Dispatches from the Quaker World Plenary

Day Eight

Signing off

The epistle (PDF) and tapestry set the frame for us to: "Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations, wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering that of God in every one." 19.32 Quaker faith & practice.

Some of us are going home, others staying to continue Quaker business and the lucky ones (🙋) exploring the beauty of nature in Johannesburg. I feel us separating, energised and contemplating how we bring this joy, wonder and intention to our meetings back home.

My heart lifted with joy as we saw our faith in practice: Mama Thuli's ministry, young Adult Friends sharing their epistles in turn in Spanish, Kiswahili, and English. We glimpsed our future and it felt wonderful.

We left nothing off the table when we talked of the injustices that we aspire to challenge: gendered violence, ethnicity, class, sexual orientation, patriarchy, machismo, language, economic injustice, land rights….the list goes on.

I am smiling outside and in – thank you Friends for this wonderful journey.

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Day Seven

Winding down

The epistle (our message from this conference) and weaving are in the final stages. We had a talent show followed by a fun and welcome bonding exercise: world music quiz. Everyone is exhausted…

This feels like the Quaker UN, with all the frustrations and beauty of many nations under one roof.

We have appreciated our different forms of worship, so much so that the Spanish speakers are looking to incorporate silent meditation into part of their meetings, and Europe and Middle East section is talking about incorporating music and an element of programmed worship into some meetings.

Being together has changed me, I am more aware, my mind is more open. There are politics, but the epistle and the tapestry, which summarises our thoughts on our themes, reflect the best of us: striving to do the right thing, in alignment with our testimonies.

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Day Six

Meeting the challenge of machismo and patriarchy – conociendo el desafío del machismo y el patriarcado

A deeply moving connection between women from Bolivia, Kenya, Peru, Nigeria, South Africa, Sweden and the USA. Stories of resilience and collective ambition. A shared faith and mutual admiration revealed. Our churches can be sources of our individual and collective strength. We look forward to continued connections.

Weaving

We are beginning to enter the last stages of our journey: it is time for us to bring all 3 thematic strands together. I have such admiration for our Clerks, I am genuinely in awe of their skillset, discipline and sensitivity to the hums of the many individuals. Their ability to contain and be a catalyst for coalescing and cohesion of a very large hybrid meeting.

Music uniting in worship

The wonder for me is the joyous songs of praise – I am constantly moved by these songs in Swahili, Spanish, English. We are sharing and being open to love one another.

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Day Five

Reasons to be cheerful

Early start today (06:45) translating a Bible study session. Worship song is so uplifting even when you are bone tired!

Today is Woman's Day in South Africa. Over breakfast, Mama Nozizwe told us about the first march: 20,000 women descending on Pretoria from all walks of life, taking buses intent on marching. Some women so intent that they carried their children on their backs.

Moving the dial

During the day, we heard about the work of the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) and its newly recognised station as part of the UN environmental delegation in Nairobi. We talked during a plenary session about decolonising QUNO governance and finding means for more equitable representation and including more staff from the global majority.

The Africa section discerned a way forward on the path to being economically self-sustaining.

We had a sensitisation session on ecocide – it was helpful to hear about the hurdles regarding the enforcement of regulations, the hypocrisy of governments signing international compacts.

In the deep

I facilitated a work stream session where we shared personal and deeply moving (traumatic) histories. It amazes me how folks can be so open and vulnerable here. We talked about self-care and facilitating in a trauma informed manner. As always, we Quakers heard the pain, but looked for pragmatic solutions as we remain hopeful for the future.

Going to crash to bed now after a 16-hour day….it's tiring and at the same time such a privilege to be party to this event.

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Day Four

With a guest post by Tim Rouse. Tim is a member of Tottenham Meeting and Young Friends General Meeting.

Outside my window, the Vaal River flows by, monkeys play in the trees, and the air is filled with unfamiliar bird calls – although as I write this, a pigeon just landed on the hotel room windowsill, so it's not entirely unlike London.

