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QUIET WAYS

In July volunteers will “walk insolidarity” with refugees anddetainees in UK detention centres,between Runnymede andWestminster, from 1 – 5 July, andyou are invited to participate. TheGatwick Detainees Welfare Group(GDWG) (Registered Charity1124328) has organised this walkin the hope that participants willreflect on the long and dangerousjourneys refugees make today asthey seek sanctuary.

Refugee Tales will presentstories at each resting point, wherewriters and musicians will performtales written followingconversations with refugees anddetainees. These people held inimmigration removal centres in theUK have asked the charity to helpspread their words so together wecan end the scandalous detentionsuffered by people whose onlycrime has been to flee war andpersecution.

GDWG befriends immigrationdetainees at Tinsley House andBrook House at Gatwick Airport.Detainees are vulnerable, oftentraumatised by their experiencesbefore arriving in the UK, isolatedby detention and by a lack ofEnglish, fearing the future whilstheld indefinitely for weeks, monthsor even years.

GDWG is calling for theintroduction of a 28-day time limiton immigration detention. Atpresent the UK is the only countryin Europe to detain people

The Newsletter of Sussex East Area Meeting

Refugee TalesDates for your Diary

May 2017

24 May: Ecumenical Thinktank:“India Revisited”: A talk by AndrewWingate, an Anglican priest whotaught for seven years at Tamil NaduTheological Seminary in Madurai,South India. At Christ Church, PrinceEdwards Road, Lewes, 7:30 – 9:00p.m. All are welcome; free event.2 June: Family Day at FriendsHouse in London – 10:30 a.m. – 4p.m. An opportunity for families withchildren to explore Friends Houseand find out about the work that goeson there. For details and booking,email cypadmin@ quaker.org.uk orring 020 7663 1013.3 June: LGSRAS Plant Sale onbehalf of refugees and asylumseekers – 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. at theMarket Tower, Lewes – please emaillgsraslewes@gmail.com for detailsor offers to help10 June: Area Meeting Study Dayat Herstmonceux, 10:30 a.m. – 4:00p.m. with a picnic lunch – theme willbe the refugee crisis – details to follow10 June: Memorial Meeting forTerry Baker at the Luxford Centre inUckfield, 2:30 p.m. Uckfield LMhopes that Friends will stay forrefreshments afterwards.10 June: Summer Fayre atBernhard Baron Cottage Homes, 2– 4 p.m. – details to follow17 June: Regional Meeting: “TheLife & Writings of James Nayler” – atWestmeston Parish Hall (one mileeast of Ditchling on the LewesRoad)– 10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. – pleasebring food to share for lunch – venueopens just after 10 a.m. for tea /coffee / fellowship – all are welcome.

Photo: Jordi Bernabeu Farrú,Creative Commons Licence

indefinitely. Such psychologicaltorture should not be tolerated. It isa waste of money and a shockingwaste of human life and health.

You are welcome to joinRefugee Tales for the entire 5-daywalk, a day’s walk (between 6 – 11miles) or an evening’s reading.Your participation would be helpfuland uplifting to refugees detainedin the UK. Details and onlinebooking can be found onwww.refugeetales.org If youcannot participate in the walk,please consider writing to your MPregarding the scandal of indefinitedetention in the UK. Any additionalinformation you might need tocompose a letter can be found atthe website named above.

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Meeting for Worship has regularlybeen held at the Meeting Houseevery Sunday at 10.30 am. Onalternate Sundays variousFriends are requested to choosean appropriate reading from eitherQuaker Faith & Practice or fromthe Advices & Queries. Severalcopies of both are placed aroundthe Meeting House beforeMeeting for Worship begins forFriends to use and refer to. Inaddition an informal “readinggroup” has been formed whichmeets at the homes of variousFriends and which as its firstproject studied many of thechapters of Quaker Faith &Practice in detail over a period ofseveral months.

