the Friend

INDEPENDENT QUAKER JOURNALISM SINCE 1843

CONTENTS – VOL 167 NO 45 3-5 News 3 Hidden children 4 Sustainability at Friends House 5 Climate battle starts at ground level 6 What is a faith commitment to sustainability?

Alison Prout 7 Comment

Gisela Carlsohn and John Arnold 8-9 Letters 10-11 No easy answers: appointments and oversight

Roy Stephenson 12-13 Arts 12 Two views on faith

Symon Hill 13 Cover story: The making of modern Britain

Judy Kirby 14-15 Copenhagen and young voices 14 Quakers and the climate emergency

Chris Walker 15 The story of me, us and now

Owen Everett 16 q-eye: Eyewitness 17 Friends & Meetings

The wider world and beyond The articles in the new edition of The Friends Quarterly range from the personal, through the spiritual, to the implications of living our faith internationally. Felicity Kaal sets out a compelling assessment of Quaker spiritual practice and what lies at its core. In a ground-breaking piece, Jill Kenner brings us face to face with the true implications of assisted dying.

Eva Pinthus writes about Israel-Palestine from the unique perspective of one who was a Kindertransport child. Michael Bartlet reviews the critical issues surrounding the changed expectations and demands of human rights, notably in the case of states that deny the basic foundational standards. Elizabeth Cave reports on her work in Rwanda, providing powerful personal testimony of faith in action. Taken all together, they illustrate much of what makes Quakerism distinctive and worthwhile.

The Friends Quarterly is published by The Friend Publications Limited. Subscriptions and single copies are available from subs@thefriend.org, via the website at www.thefriend.org or by telephone on 020 7663 1178.

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Cover image: Slum children in York, 1900. Their plight was highlighted in Seebohm Rowntree’s report Poverty revisited in The Making of Modern Britain by Andrew Marr. Photo: Courtesy the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. See page 13.

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Editorial

Editor: Judy Kirby

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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 • 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, 6 November 2009