and experts on training and exchange projects with DPRK.”

How times and values have changed. While the Quakers refused to compromise with the Nazis, they have no such qualms about Kim Jong-il’s conditionality. They ignore the fact that North Korea’s collective farms are slave-labor camps. Nor does the AFSC seek neutrality or to assist the true victims of the North’s reign of terror. For example, the AFSC does not help North Korean defectors who often arrive in the South traumatized and destitute.

The American Friends Service Committee reports that it teaches Human Rights Education at Sidwell Friends, where the Obamas send their daughters. Certainly, ideology played a role in their selection of Sidwell. “The choice makes sense at a philosophical level as well, because of how Quakers view the challenge of shaping children into socially responsible and spiritually aware adults,” Time explained.

Given the AFSC’s relationship with Sidwell, perhaps President Obama might ask the school and the AFSC to explain why enabling brutal dictatorships is consistent with the AFSC’s understanding of human rights, unless, of course, Obama also suffers from such moral blindness.

Quaker-Stories - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

Quaker-Stories - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

QUAKER STORIES

The aim of the Quaker Stories series is to describe how individual Australian Quakers are applying their Quaker beliefs in their lives.

	''I thought that we were pretty good with regards to plastic: we use reusable shopping bags; buy our fruit & veg loose; and much of our food is from bulk food shops where we use glass and reusable plastic containers. Giving up plastic for the month of January 2013 was an exercise in plastic awareness. It was a bit expensive and it was more time consuming; however, it opened our eyes to the large amount of plastic we acquire on a weekly basis. Our plastic consumption for the month was greatly reduced." Susan Hill   Read full story here.
	'When people hear about the problems with the environment, they often start to feel hopeless: powerless, overwhelmed, that the problem is too big, there are too many issues, how will their children cope, and where would they start. I suggest we start where we are at, and when we get stuck, use strategies to get unstuck: silence, going inward, dealing with our feelings. Sharing our feelings with another person can be very helpful to free us up again; sharing our emotions with a group is even more powerful.' Margaret Emily Whittle   Read full story here.
	‘What contribution can Quakers uniquely and powerfully make in regards to Earthcare?' Friends’ experience of consensus decision making is a way of doing things—not just the practicalities of making decisions but a frame of mind towards individuals in a community and the whole way a community moves forward on all manner of issues—that isn’t widely practiced or understood in mainstream Australian society. Peggy Storch   Read full story here.
	'I had a boss who used to refer to me as the "last of the amateur naturalists". In fact, "amateur naturalists" were the start of a whole new breed of people interested in the environment as a whole, rather than different aspects of it ... I've been very fortunate. People are prepared to pay me for what I'm interested in doing--providing environmental services.' Peri Coleman   Read full story here.
	'The initial concept of Sustainable Communities South Australia was that people would work together in community groups to reduce their ecological footprint. We worked on the basis that if people are going to make changes in behaviour, they need a support group. We focused on five areas: energy, food, transport, waste and water. Food often comes up first. Even when you do your ecological footprint, food is the biggest component. In the beginning, we decided to start with individual household behaviour change.' Beth and Ray Mylius   Read full story here.
	'I am a founding member of the Devonport Worshipping Group and this commitment is important in building a personal base from which to work towards peace and sustainability ... But the main way I work to support a peaceful and sustainable Australia is in my home. We have a big garden and we grow most of our own vegetables and fruit ...' Sally O'Wheel   Read full story here.

