Peace Hub – Quaker Peace & Justice Centre
As Quakers we are called to act for peace and justice. Peace Hub seeks to provide a centre from which an inclusive community is inspired to take up this call. Peace Hub is a new venture launched by Central England Quakers in November 2014.
Based in a small shop-style space in Birmingham city centre, the public can drop-in during weekday lunchtimes. Staff and volunteers at the Hub make a face-to-face connection with members of the public and engage in dialogue around complex but important issues.
Engaging in dialogue
Within this friendly and welcoming environment we use a rolling programme of themes linked to peace, simplicity, equality and truth to:
- Inform and stimulate dialogue on peace and justice
- Encourage people to affirm the humanity of others
- Provide opportunities for people to take action
- Promote the peace-making work undertaken by Quakers nationally and locally, which reflects Quaker testimonies and provides examples of Quaker 'faith in action'.
Actions that the public can take part in range from signing petitions and writing to MPs, to supporting efforts of peace-makers and justice-builders, and sending messages of solidarity; but all have at their heart the affirmation of people's humanity – to recognise what we as Quakers might call 'that of God in everyone'.
Themes we've featured
Themes featured since Peace Hub was opened include:
- Arms trade – raising awareness of UK arms exports to regimes where they may be used for repression, and collecting signatures in support of an arms embargo against these regimes.
- Fairtrade – promoting the range of Fairtrade goods available, and sending letters to encourage local supermarkets to switch to Fairtrade bananas.
- Conscientious objectors – making links between conscientious objectors in WWI and those persecuted today for refusing to fight, and sending messages of solidarity to COs currently in prison in South Korea.
Our upcoming theme
Our upcoming theme is 'Asylum Seekers & Refugees' – busting myths about asylum and collecting pledges in support of making Birmingham a City of Sanctuary.
The response so far has been very positive, and we look forward to continuing to build a community called to act for peace and justice. If you would like to find out more visit www.peacehub.org.uk