Meetings for Business are heldon the first Sunday of each monthand full minutes are kept. Inaddition we try to inculcate a“social” dimension to the Meetingby holding a discussion group ontopics of general interest afterMeeting for worship on the thirdSunday of every month, and a“shared lunch” on the fourthSunday – including the fourthSunday of December 2016 whichhappened to fall on 25thDecember. Twelve peopleparticipated on that occasion andfound it to be a joyful andrewarding experience.

We maintain a library at theMeeting House and a Friend isspecifically appointed on atriennial basis to monitor andorganise this. We have set asidean annual budget of £150 for theacquisition of new titles when webecome aware of any that are

Triennial Report Hastings Local Meeting 2017

likely to be useful or of interest toMembers, Attenders andEnquirers.

Elders and Overseers areappointed for the care andguidance of the Meeting and of itsMembers. However the provisionof “Oversight” is augmented andsupplemented by a gathering heldfor the purposes of reviewingOversight matters after Meetingfor Worship once every alternatemonth to which all are invited. Inaddition Oversight is also carriedout in a more informal and socialatmosphere in “circle groups”which meet at Friends homestwice a month.

One of the tasks regularlyundertaken once a year in respectof Oversight is the decision whichMembers and Attenders shouldreceive a Schedule inviting themto contribute financially to thesupport of the Meeting. Theaccounts of the Local meeting aremeticulously kept by the localmeeting Treasurer and in additionare scrutinised by at least twoother Friends before the accountsare finalised every year.

A major outreach project in2016 was organised to publicisethe 150th anniversary since theopening of the newly-built MeetingHouse for worship in 1866.Representatives from variousorganisations and from the localcommunity were invited to aspecial celebration in the MeetingHouse to coincide with the launchof a new book on the history ofHastings Quaker Meeting writtenby local Friend and historianPaula Radice.

QUIET WAYS

Peter Bolwell - Clerk

Hastings Friends Meeting House.

Dear Friends, a number of thearticles in this Quiet Ways comefrom the excellent Lewes Meetingnewsletter for May, edited by LizBrookes. They all resonate beyondthe local meeting and I hope thatsharing them will help Friendsacross the AM.

It strikes me that it might be helpfulif we had a regular Dates for yourDiary Column for the whole of AMtoo. What do Friends think?

Editorial

As human beings, no matter howvirtuously we try to live andconstruct our relationships, there’salways a sense in which we are intension, in competition, in whichour attempts to love will becompromised. But preciselybecause God is not one of us ….God’s love is of the overflowingkind which we cannot control butwhich is simply sheer gratuity. Andthat is ultimately where a sense ofsecurity as a theological orientationis going to come from ….Simon Barrow, Director of EkklesiaSee also:http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/

Sheer Gratuity Seeing God in Service

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QUIET WAYS

Sunetra Sarker, actor, whosecredits include ‘Casualty’ andmore recently, ‘Broadchurch’,appeared on “Who do you thinkyou are?” on 22 February, 2017exploring the Bengali heritagethat she had tried hard to ignoreas she grew up in Liverpool.Sunetra's great, great aunt wasCharu Probha. Charu receivedher school certificate in 1895, oneof the first Indian girls to do so.The programme asserts that thiswas because her father was anenlightened man. She went on tobe an early feminist in the sub-continent and was imprisoned bythe British Raj three times becauseof her views. Her longest period ofimprisonment was for sixteenmonths.Charu met Mahatma Ghandiseveral times and correspondedwith him. Sunetra, full of emotion,reads part of the following from oneof Ghandi's letters to Charu in theprogramme.

