NFPB member Phoebe Spence writes… Friday 21st April 2023 was the first day of the four day action taking place outside Parliament organised by XR with many other groups including Quakers joining in. It was the first big test of their new approach to action being more inclusive, accessible, no arrests etc. Several hundred Quakers … Read more
November meeting The final of our four members’ meetings of 2022 was to have been at Lancaster Meeting House at the end of November, with a zoom link. Unfortunately, it coincided with a day of industrial action by rail workers, meaning that few Friends would have been able to get there. The meeting online worked … Read more
– a brief update of recent activities. Whilst Covid is still with us, we are moving out of the pandemic patterns of working and gathering, and this autumn is a typically busy one. NFPB meetings Following our successful hybrid/blended meeting in June, a further meeting for NFPB members took place in late September. The reduced … Read more
NFPB is one of nearly 150 faith communities and organisations that have signed an interfaith statement, released today as the first Meeting of the States Parties to the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) formally gets under way in Vienna. The statement reflects that :“We gather at a time when the threat … Read more
In January we were pleased to support the collaborative webinar on what else needs to be addressed after COP26 – making links to the consequences of militarism and highlighting the fact that these are not included in UN climate talks or plans. The year has seen an horrific increase in military action in Europe in … Read more
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
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