Philadelphia Yearly Meeting

of the Religious Society of Friends

Quakers & Quakerism

Here’s How to Catch a Screening of “Becoming Benjamin Lay” in May | Press Release

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For more information about the events in the following press release, contact Salma Garcia Nolasco of Abington Friends at AMM@abingtonfriends.net, Lee Hall of Radnor Friends at climatelaw@me.com, or N. Chiyo Moriuchi of Newtown Friends at ncmoriuchi@yahoo.com.

The Quaker community is excited to announce screenings of Becoming Benjamin Lay, a documentary, in the Philly suburbs. Benjamin Lay was the Quaker “prophet against slavery” who, in the 1700s, pressed Quakers to the forefront of the anti-slavery movement.

[Read more…] about Here’s How to Catch a Screening of “Becoming Benjamin Lay” in May | Press Release

PYM Friends Can Take Part in a Racial Conflict Transformation Program

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Star Smith and Shannon Roberts Smith, both of Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting and Association (SAYMA) recently shared on an opportunity for all Friends, no matter what yearly meeting

The SAYMA Racial Conflict Transformation Program is happening again this fall and Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) Friends who choose to take part will be part of small monthly affinity groups of Friends working collectively on identifying and eliminating racial oppression in Quaker spaces. The program will offer training modules in systemic racial analysis that include historical context, racial power dynamics, and practical tools for addressing racial conflict.

Complete Interest Form

[Read more…] about PYM Friends Can Take Part in a Racial Conflict Transformation Program

Robert Best and Sharing Messages Through Signs

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Robert Best, an attender of Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting can be found in Center City Philadelphia, near the plaza across from the Clothespin sculpture every Wednesday between 12:00 and 1:30. Robert stands there with a tall pole and a set of signs. [Read more…] about Robert Best and Sharing Messages Through Signs

Confronting Global Conflict Through Finance | Friends Fiduciary Corporation

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This article is attributed to Ethan K. Birchard is the Executive Director of Friends Fiduciary Corporation.

With geopolitical instability on the rise, in recent years global conflicts have continued to grow. A year ago, the Washington Post reported that 30 percent more people were killed in violent conflict in 2024 than in 2023, with conflict at its highest level since World War II. In 2026, despite the ceasefire in Gaza and the ongoing stalemate in Ukraine, stability seems, if anything, more elusive than ever. The US administration’s actions around South America and rhetoric over Greenland have only added to that tension. [Read more…] about Confronting Global Conflict Through Finance | Friends Fiduciary Corporation

Quick Facts About Indigenous Americans | A Resource from the Indigenous Affairs Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting

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The following was and provided by the Indigenous Affairs Committee of Baltimore Yearly Meeting.

Where do you look for facts about Indigenous Americans?

Now a Native-led research team has made them available in one free document you can download, use, and distribute as needed.

Quick Facts About Indigenous Americans is a compendium of current information that provides an overview of life circumstances for many American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Native Hawaiians. While this population is too large and diverse to represent in any one document, common challenges can be outlined. Inequities are stark, and solutions are called for – including full funding of federal programs. At a time when the administration is drastically cutting funds and failing to honor established rights, Quick Facts provides evidence of the injustice of such arbitrary actions.

The data digest was prepared by Alexis Contreras (Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde) and sponsored and produced by the Indigenous Affairs Committee of a regional Quaker group, Baltimore Yearly Meeting. Quakers started the Committee in 1795 to protect Tribal rights and individual well-being; it continues as an advocacy and ally group.

Native leader Suzan Shown Harjo describes Quick Facts as baseline data “for those trying to share needs and concerns of Native Peoples… a free report, in digital, searchable format.”

The data digest is available at this link.  It may be freely used without permission.

For further information or to provide feedback on this document, contact indigenousaffairs@bym-rsf.org or go to https://bit.ly/3Ks8b8x

Community Led Workshops at Annual Sessions

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Philadelphia Yearly Meeting (PYM) is bringing back community-led workshops at Annual Sessions. Friends can submit a proposal to lead a workshop that connects with this year’s theme, Members One of Another, or that supports Friends’ faith and commitment in the life of the yearly meeting.

[Read more…] about Community Led Workshops at Annual Sessions

At Haverford Meeting, a Friend Shares on Faith & Play and Multigenerational Learning

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Erin Lehman serves on the planning committee for the Learning for Life – A Religious Education Thread Gathering. She is a member of Haverford Friends Meeting and is involved in religious education there, including Faith & Play.

“I want people to know the Thread Gathering is not just for families with kids,” Erin said. “It’s about all of us learning more about Quakerism.”

[Read more…] about At Haverford Meeting, a Friend Shares on Faith & Play and Multigenerational Learning

Press Release | Democracy Forward Takes Action to Stop Reported Holiday Raids on Houses of Worship

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Coalition Files Notice After Reports Emerge of Renewed Threats of Immigration Raids

Boston, MA –  A coalition of faith-based organizations and houses of worship filed a notice with the U.S. District Court of Massachusetts in New England Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, et al., v. Department of Homeland Security, et al., after multiple reports indicated that the Trump-Vance administration is preparing immigration enforcement operations inside churches with Spanish-speaking congregations and other houses of worship during the upcoming holiday season. Pastors in New England, Georgia, and North Carolina have described visits from federal agents requesting names and addresses of congregants. U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys have also reportedly held internal briefings referencing a nationwide holiday plan targeting religious communities.

[Read more…] about Press Release | Democracy Forward Takes Action to Stop Reported Holiday Raids on Houses of Worship

Gatherings for Business-Minded Friends

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About Friends in Business

Whether it was John Cadbury and the Cadbury chocolate company, Paul Cuffe and his merchant enterprises, or Abraham Darby with his cast iron business, there is no shortage of notable Quakers throughout history who have had faithful service in commerce and industry.

While business leaders like these and countless other Friends practiced integrity, simplicity, peace, and other Quaker values in their professional lives due to their spiritual convictions, they soon found that faithfulness leads to trust and good order, helping them influence many of the business practices and movements we take for granted today. Notable contributions include being often associated with the early adoption of fixed prices and playing a key role in the Industrial Revolution due to their conviction to treat everyone they work with or employ with honesty, fairness, and quality. [Read more…] about Gatherings for Business-Minded Friends

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