The setting of the World Plenary Meeting in South Africa is a significant part of the richness of the gathering. Yesterday, we went on excursions: some to Maropeng, the Cradle of Humankind; others to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. Both trips gave insights into our host country, as we passed the skyscrapers of central Johannesburg, the simple housing of Soweto; and the high-walled compounds of the rich.

Southern Africa Yearly Meeting is small, and they have done an amazing job of being hosts. They've shared personally and these small glimpses into individual lives, many lived through apartheid, has shown me the proximity of an oppression I knew only from history lessons.

It is a real joy to sit down for a meal with Friends from the Philippines, Kenya, New Zealand and beyond. Everyone is aware of the privilege it is to be here – of the environmental and financial cost from the copious amounts of food to the power (mostly coal-generated) that keeps the heaters and lights and technology we rely on for blended meetings going. You can't talk about the joy of being here without acknowledging those costs, especially as we grapple with our themes of ubuntu, care for creation, and addressing historical injustices.

As a British Friend accustomed to how young adult Friends talk about religion, another prominent feature is Christ, prayer, and God. While British Quakers talk occasionally of God, very few (even the more Christian Friends) speak much about Christianity or pray vocally, and praise songs are practically unheard. Spending time with Quakers for whom vocal prayer, communal singing, and a real and publically talked about relationship with Christ is central is fascinating.

Honestly, it's a breath of fresh air after the 'or whatever you call it' often heard in British Quaker meetings – hearing Friends use their own language freely and confidently is a delight to witness and a valuable contribution to my own faith, as I seek to recognise the Spirit moving. Please, Friends, speak your truth as it is given to you! World Quakerism is a wonderfully diverse church, and that pluralism involves accepting one another as we are, not hiding our light under a bushel (I'm speaking in Bible quotations already!).

As the World Plenary continues, we are all getting more and more tired, but the joy of being with new Friends is undiminished. That's perhaps the most profound feeling of being here – sitting down with a stranger, who worships differently, whose spiritual life looks very different, who may speak a different language, and knowing that we can both, with trust and faith, call one another Friend.

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Day three

Finding inspiration in community – Quaker Girl Power

The morning started with members of my home group reflecting on how, as women in Latin American Quaker meetings, they could find themselves contending with machismo and patriarchy. The result was either no leadership opportunities in the community or if they did succeed in getting a leadership role, that it was strongly contested. A Friend from Mexico reflected that the country only elected its first female president this year. In contrast they saw powerful women from various meetings across Africa in leadership roles. My Latin American Friends wanted to connect with their African sisters to build networks and learn how they succeeded. The plenary organisers committed to make this happen. And so a transcontinental female alliance was formed.

Revelations

The digital divide never fails to appal: Friends in Burundi without internet for weeks on end, and Congolese Friends having to plan two weeks in advance for virtual meetings and thus not being able to participate. Juxtapose that with a request from Friends World Committee for Consultation to have more virtual meetings and meeting every seven years.

One of the outings on offer was an excursion to the Cradle of Humankind. My mind opened when a comment was made that some might find the excursion offensive. For those who read the Bible literally, evolution is not a valid consideration.

I studied international relations but the reality always trips me up: my Russian Friend easily got a visa to South Africa while my Latin American Friends had a tough journey if they even managed to get visas. As for the Rwandan Friends: no visas, save the Friend who came from Canada, despite the organisers planning for years in advance.

Language equality and justice is hard even for Spanish speakers – the conference organisers had made translations and done the heavy lifting in their pre-planning only to be let down by the lack of language functionality on the chosen conference platform.

Raising the roof – the spirit joins

The worship songs were my emotional highs – singing from the heart in Kiswahili with hundreds of people is so very moving. It moved me to tears.

A ministry that resonated with me today came from Mama Esther Mombo, Professor of Theology at St Paul's University, Kenya how medicine can treat you but only the faith and Lord heals.

In a separate group we spoke of how our gathering and the connections we were making were filling our hearts with joy: a sentiment felt by all ages.

