the Friend

INDEPENDENT QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843

CONTENTS VOL 167 NO 15 3-5 News 3 Poverty Truth Commission set up 4 Prison phone call costs fall 5 A window on the Quaker world 6 A personal view of G20

Simon Bond 7 Comment

Floresca Karanasou and Sam Walton 8-9 Letters 10-11 Johann Sebastian Bach and the Jews

John Dunstan 12-13 John Creed: craftsman, artist, Quaker

Oliver Robertson 14 Seasonal celebrations

Don Hartridge 16 q-eye: a Quaker look at the world 17 Friends & Meetings

1O DOWNING STREET

LONDON SW1A 2AA

April 2009

Friends, I wanted to extend my warm best wishes to you and your family as you celebrate Easter. In churches all over Britain people will gather in fellowship to celebrate the hope they have found in the story of the resurrection. Many will be inspired by it to give service to others, and I would like to take the chance to thank Britainʼs churches and faith-based organisations for all the work that you do in helping the young and old, the homeless, the ill and the bereaved, those in debt or poverty and most of all those who otherwise would shoulder heavy burdens in isolation and despair. Your contribution to our wonderful country is immeasurable and I am incredibly grateful for your selfless commitment to helping those in need. I hope you enjoy a happy and peaceful Easter.

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Cover image: The gates at Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. Photo: Courtesy Kelvingrove Art Gallery. See pages 12-13. Images on this page: Letter sent to Chas Raws after his work on Quaker Committee for Christian and Interfaith Relations to share with the members of his faith. Bottom: ‘Benchmark’ seating units in Norrie Miller Park, Perth made of steel, oak and industrial brick. Photo: John Creed. See pages 12-13.

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the Friend, 10 April 2009