CAST YOUR VOTE: should the UK government really be spending £45billion on war? Have your say at bit.ly/gdams2016
Hold a ballot in your town centre – all you need is 5 jam jars and a load of beans.
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Coming Soon: resources for Peace Sunday 2016.
SAVE THE DATE: 18th September. Would you like an FoR speaker to come to your church? Let us know!
OUR LATEST CAMPAIGN: Cancel Trident replacement
We were proud to march alongside tens of thousands at the #StopTrident demo in London on 27th February.
You can use this survey by CND to find out how your new MP or other candidates who stood will vote on Trident renewal in 2016.
FoR opposes military action in Syria; what you can do
As the past decade and a half of merciless war has shown, there is no military solution to the crisis in Syria and the rest of the region. Bombing perpetuates the cycle of violence. The hundreds of billions of pounds that the West has been using on brutalising the people of the region and on creating more bitterness and hatred should instead be directed towards peacebuilding and creating the preconditions for peace talks and a political solution to this awful crisis.
FoR advocates peaceful strategies for resolving the conflict in Syria and the rest of the region. Since its inception, the Fellowship of Reconciliation has affirmed that, as Christians, we are forbidden to wage war and that we are called instead to be peacemakers committed to the enthronement of Love in personal, national and international life.
Martin Luther King, Jr. rightly said:
“Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows. One day we must come to see that peace is not merely a distant goal we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. We must pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.”
We urge all our members to actively participate in the opposition to UK military intervention in Syria. Please tell all your friends to lobby their MP online, and visit your MP at their constituency office to let them know of your views on the matter.
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Order your white poppy to wear all year round.
White poppies are to remember all the victims of war, and promote a culture of peace.
They are a conversation-starter when you’re out and about, or an easy way to slip comments about nonviolence to family and friends if you’re not up for a full debate.
The centenary of WWI is a good time to start wearing a white poppy if you’ve never had one before. While the general public is hearing ideas of how the war started, who “won” the war etc, let us remember those killed on all sides and learn about the destruction caused by war and its preparation.
We suggest a donation of £1.50 (inlcuding p&p), then just 60p per additional poppy.
It’s not too late to get peace issues into your church.
Want to do more for peace but don’t have the time?
In the booklet you’ll find reflections on the Lectionary to use in sermons, prayers, activities for youth groups and campaign suggestions.
You could even use the reflections as ready-made sermons, for those who’d like to do more in their church for peace but don’t have the time to look things up and write things down. They can also be used as reflections in small groups.
It’s not just for clergy; this year there’s a section specially for Quaker meetings.
Enough spoilers – see for yourself. For a paper copy, email emma@for.org.uk
In July there were two events at Church House Conference Centre, both sponsored by Lockheed Martin among other arms dealers. FoR members are campaigning against these events through acts of worship outside the centre, including a communion service. More info here. Want to take action now? Sign the petition to Justin Welby
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We always welcome new members: join us. We have branches throughout the world.
Not in England or Scotland? Click here.
Answers to Questions on Postcard – How many did you get?
For dates relating to the centenary of WWI, take a look here.
The International Peacemakers Fund
The International Peacemakers Fund provides small pots of money to carefully selected nonviolent grassroots peacemaking groups around the world. Most of the money for grants comes from the general public so please consider making a donation.
FoR promotes active nonviolence and love as the means to transform unjust political, economic and social structures. We are an ecumenical Christian organisation campaigning against war and its preparation. In our 100 years, we’ve racked up 6 Nobel Peace Prize winners!