Quakers & First Nations Peoples - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

Quakers & First Nations Peoples - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

Quakers & First Nations Peoples

First Nations Peoples Concerns Committee Ways forward for Quakers and other concerned Australians to support First Nations Peoples Preamble This we can say: Millennia before Britain occupied Australia there were many complex indigenous relationships to country, which included the entire continent and its surrounding seas. First Nations Peoples (FNP) were unlawfully and immorally deprived of their lands and liberties through force of arms, by the application of legal fictions such as terra nullius and the ignoring of specific articles from the British Crown for the protection of FNP rights. The ongoing trauma felt by FNP as a result of past and continuing policies and attitudes of Australian governments and many non-FNP Australians, will be felt for generations to come. It will take time, love and support for the healing of all. Reconciliation between FNP and non- FNP can only happen when we engage in compassionate listening, acknowledge past wrongs, and work together to create a process where the need for self-determination is acknowledged and respected. The basic building block of a reconciliation process is created when trust, respect and deep relationships are undertaken by people engaging with each other, and learning from each other at all levels. We believe that the process to achieve national reconciliation, freely agreed between FNP and non-FNP, should be supported by Quakers. This may include but not be limited to appropriate amendments to the constitution; and treaties, agreements and reparation documents at both national and regional levels. Quakers will seek to create opportunities for FNP and non-FNP Australians to come together to develop a process of reconciliation and will bear witness to ensure fairness and equality for FNP if they choose to follow this course. Role of Quakers in support of First Nations Peoples Involvement in the reconciliation process. What actions? Acknowledge our advantage and our responsibility to educate ourselves with regards to history, culture, and spirituality Individually and collectively reflect on right relationships with FNP Make contact at a local level Identify and offer tools, for example, AVP and other modes of non-violence training, governance, mediation and negotiation skills; and provide facilitation if and when requested. We ask Regional Meetings to report to AYM about their work with FNP, reflecting on these questions adapted from Reconciliation Australia: What might I do differently and what might Quakers do differently to build better relationships with the First Nations Peoples of Australia? What might I do differently and what might Quakers do differently to have and show respect for the First Nations Peoples of Australia? What might I do differently and what might Quakers do differently to bear witness to the ongoing conditions of First Nations Peoples’ health, education, land rights and other areas related to self-determination? Access full paper here [Adopted by Australian Quakers at Yearly Meeting 2015] 'Coming Right Way' Coming Right Way: 'doing justly, loving mercy and walking humbly' in Australia by the late Susannah Brindle was published in 2002 as part of the Emu Feathers Series by the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia. Susannah writes: 'Anyone, anywhere can "Come Right Way". If "Reconciliation" is about coming into right relationship with Aboriginal Peoples, "Coming Right Way" is an important pre-condition of this process.' Access the full paper here. Friends and Indigenous Peoples A testimony to social justice and racial equality has been part of the Quaker witness to the world since the inception of our Religious Society of Friends in Britain in the 17th century ... In 1691 William Penn signed a treaty of friendship with the Delaware tribes of American Indians, arranging for fair payments for lands taken…John Woolman, in 1756 persuaded Quakers in Philadelphia to pay for land stolen from the Indians by others. In the 19th century, two British Friends, James Backhouse and George Washington Walker (pictured right) travelled through the Australian colonies and were forthright in their statements to influential figures in Australia and Britain concerning the cruelty and injustice meted to the Australian Aborigines, especially urging payment for land taken from them. (From paragraph 5.22 of this we can say; Australian Quaker life, faith and thought, 2003.) contact us

Publications - Australian Advices and Queries - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

Publications - Australian Advices and Queries - Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Australia Inc.

Australian Advices and Queries

1. Take heed, dear Friends, to the promptings of love and truth in your hearts. Trust them as the leadings of God whose Light shows us our darkness and brings us to new life.

2. Bring the whole of your life under the ordering of the spirit of Christ. Are you open to the healing power of God's love? Cherish that of God within you, so that this love may grow in you and guide you. Let your worship and your daily life enrich each other. Treasure your experience of God, however it comes to you. Remember that Christianity is not a notion but a way.

3. Do you try to set aside times of quiet for openness to the Holy Spirit? All of us need to find a way into silence which allows us to deepen our awareness of the divine and to find the inward source of our strength. Seek to know an inward stillness, even amid the activities of daily life. Do you encourage in yourself and in others a habit of dependence on God's guidance for each day? Hold yourself and others in the Light, knowing that all are cherished by God.

