SOCIETE RELIGIEUSE DES AMIS (QUAKERS)

Assemblee de France. 114, rue de Vaugirard, 75006 Paris -Tel. 01 4548 7423

Epistle of France Yearly Meeting 2002 -

Theme: Ministry of the word: the Quaker message for the present time.

August 25th 2002

Greetings to Friends everywhere.

Gathered in Clermont-Ferrand at the Centre of France, in the vast labyrinth of an ancient Ursuline convent, we have been delighted to find ourselves together again. We have welcomed with joy Friends from other countries, some faithfully over many years.

For many of us, dispersed throughout the whole of France. Meetings for Worship in Quaker company are very important and strengthen both our individual and our collective spiritual lives.

We have heard and reflected together on three pertinent presentations on the European and global aspects of our theme. They call us to support actively all non-violent measures to promote peace and social, economic and environnental justice, and to provide local back-up for our Peace Committees and our representatives at the Quaker Council for European Affaires (Q.C.E.A.) in Brussels and Strabourg, and at the Quaker United Nations Offices (QUNO) in Geneva and New York.

We are very conscious of the dangers for Human Rights arising world-wide from the so-called "Crusade against Terrorism". We commit ourselves to initiatives which anticipate and prevent the preparations for war and will no 10nQer wait to simply react once the catastrophe has been unleashed.

Reports on projets supported by the Assemblee were presented to us with displays of photographs and products. They elicited excited many questions and much interest. The Maison Quaker de Congenies (very close to all our hearts); EUROSATORY (where some of us joined in the demonstrations for the closing down of this International Arms Fair in Paris); TARA {an African regional regeneration project in the Casamance, Senegal, West Africa.

We replied with great interest to the request of the representative of the "Gwen & Corder Catchpool Fund" for suggestions as to how the fund's administrators can best apply it's financial resources to help European friends participate in 1he courses of Wooddbrooke, the Quaker College in Birmingham, England. Helping young people is one of the priorities of the Fund. This is of concern to us too,' for, although rejoicing in the vivacious presence of the few yougs1ers among us, we are aware of our collective average age! We intend to widen our outreach, particularly towards the young. The participation in our activities of a group of residen1 s1udents reminded us of how much young people can contribute.

This brief stay in the land of (extinct) Volcanoes allowed us to connect again with the Source that feeds and illuminates our Quaker live. The children's beautiful kites rose, with our spirits, on the wind blowing over the high plateau.

For France Yearly Meeting

Francoise Tomlin, Clerk.