The war in Ukraine has had a devastating humanitarian impact. … At the same time as the war grinds on in and the brutality continues, preparations are under way for a very different event in central Europe; the first meeting of the states parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), from 21-23 June.
We have today sent the following text in a letter to the UK Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss: Quakers are united in distress at the terrible toll that the continuing war in Ukraine is taking on human life. There can be no justification for military action such as that taken by Russia, however strongly grievances might be felt. As a community committed to peace, it pains us to recognise that the situation in which citizens of Ukraine find themselves is one in which armed resistance seems, to most, to be the only option.
Addressing human and planetary needs is urgent in building a sustainable security. Meanwhile, the military industrial complex consumes money on an extraordinary scale and the war in Ukraine is leading many Nato member states to call for this to be ramped up still further. It is a challenging context in which to be raising these … Read more
The war in Ukraine was the thread that ran throughout the first full meeting of NFPB in 2022, on 5 March. Thirty Friends gathered online, with new members joining us and most Area Meetings being represented. Some Friends were unable to stay for the whole meeting as they were supporting peace witness in different parts of the country.
Celebrating one year The UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force on 22 January 2021, with the period since then seeing further progress in a number of respects. (see https://www.banthebomb.org/campaign/nuclear-ban-tpnw/). Plans are in hand for campaigners to mark this anniversary. We have produced the poster below for Friends to print … Read more
Storm Arwen arrived the night before our members’ meeting on 27 November. Plans for a fully-blended meeting were rapidly changed as trains across the north were cancelled and all but a handful of Friends were able to get to the Meeting House in Bolton. So most joined via Zoom, representing Area Meetings from most from across Scotland, North Wales and Northern England. We were pleased to welcome newly appointed members.
As we approach the COP26 UN climate conference, the urgency of addressing climate issues is pressing. Friends worldwide are, with others, taking action, from art activism, advocacy and prayer to nonviolent witness, to urge governments to make choices that will contribute to justice and to the wellbeing of the planet. Links between peace and climate … Read more
Thirty Friends gathered online on 20th February, for the first of this year’s periodic NFPB informal meetings. NFPB members and others who share our concerns used the opportunity to introduce themselves – with a good number of new NFPB representatives being amongst them – and to reflect on areas of inspiration and hope. Following a … Read more
These past few days have seen a flurry of activity, to mark the entry into legal effect of the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. NFPB members and Quakers around the country joined with others in creating visual messages of support, both on buildings and through digital media. Other activities have ranged from … Read more
Treaty to ban nuclear weapons to come into force in January 2021 following 50th ratification — Resolution 1 of the United Nations General Assembly in January 1946 was about setting up a commission ‘to deal with the problems raised by the discovery of atomic energy’, whose terms of reference ask it to establish proposals ‘for … Read more