Dear Friends,
Thank you for registering for our Quaker Meeting and Creative Conversation, organized by the NFN, UK.
2 March’s QM+CC will introduce the concern Blessed are the peacemakers
How should we interpret our Peace Testimony in the light of current world conflicts, particularly Russia’s invasion of Ukraine? Are we pacifists, passivists or peacemakers? Our commitment to peace was rooted in a theistic understanding of what was required of us. When we have taken leave of God, what is the basis of that commitment?
David Boulton is a former president of Friends Historical Society, a former editor of the CND journal Sanity and his books include Objection Overruled, described by The Observer as “the classic account of conscientious objection in World War 1”.
Please arrive early, as the Meeting will start promptly at 7PM GMT/2PM EST. The Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM.
We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk (clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk) to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
Format:
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM (UK time), please arrive early.
• 7PM: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Concern introduced; followed by interactive discussions in break-out rooms and in the plenary with all participants.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
• Zoom Room opens at 6:45PM (UK time), please arrive early.
• 7PM: Welcome and Quaker Meeting (~20 minutes): Sharing silence with one another for quietly gathering ourselves and connecting.
• Creative Conversation and Discussion (~1 hour): Concern introduced; followed by interactive discussions in break-out rooms and in the plenary with all participants.
• Conclusion: Thoughts and a few moments to share silence.
• After Announcements the Zoom Room will remain open for friendly chats and community.
• Duration:1hr:30m-2hr:00m
You will automatically receive Zoom links to subsequent Meetings, approximately one week beforehand and a reminder the day of. There is no need to re-register. We ask that you please do not share the Zoom link with interested Friends, but encourage them to email the Clerk (clerk@nontheist-quakers.org.uk) to register. You may unregister/unsubscribe at any time by replying to this email address.
See you soon.
In Friendship,
The QM+CC Working group (Gisela Creed, John Senior, William Purser, and Kiera Faber)
Nontheist Friends Network
Nontheist Friends Network 
I thought last Thursday’s CC was of the highest quality, both in David’s presentation and in the quality of comments that followed. Moving straight into plenary seemed to work very well. Many thanks and congratulation to all involved.
So far as the topic is concerned, it has taken me a day or two to process all the information. However, I left the CC with a sense that appeasement seemed to be regarded by some as a pejorative word, with connotations of weakness and surrender. I was saddened by this and think it an oversimplification to say that rewarding aggression will just invite further aggression. Appeasement, with compromise and a negotiated settlement, seems to me to be the only way out of this dreadful situation.
Does anyone really think that comprehensive military defeat of Putin with nothing at all achieved by him will result in regional stability? We had a timely reminder that a significant cause of WW2 was the outcome of WW1 and the draconian terms that were imposed on Germany. I fear history may repeat itself if Putin is sent back with his tail between his legs. One of the 1970s trades union barons (I forget which) opined that ‘you will only conclude a successful negotiation if you leave your opposite number his bus fare home’. Wise words, even if from an unlikely source.
I won’t say a word in defence of Putin’s actions and think it inevitable that western opinion is to support Ukraine in the way that it is. But I hope that all this may be seen as a way to bring the parties to the negotiating table. There could, after all, be plenty of potential negotiating counters if minds were open to them.
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