RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS (QUAKERS) IRELAND YEARL Y MEETING

Swanbrook House, Bloomfield Avenue, Morehampton Road, Dublin 4 Telephone & Fax 353-1-6683684

TO FRIENDS EVERYWHERE

Greetings from Ireland Yearly Meeting gathered in Friends' School Lisburn from 4th to 7th Apri12002.

We are happy to be gathered again having missed 2001 due to the Foot and Mouth Crisis when we were all challenged to make sacrifices, especially 'in our movements around the country .Our thoughts and prayers were with the affected farming community whose livelihoods and way of life were put at risk.

We are concerned with a World much changed by the events of 11th September 2001 and our thoughts and prayers have been with Friends in the United States of America who were seriously challenged by the response of the Administration to this event.

We are deeply worried by the subsequent events in Afghanistan and the effect on its people and the implication for a wider conflict, all of which are contrary to our peace testimony. More recent events in the Middle East have further exercised our minds in the same manner . We have heard that European and Middle-East Young Friends have written a letter of support to Friends in Ramallah Meeting. We also feel deeply about the people in Afghanistan following the recent earthquake, and indeed with those throughout the world who continue to suffer from natural disasters.

Since we last met as a Yearly Meeting we have made the decision to dispose of the Bloomfield Hospital complex and Swanbrook House and plans for moving to our new home at Stocking Lane, Dublin are progressing.

As a Yearly Meeting we have been strengthened by our experience at the Public Lecture when three Friends shared their thoughts with us. They spoke about Friends in former times who had faced adversity in their lives and who had been able to overcome personal crisis through their strong Christian belief. This theme of Light overcoming Darkness was also reflected at other sessions and in the Interest Groups

In spite of the improving situation in Northern Ireland following the ceasefires and the Belfast Agreement, conflict between the two communities remains a problem. Quaker House, Belfast continues to seek a peaceful outcome to these disputes.

Young Friends joined us on Saturday evening, having come from their own Yearly Meeting held in Newtown School, Waterford. Their enthusiastic vibrancy affected the whole meeting, encouraging us to look at ourselves in new ways. Reports were introduced on their involvement with Young Friends, not only in Ireland but also in Europe and the Middle East, and their attempts to reach out to all Friends in this age group.

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” - Psalms133.1

Signed in and on behalf of Ireland Yearly Meeting

J. Muriel Cameron, Clerk