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?

5. Take time to learn about other people's experiences of the Light. Remember the importance of the Bible, the writings of Friends and all writings which reveal the ways of God. As you learn from others, can you in turn give freely from what you have gained? While respecting the experiences and opinions of others, do not be afraid to say what you have found and what you value. Appreciate that doubt and questioning can also lead to spiritual growth and to a greater awareness of the Light that is in us all.

6. Do you work gladly with other religious groups in the pursuit of common goals? While remaining faithful to Quaker insights, try to enter imaginatively into the life and witness of other communities of faith, creating together the bonds of friendship.

7. Be aware of the spirit of God at work in the ordinary activities and experience of your daily life. Spiritual learning continues throughout life, and often in unexpected ways. There is inspiration to be found all around us, in the natural world, in the sciences and arts, in our work and friendships, in our sorrows as well as in our joys. Are you open to new light, from whatever source it may come? Do you approach new ideas with discernment?

8. We are in awe of the accelerating development of scientific knowledge, and mindful of both the benefits and the horrors this may bring. Let us remember that the universe shown to us by the sciences is a divine gift, and not turn away from our responsibility to consider the implications of scientific and technical discoveries.

9. Worship is our response to an awareness of God. We can worship alone, but when we join with others in expectant waiting we may discover a deeper sense of God's presence. We seek a gathered stillness in our meetings for worship so that all may feel the power of God's love drawing us together and leading us.

10. In worship we enter with reverence into communion with God and respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Come to meeting for worship with heart and mind prepared. Yield yourself and all your outward concerns to God's guidance so that you may find "the evil weakening in you and the good raised up".

11. Come regularly to meeting for worship even when you are angry, depressed, tired or spiritually cold. In the silence ask for and accept the prayerful support of others joined with you in worship. Try to find a spiritual wholeness which encompasses suffering as well as thankfulness and joy. Prayer, springing from a deep place in the heart, may bring healing and unity as nothing else can. Let meeting for worship nourish your whole life.

12. Be honest with yourself. What unpalatable truths might you be evading? When you recognise your shortcomings, do not let that discourage you. In worship together we can find the assurance of God's love and the strength to go on with renewed courage.

13. When you are preoccupied and distracted in meeting let wayward and disturbing thoughts give way quietly to your awareness of God's presence among us and in the world. Receive the vocal ministry of others in a tender and creative spirit. Reach for the meaning deep within it, recognising that even if it is not God's word for you, it may be so for others. Remember that we all share responsibility for the meeting for worship whether our ministry is in silence or through the spoken word.

14. Do not assume that vocal ministry is never to be your part. Faithfulness and sincerity in speaking, even very briefly, may open the way to fuller ministry from others. When prompted to speak, wait patiently to know that the leading and the time are right, but do not let a sense of your own unworthiness hold you back. Pray that your ministry may arise from deep experience, and trust that words will be given to you. Try to speak audibly and distinctly, and with sensitivity to the needs of others. Beware of speaking predictably or too often, and of making additions towards the end of a meeting when it was well left before.

15. Are your meetings for church affairs held in a spirit of worship and in dependence on the guidance of God? Remember that we do not seek a majority decision nor even consensus. As we wait patiently for divine guidance our experience is that the right way will open and we shall be led into unity.

16. Do you take part as often as you can in meetings for church affairs? Are you familiar enough with our church government to contribute to its disciplined processes? Do you consider difficult questions with an informed mind as well as a generous and loving spirit? Are you prepared to let your insights and personal wishes take their place alongside those of others or be set aside as the meeting seeks the right way forward? If you cannot attend, uphold the meeting prayerfully.

17. Do you welcome the diversity of culture, language and expressions of faith in our yearly meeting and in the world community of Friends? Seek to increase your understanding and to gain from this rich heritage and wide range of spiritual insights. Uphold your own and other yearly meetings in your prayers.

