2

the Friend INDEPENDENT QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843

CONTENTS – VOL 168 NO 13 3 X marks the spot – Quakers prepare for general election 4 Education key to tackling new drug challenge,

says QAAD 5 Friends gather to witness a hundred years of

Ramallah Friends Meeting House Sue Glover Frykman 6 Israeli boycotts, sanctions and divestments – is a corporate Quaker stance possible? Sue and Tofte Frykman 7 Comment

Symon Hill and Drew Miller 8-9 Letters and epistle 10-11 A house to call a home

Rosemary Hartill 12 It’s the economy, clever

Judy Kirby 13 In comes the citizen approach

Christopher Vincenzi 14 Because spiritual matters

Catherine James 16 q-eye: witness 17 Friends & Meetings

Cover image: Celebrating a hundred years of Ramallah Friends Meeting House. Image: © Cally Gibson. www.callygibson.co.uk. See pages 5, 6 and 9. Images on this page from top: Exhibits at the Barney Smith Toilet Seat Art Museum in San Antonio, US. Photo: juliegomoll/flickr CC: BY. A toilet being cleaned in London. Photo: Jez Smith. The iCarta. Photo: rojer/flickr CC:BY. See page 16.

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the Friend 173 Euston Road, London NW1 2BJ Tel: 020 7663 1010 Fax: 020 7663 1182 www.thefriend.org Editor: Judy Kirby editorial@thefriend.org • Production editor: Jez Smith jez@thefriend.org • Sub-editor: Trish Carn trishc@thefriend.org • News reporter: Symon Hill news@thefriend.org • Arts editor: Rowena Loverance arts@thefriend.org • Environment editor: Laurie Michaelis green@thefriend.org • Subscriptions officer: Penny Dunn subs@thefriend.org Tel: 020 7663 1178 • Advertisement manager: George Penaluna, Ad department, 54a Main Street, Cononley, Keighley BD20 8LL Tel: 01535 630230 ads@thefriend.org • Clerk of the trustees: A David Olver • ISSN: 0016-1268 The Friend Publications Limited is a registered charity, number 211649 • Printed by Headley Bros Ltd, Queens Road, Ashford, Kent TN24 8HH

the Friend, 26 March 2010