It will be no surprise to report that Friends involved in our work have found the context for promoting and taking action for peace very challenging this year. We hope it is also no surprise to note that Friends and others find it really important to meet with one another, to share concerns, ideas and … Read more
NFPB gathered in York, with some also online, for our third meeting of the year. Friends joined us from across the North – from North Scotland to Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Area Meeting, North Wales to North Yorkshire. We had invited Rachel Julian to give a talk on Building Peace in Troubled Times. Rachel is Professor … Read more
Thirty-one Friends gathered on 28 June, with 19 at Edinburgh Meeting House and 12 online during the day. As with our previous meeting in March, there had been significant events in relation to war and peace in the weeks leading up to the meeting, from the UK government’s reviews of defence and security, to the … Read more
NFPB members met at the end of September, gathering at the Quaker Meeting House in Penrith and online via Zoom. We were joined by Ruth Harvey who, as well as being a Penrith Quaker, is currently serving as leader of the Iona Community. Ruth had been invited to talk about the Community’s peace concerns and … Read more
Many of the towns and cities where there has been the worst violent and racist unrest in the past ten days have been in the North of England. We don’t currently have a programme on peacebuilding in our own communities, but do try to respond to new and emerging peace challenges facing Friends and wider … Read more
The weekend before the UK General Election, NFPB members gathered in Glasgow and online for their second full meeting of 2024. Parliamentary engagement We were pleased to be joined by Sarah Komashko, the Parliamentary Engagement Officer for Quakers in Scotland. In a full and informative presentation, Sarah gave a good insight into the ways that … Read more
In the second of this summer’s regional NFPB events Friends from three Area Meetings gathered at Darlington Meeting House on 6th July 2024. The date and theme had been planned before the General Election announcement, but the result of that election two days previously provided a not-insignificant backdrop to the meeting. Rethinking Security – the … Read more
Friends from four different area meetings met in Stockport on 11 May, for a small regional gathering for NFPB members and other interested Friends. The meeting took place towards the end of the Global Days of Action on Military Spending, for which NFPB is an active member of the UK steering group. Following a preparatory … Read more
As well as our formal members’ meetings that happen four times a year (mostly as hybrid events), Northern Friends Peace Board is arranging a number of additional opportunities for our members and other interested Friends to meeting together for reflection, discussion, connection and learning. Online meetings At our most recent online session, for instance, Friends … Read more
For our second members’ meeting of the year, Friends gathered in Darlington and online on 24 June, with roughly equal numbers in the physical and virtual spaces respectively. The date of our meeting coincided with the government-sponsored ‘Armed Forces Day’ and Friends had the opportunity to reflect on this in the opening part of the … Read more