18. For thousands of years before 1788, this country was lived in by various aboriginal peoples, at one with the land. Through colonization, much of their land and culture has been lost to them and their children have been taken from them; they have suffered the injustice of racism, and material, psychological and spiritual deprivation. Can we acknowledge with sorrow the loss of life and the on-going destruction of their languages, families and communities, appreciate the depth and strength of aboriginal beliefs and values and learn from aboriginal people and accept the gifts they have for all of us? Can we all as Australians work towards living together as equals, with mutual understanding and respect?

19. Do you respect that of God in everyone though it may be expressed in unfamiliar ways or be difficult to discern? Each of us has a particular experience of God and each must find the way to be true to it. When words are strange or disturbing to you, try to sense where they come from and what has nourished the lives of others. Listen patiently and seek the truth which other people's opinions may contain for you. Avoid hurtful criticism and provocative language. Do not allow the strength of your convictions to betray you into making statements or allegations that are unfair or untrue. Think it possible that you may be mistaken.

20. How can we make the meeting a community in which each person is accepted and nurtured, and strangers are welcome? Seek to know one another in the things which are eternal, bear the burden of each other's failings and pray for one another. As we enter with tender sympathy into the joys and sorrows of each other's lives, ready to give help and to receive it, our meeting can be a channel for God's love and forgiveness.

21. Rejoice in the presence of children and young people in your meeting and recognise the gifts they bring. Remember that the meeting as a whole shares a responsibility for every child in its care. Seek for them as for yourself a full development of God's gifts and the abundant life Jesus tells us can be ours. How do you share your deepest beliefs with them, while leaving them free to develop as the spirit of God may lead them? Do you invite them to share their insights with you? Are you ready both to learn from them and to accept your responsibilities towards them?

22. Do you give sufficient time to sharing with others in the meeting, both newcomers and long-time members, your understanding of worship, of service, and of commitment to the Society's witness? Do you give a right proportion of your money to support Quaker work?

23. Do you cherish your friendships, so that they grow in depth and understanding and mutual respect? In close relationships we may risk pain as well as finding joy. When experiencing great happiness or great hurt we may be more open to the working of the Spirit.

24. 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.

25. Marriage has always been regarded by Friends as a religious commitment rather than a merely civil contract. Both partners should offer with God's help an intention to cherish one another for life. Remember that happiness depends on an understanding and steadfast love on both sides. In times of difficulty remind yourself of the value of prayer, of perseverance and of a sense of humour.

26. Children and young people need love and stability. Are we doing all we can to uphold and sustain parents and others who carry the responsibility for providing this care?

27. A long-term relationship brings tensions as well as fulfilment. If your relationship with your partner is under strain, seek help in understanding the other's point of view and in exploring your own feelings, which may be powerful and destructive. Consider the wishes and feelings of any children involved, and remember their enduring need for love and security. Seek God's guidance. If you undergo the distress of separation or divorce, try to maintain some compassionate communication so that arrangements can be made with the minimum of bitterness.

28. Do you recognise the needs and gifts of each member of your family and household, not forgetting your own? Try to make your home a place of loving friendship and enjoyment, where all who live or visit may find the peace and refreshment of God's presence.

29. Live adventurously. When choices arise, do you take the way that offers the fullest opportunity for the use of your gifts in the service of God and the community? Let your life speak. When decisions have to be made, are you ready to join with others in seeking clearness, asking for God's guidance and offering counsel to one another?

30. 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.

31. Approach old age with courage and hope. As far as possible, make arrangements for your care in good time, so that an undue burden does not fall on others. Although old age may bring increasing disability and loneliness, it can also bring serenity, detachment and wisdom. Pray that in your final years you may be enabled to find new ways of receiving and reflecting God's love.

32. Are you able to contemplate your death and the death of those closest to you? Accepting the fact of death, we are freed to live more fully. In bereavement, give yourself time to grieve. When others mourn, let your love embrace them.

