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Middle East Collaborative Shares Peace Resource

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As we approach the time of remembering Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the Middle East Collaborative shares this timely resource from the Fellowship of Reconciliation: “Continuing to Break the Silence: Learning and Reflection on Vietnam, Palestine, and Beyond.” A winter series of programs on Why Palestine Matters is being planned by Middle East Collaborative members Deb Wood, Sandy Rea, and Joan Broadfield; watch the website calendar and the Collaborative’s webpage for details and registration. 

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FGC’s ‘The Gathering’ Comes to Philadelphia

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The Gathering is coming to Haverford College! This is the first time since Friends General Conference began in 1900 that it is being held in the immediate Philadelphia area! This is your first invitation to be part of “a great people to be gathered”, June 30-July 6, 2024! [Read more…] about FGC’s ‘The Gathering’ Comes to Philadelphia

Westtown Monthly Meeting Statement on the Shooting of Palestinian Students

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November 27, 2023

Westtown Monthly Meeting is holding in the Light Hisham Awartani, Kinnan Abdel Hamid, and Tahseen Ahmed – the three Palestinian students who were the victims of a senseless gun attack in Burlington, Vermont, the evening of November 25, 2023. [Read more…] about Westtown Monthly Meeting Statement on the Shooting of Palestinian Students

PYM Statement on the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28)

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The Religious Society of Friends witnesses to the truth of our times. In this moment, we recognize that we are facing an existential crisis that requires a response greater than individual actions.  The systemic structures as well as the daily choices of peoples, governments and faith communities across the globe must act in radical concert to address the climate catastrophe we have created. [Read more…] about PYM Statement on the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28)

Harrisburg Monthly Meeting Minute on Israel-Palestine conflict

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Today 11/12/2023 Harrisburg Monthly Meeting approved the following minute on the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Nov 12, 2023
The Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) testimony on peace, justice, and nonviolence is based in our experience of the divine in all of creation and within all persons:
Thus, we are deeply troubled by the suffering and injustice caused by the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and we are concerned that our government perpetuates that violence by continuing to send billions of dollars of military aid to the region. We affirm the right to self determination for both Israel and Palestine.
We call upon our nation to:
* Work for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza to save precious human life
* Cease sending United States military aid and selling weapons to Israel and work to end military aid and arms sales from all outside countries to all parties in this conflict 
* Continue diplomatic efforts with all parties and remain in dialogue even with those who have acted violently
* Work towards a just, comprehensive resolution that allows all people of the region to live in security and equality, and repairs harm that has been done 
* Join the international court system and accept its jurisdiction
We call upon all nations to: 
* Support efforts based in international law to bring justice, peace, security, and reconciliation to all parties in the conflict 
* Take measures to assure that international laws are applied universally
We call upon all individuals and communities to: 
* Support and learn from organizations that bring Israelis and Palestinians together for justice and peacemaking. 
* Examine how anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, racism, and privilege affect our understanding of the conflict
Adapted from here: https://www.fcnl.org/updates/2017-12/quaker-meeting-minute-israel-palestine-conflict

Pennswood Village Rededicates Its Peace Pole

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In 2001, Pennswood Village, the Quaker-founded retirement and health care community in Newtown, installed a Peace Pole in front of its community center. Two of the speakers were atomic bomb survivors (Hibakushas) from Japan, Mr. Shigeyuki Yama from Hiroshima and Mr. Hideo Tose from Nagasaki, the sites in 1945 of the two atomic bombs detonated over those cities which killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, most of whom were civilians.

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Scope of FGC’s Communications After Quaker Cloud

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When it comes to websites, web hosting, social media engagement, and other forms of electronic outreach, Friends General Conference (FGC) is in a period of evolving engagement with Friends and their meetings. Previously, FGC hosted several meeting websites through Quaker Cloud. That service, which will end at the end of 2023, was a useful tool for many meetings who needed a simple web presence.

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Summer Fun with Bucks Quarter Quakers

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The COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-2023 drove Bucks Quarter Quakers into their own separate spaces, replacing our regular gatherings with virtual Zoom meetings. While it was necessary at the time, after three long years, Friends were ready to see each other in person instead of on a screen.

With the declaration in the spring that the pandemic was officially “over,” the Bucks Quarter Oversight Committee felt it was time to get to get reacquainted with one another. So on Saturday, June 17th, under sunny skies with temperatures in the 70s, Friends from around the Quarter came together for a “Friends are Fun” picnic. [Read more…] about Summer Fun with Bucks Quarter Quakers

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