Who are the “Quakers”?
The Religious Society of Friends, also called Quakers, emerged as a Christian denomination in England in the 1600’s. Quakers are possibly best known for their “Peace Testimony” – their belief in nonviolence and their opposition to war.
For hundreds of years, Quakers have spoken out in support of legislation and good government practices that embody the Quaker testimonies of peace, simplicity, equality, community and integrity. Read more.
One of the deeply held beliefs of Friends (Quakers) is that there is inherent worth in every human being. Peace, therefore, is not just the absence of war, but requires a just society that recognizes this inherent worth. Friends actively engage in the politics of their society to bring a voice of conscience – there is no separation between beliefs and deeds.
Friends were among the founders of many prominent social justice organizations, including Greenpeace, American Friends Service Committee, and Amnesty International, and served as leaders in the abolitionist, women’s rights and civil rights movements.
More information about Quakers and the Religious Society of Friends here and here. And a very informative (and funny) site by British Quakers here.
Find a Quaker Meeting near you here.
How is Quaker Voice connected to the Quakers?
Quaker Voice’s founders were Friends who believed that a voice of conscience, based on Quaker testimonies, was urgently needed in Washington’s capitol. Quaker Voice is governed by a Steering Committee composed of representatives of many of the unprogrammed Quaker Meetings in Washington who are part of Pacific Northwest Quarterly Meeting .
Our lobbying and positions are based on a policy statement developed by our Steering Committee, which in turn is based on the values contained in the Quaker testimonies. Within this context, Quaker Voice speaks for itself and for like-minded Friends and supporters. No organization can speak officially for the Religious Society of Friends.
It’s important to note that a number of Quaker Voice’s key supporters, donors and volunteers are not members of the Society of Friends. They are like-minded people who share the values that inform our work. We warmly welcome people of all backgrounds and beliefs.
I attend a Quaker Meeting; how can I get more involved?
That’s great! A first step would be to contact your Meeting clerk to see if your Meeting has a representative to Quaker Voice. If so, contact the representative to get more information on how you and your Meeting can support our work. If not, please send us email directly. And check out the steps to become more involved here.