As at Patna, April 9, 1934My Dear Charu Probha.Nonsense, you must not give wayto despair like this. Sadhus will onlyput one interpretation on the Gita.It is the third chapter of the Gitaagain and again. There Krishnasays, “I do not stop working for onemoment. If I did, the whole worldwould perish.” He says again, “Noone stops work for a moment, onlyeveryone but the knowing workshelplessly.” Let us work knowinglyand voluntarily, not for self but forthe whole of humanity and we shallsurely see God face to face. Ourhumanity is in India. We may notserve her so as to injure others and[then] it becomes service to God.We must learn to see God in suchservice. This is the yoga of the Gitaand no other.Don't write doleful letters to me.Just begin the service that easilycomes to you and you will soonexpand and find joy.Love, Ghandi

Mohandas K. Gandhi Image from WikimediaCommons

Gandhi spinning. Location unknown, late 1940s. Image fromWikimedia Commons

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Quaker VoluntaryAction Retreats

Restorative Justice

QUIET WAYS

Princess Anne visited EastSussex in February to mark thethird year of coordinatedrestorative justice effortsacross the county. She ispatron of the RestorativeJustice Council and on her visitshe met not only with SussexPolice & Crime Commissionerand local dignitaries, but alsovolunteer restorative justicefacilitators, victimsof crime,and a former offender. (1)The chaplaincy team at LewesPrison is involved in restorativejustice via the Sycamore TreeProject, a victim awarenessprogramme teaching theprinciples of restorative justice. Itis taught in prisons in groups ofup to twenty, by trainedvolunteers. Prisoners explore theeffects of crime on victims,offenders, and the community,and discuss what it means to takeresponsibility for their actions. (2)The Sycamore Tree Projectbrings victims of crime, andoffenders, face to face. It runs in40 prisons across England andWales. (2)Quakers have been advocatesfor restorative justice since the1970s. A 1979 Quakerpublication, Six QuakersLook atCrime and Punishment states:

“We believe in overcoming evilwith good. We must speak andact from our own inner light to theinner light in others as Jesus did.He showed and taught love,respect and concern for all,particularly those rejected byothers, reaching out to the goodin them. (3)

Restorative justice is analternative to retribution andpunishment, and makesreconciliation possible. (3)The Restorative Justice Council,a national charity promotingrestorative justice, holds that“restorative processes bringthose harmed by crime orconflict, and those responsiblefor the harm, into communication,enabling everyone affected by aparticular incident to play a partin repairing the harm and findinga positive way forward” (3).Initial studies suggest thatrestorative justice reduces post-traumatic stress disorder invictims of crime, as well asreducing rates of re-offending. Areduction in re-offending is ofcourse hoped and planned for,and research is being undertakento measure the effectiveness ofthe Sycamore Tree Project inparticular. (2)For more details, you might wantto visit the Prison Fellowshipwebsite see Note (2)

Notes1 The Eastbourne Herald on-line23/02/17, accessed 31/03/17.2 Prison Fellowship website,www.prisonfellowship.org.ukspecifically http://bit.ly/2qvEBQQaccessed 31/03/17.3 From WHY PRISON? AFramework to encouragediscussion about the purposes,effectiveness and experience ofimprisonment as a response tocriminal actions, published byQuaker Peace & Social Witness,Crime, Community and JusticeSub-Committee, April 2013,reprinted August 2014.

Quaker Voluntary Action(QVA) organises workingretreats in Britain, Europe andbeyond, in which volunteersparticipate in practical projectsand reflective sessionspromoting spiritualdevelopment and meaningfulengagement in the world.The range of activities includesgardening, renovation, oliveharvesting, decorating, sustainabilityand woodland management. Theretreats include practicalengagement as well as elements ofstudy, reflection and fellowship. In2017 working retreats are availablein: Estonia (June / July) - Poland (July)- Swarthmoor (September) -Slovenia (September) - Ramallah(October).Participants arrange and pay theirown travel and insurance costs, andthe host centre, organisation ormeeting provides accommodation.The cost for these events includesall meals. Work tasks are matchedto participants’ skills and capabilities.Each retreat is led by experiencedfacilitators, and groups consist of 8-12 people, of all ages and abilities.Retreats are open to Quakers andthose in sympathy with Quakers.Bursary help is available.For further details seewww.qva.org.uk - emailmail@qva.org.uk or ring 07530844611.

QUIET WAYS

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Our recently departed Friend TerryBaker, left several notes, writtenover quite a long period, for his wifeRosemary, noting that they shouldbe read “post-mortem.” Rosemaryread this one at the April UckfieldOutreach Meeting at Holy CrossPriory and has asked for it to beshared with Friends via Quiet Ways.