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Day two

Bienvenido

My first session with my home-group was a joy with folks from Cuba, Bolivia, Guatemala, Ireland, UK and the USA revealing to one another in Spanish who we are and what our Quaker journeys revealed. Particularly moving were tales of siguiendo el camino Quakero, following the Quaker path: discovering God as a literal and spiritual father when one Friend's father had left the family. The Quaker church, the provider of good food three times a day to a poor and hungry child. Discovering community and family, not of blood ties but of bonds forged by belief in the Quaker faith.

Sanibonani…..we're jamin'

Youth ministry was a BLAST. I woke to the sound of gorgeous voices singing. I kept asking people: "Where are the singers?". I was repeatedly teased: "I'm sure you'll find them sometime"…😉. And then…the revelation, the joy and the elation of song. The singers I heard this morning were practicing for their performance.

Revelations

Rwanda I came to Jo'burg with a clear view on Rwanda, a view reconfirmed by discussions about what Rwandans in South Africa have experienced. But a Quaker representative on the Board of Churches in Kenya shared their view: hold Rwanda in the light, visit to understand and not judge. Perhaps you can make a difference? My mind was closed, one conversation rendered me uncertain.

I learned about Quakers in Pemba, Tanzania.

I learned to probe words and meaning – a Kenyan talking about climate injustice referring not to environmental injustice but systemic injustice: the climate of injustice.

Celebrating George Fox @ 400

Rejoicing in what binds us all as Quakers, whether unprogrammed, programmed or evangelical: our story, deep Friendship, openness to new interpretations of the bible, structures and processes, commitment to peace and justice, love of the Earth and our love of God.

We are Quakers. We are still here!

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Day one

The joys of being a tourist amongst Friends

We landed at Oliver Tambo International Airport, travelling from up to 96 worship groups. The Friends (as we Quakers call each other) I met today came from Burundi, Lesotho, Uganda, Kenya, Botswana, Bolivia, the Philippines, Northern Ireland, Australia by way of Burundian exile and 10 years in a Tanzanian refugee camp, Canada, USA, and the Netherlands. We enjoyed the beauty of our surroundings while we took walks after a long day.

Challenging human interactions

We talked over lunch about our Evangelical Quaker cousins and the challenges of finding unity on numerous topics, the discomfort that an Afro-indigenous Friend feels about being challenged regarding their membership of a First Nation tribe.

The dissonance in having large numbers from the global majority while the power and resources remain unshifted and in the hands of the global minority.

Mucking in

Visas were unavailable for Friends who were planning to be simultaneous translators as the event is being held in Spanish, English and KiSwahili. A casual conversation resulted in my being added to the event translator rota and in the official translator booth.

The work ahead

We sang worship songs together, met new and old Friends and bonded as we discovered the members of our home groups. Today was merely preparation for the spiritual work ahead.

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The journey out

What's behind me – an early farewell to our family summer holidays: my son's beautiful smiles, kisses, and hugs. My brother and his family's warm blanket of deep love and care which energised my tired batteries.

What's with me – the words of the Kabarak Call for Peace and Ecojustice are like a low hum in my mind. On my airport journey to the plenary, I started watching the speaker videos (thank you, Mama Nozi, for the email nudge). The videos are so uplifting: grounded in our Quaker testimonies, richly reflective of the tapestry of Quaker voices around the world. Revealing our many faces, cultures and voices, slowly revealing the thread that ties us all: our humanity, our love for the land and the peoples of the earth and one another. The videos made my heart smile and uplifted my spirit: they reminded me why I am a Quaker, and how much I find joy in members of my community who make it easier to be my best self.

What's ahead of me – the videos feel like pebbles dropped in still pools, slowly displacing water in widening ripples. I feel our many spirits on a collective journey towards the plenary: some of us on our figurative canoes quietly rowing ourselves to the destination. Others transporting their hearts and minds to the same location even though their bodies are located elsewhere. I look outside the window at a beautiful coming dusk, basking in the light. I am hopeful, I am energised and open to all possibilities.