33. We are called to live 'in the virtue of that life and power that takes away the occasion of all wars'. Do you faithfully maintain our testimony that war and the preparation for war are inconsistent with the spirit of Christ? Search out whatever in your own way of life may contain the seeds of war. Stand firm in our testimony, even when others commit or prepare to commit acts of violence, yet always remember that they too are children of God.

34. Bring into God's light those emotions, attitudes and prejudices in yourself which lie at the root of destructive conflict, acknowledging your need for forgiveness and grace. In what ways are you involved in the work of reconciliation between individuals, groups and nations?

35. Within our own, and in neighbouring countries, people of goodwill seek to know and to worship God in ways other than those of Christianity. Do we listen to their insights with open hearts and minds, recognizing that we do not possess all the Truth, but only a part of it? Do we think of these neighbours with acceptance? Do we seek knowledge and understanding of their beliefs and the Light which is theirs?

36. Are you alert to practices here and throughout the world which discriminate against people on the basis of who or what they are or because of their beliefs? Bear witness to the humanity of all people, including those who break society's conventions or its laws. Try to discern new growing points in social and economic life. Seek to understand the causes of injustice, social unrest and fear. Are you working to bring about a just and compassionate society which allows everyone to develop their capacities and fosters the desire to serve?

37. Remember your responsibilities as a citizen for the conduct of local, national, and international affairs. Do not shrink from the time and effort your involvement may demand.

38. Respect the laws of the state but let your first loyalty be to God's purposes. If you feel impelled by strong conviction to break the law, search your conscience deeply. Ask your meeting for the prayerful support which will give you strength as a right way becomes clear.

39. Do you uphold those who are acting under concern, even if their way is not yours? Can you lay aside your own wishes and prejudices while seeking with others to find God's will for them?

40. Are you honest and truthful in all you say and do? Do you maintain strict integrity in business transactions and in your dealings with individuals and organisations? Do you use money and information entrusted to you with discretion and responsibility? Taking oaths implies a double standard of truth; in choosing to affirm instead, be aware of the claim to integrity that you are making.

41. If pressure is brought upon you to lower your standard of integrity, are you prepared to resist it? Our responsibilities to God and our neighbour may involve us in taking unpopular stands. Do not let the desire to be sociable, or the fear of seeming peculiar, determine your decisions.

42. Consider which of the ways to happiness offered by society are truly fulfilling and which are potentially corrupting and destructive. Be discriminating when choosing means of entertainment and information. Resist the desire to acquire possessions or income through unethical investment, speculation or games of chance.

43. In view of the harm done by the use of alcohol, tobacco and other habit-forming drugs, consider whether you should limit your use of them or refrain from using them altogether. Remember that any use of alcohol or drugs may impair judgment and put both the user and others in danger.

44. All life is interrelated. Each individual plant and animal has its own needs, and is important to others. Many species in Australia and worldwide are now extinct and many more are endangered. Do you treat all life with respect, recognizing a particular obligation to those animals we breed and maintain for our own use and enjoyment? In order to secure the survival of all, including ourselves, are you prepared to change your ideas about who you are in relation to your environment and every living thing in it?

45. Try to live simply. A simple lifestyle freely chosen is a source of strength. Do not be persuaded into buying what you do not need or cannot afford. Do you keep yourself informed about the effects your style of living is having on the global economy and environment?

46. The land of Australia is not our possession. We are no more than temporary guardians of it; neither the first nor, probably, the last. In the brief time of European settlement, vast areas of this country have been damaged. Do you try to live in harmony with the land, knowing that you are part of it? Do you protect and husband its water and other resources? Do you look with respect on the claims and rights of others to share in the wealth and freedoms of Australians?

47. We live in a land of unique grandeur and beauty, harsh and majestic, but at the same time fragile. Have you discovered its wonder and mystery, and has this awareness quickened your spiritual insight and helped you to recognise that of God in everyday life? Rejoice in the splendour of God's continuing Creation.

Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one.

George Fox, 1656