10/1/10 Much Snow

Dear Rosemary,Could you or someone read thefollowing out at an appropriate timein meeting. But only if you arehappy about it

“I would like to thank all theextraordinary and the ordinarypeople who frequent LewesMeeting House for the love andFriendship they have given mesince I first started attending

meeting pretty regularly in early1960. Many of these people don'tseem very unusual to start with butthe combination of love,commitment, unselfish service andconcern, wise and knowledgeableadvice has been such a support inmy life and without the Quakerinfluence my life would have beenso much poorer. I think the LewesQuaker Meeting (and wider) is aTreasure of extraordinary value.

Terry Baker

QUIET WAYS

LGSRAS held an extraordinarygeneral meeting on 29th March,where decisions about the futureof the group were made. LGSRASis now on the path to becoming acharitable incorporated organisation(CIO), to promote and continue thework being undertaken on behalf ofrefugees and asylum seekers inLewes District. In future, Gift Aid canbe claimed on subscriptions anddonations, enabling the group tomaximise their funds. A namechange was agreed, so in futureLGSRAS will be known as LOSRAS(Lewes Organisation in Support ofRefugees & Asylum Seekers). Thisname change will be enacted at thetime of the CIO application, for acomplete re-launch.

A new constitution is already upand running, and any member ofLGSRAS/ LOSRAS is welcome toreceive a full version of the EGMminutes. To do so, contact Alison

Bell whose details appear at the endof this article.Donations to Newhaven FoodBank

One useful way to supportrefugees and asylum seekingfamilies is to support the Newhavenfood bank,

where Syrian families settled inthe local area are now accessingfood.

The Newhaven food bank isseeking:- Toiletries, includingshower gel and toilet roll - Nappies& baby wipes - Dry pasta - Pastasauce - Tinned fruit, veg and fish -Packet soup (Maggi packets arepopular) - UHT milk and sugar -Rice, lentils, oil - Kidney beans,chickpeas, cannellini beans, butterbeans (dried) - Tinned tomatoes

However, Friends are asked toavoid donating the following (due toa surplus):- Breakfast tea bags -

Baked beans - Tinned soup - Cuppasoup

Donations can be dropped off at109 High Street in Lewes, or if thatis difficult, you can email Tilly (alocal volunteer) who can collect anddeliver boxes of donations, onmathildagrivell@hotmail.co.uk

Soup Aid

You might also like to drop in tothe Hearth above Lewes Bus Stationon a Friday, which is raising moneyfor refugees in Calais and beyond.“Soup Aid” is held on Fridaysbetween 12 – 2 pm, and the soup isdelicious.

If you would like to joinLGSRAS/LOSRAS, pleasecontact Alison Bell on01273 470673 or via email:alison.belldavies@gmail.com

Update from LGSRAS (Lewes Group in Support of Refugees & Asylum Seekers)

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A recent update from Woodbrookestates: “We are delighted to berunning our hugely successfulMOOC again in 2017, beginningon 22 May.” This free 3-weekonline course entitled “RadicalSpirituality: the early history of theQuakers” charts the key months of1652, i.e. the birth of theQuaker movement, and will be ledby Ben Pink Dandelion. Friendswho participate in this free on-linetraining can expect to: · Developan understanding of the civil waras the context for the beginnings

of Quakerism · Explore the modeand content of early Quaker writing· Understand the importance oflocation for the beginnings ofQuakerism · Engage with the keyideas of George Fox and otherearly Friends · Reflect on theconsequences of key Quakertheological ideas Develop anunderstanding of Quaker historyafter 1652. To find out more or tojoin the course, visit

w w w . f u t u r e l e a r n . c o m /courses/quakers

The Massive Open On-line Course (or MOOC)

Edited by Keith Harcourt - keith@harcourt-consultancy.co.ukfor Sussex East Area Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers)

Images, unless otherwise credited - © Keith Harcourt