Quaker Works, October 2026

This semiannual column highlights the recent works of Quaker organizations. Categories include:

• Advocacy
• Consultation, Support, and Resources
• Development
• Education
• Environmental and Ecojustice
• Investment Management
• Retreat, Conference, and Study Centers
• Service and Peace Work

Advocacy

Friends Committee on National Legislation

fcnl.org

Friends Committee on National Legislation (FCNL) lobbies to advance peace, justice, and environmental stewardship in Washington, D.C. Its nonpartisan work combines prophetic witness with strategic action as it invites Friends and others into the practice of Quaker advocacy.

In April, the inaugural Friends Changemaker Weekend engaged more than 300 people to lobby against Iran war funding. People connected across generations on stopping U.S. militarism abroad and at home. FCNL has built on this momentum, celebrating congressional passage of war powers resolutions that could halt hostilities. Advocacy Teams working across all 50 states continue to urge Congress to end the war and create new avenues for peace.

In the spring and summer, 18 staff members took part in 21 yearly meetings and other Quaker gatherings. It was a rich time of hearing Friends’ concerns, sharing opportunities, and strengthening connections.

One of many challenges ahead is ensuring free and fair elections in November, especially following the Supreme Court decision further undermining the Voting Rights Act. Through coalition work and advocacy, FCNL is focused on meeting this challenge.

In July, FCNL welcomed a new cohort of young adults into its Advocacy Corps, which will organize this year on economic justice. They join a community committed to building relationships and finding openings for change.

Quaker Council for European Affairs

qcea.org

Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) is a Brussels-based non-governmental organization founded in 1979 that advocates for peace, justice, and equality within European institutions.

QCEA’s work centers on three main areas: the intersections of climate, migration, and peace; rethinking Europe’s approach to security; and speaking truth to power in a crisis of democracy.

In May, QCEA launched a publication, Voices of Peace: Stories of Conscientious Objectors from Europe and Beyond, which shares personal stories from people in eight countries who, in different ways, decided to reject military service and violence. Their stories show the human side of saying “no” to war, while also celebrating the courage of those who chose peace instead. The project was a joint effort with Connection e.V.; War Resisters’ International; and Agir pour la Paix. It was first launched at Maison de la paix in Brussels on May 15, International Conscientious Objection Day. Thanks to Friends in the Netherlands, the publication is also available in Dutch.

In February, together with eight organizations and research institutions, QCEA launched a coalition titled Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change. Through it, the partners are exchanging knowledge on climate and migration, and building a collaborative space that connects civil society and academia. The network hopes to grow and, over time, to strengthen EU-level advocacy for people affected by climate displacement.

Quaker United Nations Office

quno.org

Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) promotes justice, peace, and sustainability at the United Nations. Through areas of work in Geneva and New York, QUNO seeks to ensure the UN system and community of nations support and uphold the dignity of all.

Amidst increasing global polarization, QUNO plays a crucial role in elevating diverse voices and bringing them closer to the UN and its member states. Over the last year, QUNO built on its long history of strengthening the UN’s work to promote dialogue in the area of peacebuilding.

In March, at the seventieth session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)—the UN’s largest annual meeting on gender equality and women’s rights—QUNO convened diverse stakeholders on the margins of CSW. The session took place at the UN Headquarters in New York. Together with the UN’s New York Peacebuilding Group and Permanent Mission of Canada, QUNO hosted members of civil society, NGOs, and UN Member States for a closing dinner at Quaker House titled “Reflecting on Peacebuilding during CSW70: What did we learn and where do we go from here?” The inclusion of local peacebuilders helped highlight reflections grounded in lived experience and community-based approaches to peacebuilding. The gathering exemplified the unique work of QUNO in opening spaces for dialogue between diplomats, UN staff, and civil society.

Consultation, Support, and Resources

Fellowship of Quakers in the Arts

fqaquaker.org

The Fellowship of Quakers in the Arts (FQA) is a loosely organized international group of Quaker artists, including musicians, writers, poets, visual artists, and those interested in supporting artistic work among Friends.

A writers’ group meets virtually once a month, and a group of mostly visual artists and musicians meets quarterly to share work. A similar group for poets is expected to begin in the fall of 2026.

FQA also offers virtual workshops to members based on interest. In June, it sponsored a virtual workshop on independent publishing. This workshop has led to plans for additional sessions organized around specific publishing criteria. FQA also plans to premiere a YouTube channel in the fall.

In early May, FQA sponsored an art exhibit at the annual gathering of Caln Quarter (part of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting) at Camp Swartara in Bethel, Pa. Several Quaker artists participated in the show. Another art show is scheduled for late September as part of the annual TriQuarter gathering of Friends in South Jersey.

FQA cooperates with several local art organizations throughout the United States, assisting with mounting exhibitions and performances. It occasionally provides small grants of less than $100 to support local art events of particular interest to Friends.

Friends Career Center

friendscareercenter.com

Friends Career Center (FCC) is a youth-led organization working in Rwanda and Canada to help underserved youth overcome barriers through mentorship, mental wellness, career development, and entrepreneurship. Rooted in Quaker values and open to all, FCC believes every young person deserves the chance to reach their full potential.

FCC launched the SheCreates Fellowship in November 2025 to help young Rwandan women turn business ideas and existing businesses into sustainable enterprises. Twenty participants completed training in business development, including marketing, financial literacy, ethical entrepreneurship, storytelling, and innovation. Each developed a business plan, budget, branding materials, and pitch components. Together, the fellows were awarded more than $20,000 in seed funding and are now building their businesses with continuing individualized mentorship.

In July 2026, FCC brought its community-rooted mental health work to the twenty-sixth International AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Agape Ishimwe, who leads Ubugeni Bwomora (Art that Heals) and was recognized as a 2025 International AIDS Society Change Maker, presented the program in the Global Village and screened a documentary about its work. Ubugeni Bwomora uses art, storytelling, and peer support to help youth living with HIV in rural Rwanda address stigma, isolation, and emotional distress while strengthening self-acceptance, resilience, and belonging.

FCC remains committed to breaking cycles of poverty by empowering underserved youth to build livelihoods, strengthen well-being, and create lasting community change.

Friends General Conference

fgcquaker.org

Friends General Conference (FGC) is a volunteer-led association of 16 yearly meetings and 12 directly affiliated monthly meetings in the United States and Canada. With divine guidance, FGC nurtures the spiritual vitality of the Society of Friends by providing programs and services for Friends and seekers.

In July, the week-long 2026 Gathering drew over 700 Friends to the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vt. Junior Gathering and the high school program provided vibrant activities for youth and young people. Bryan Stevenson and Kazu Haga were the plenary speakers, each speaking to a packed room.

Friends who attended throughout the week appreciated the spiritual deepening and the opportunity to connect. One Friend shared: “It all came together holistically for me—just a wonderful, spiritually enriching time.”

In September, FGC held a weekend Outreach Conference with plenary speakers Geniro Dingle, Khalila Lomax, and Shannon Isaacs. Workshops focused on welcoming families with children, building strong community partnerships with non-Quaker organizations, and exploring the findings from Friends World Committee for Consultation’s Quaker Connect program.

The month-long “Weaving a Wider Welcome” eRetreat begins October 4, and is designed to help meetings shift their culture to become more newcomer-friendly.

FGC’s Ministry on Racism program continues to offer online worship programs for Friends of Color on a weekly basis.

Friends Incubator for Public Ministry

friendsincubator.org

The Friends Incubator for Public Ministry is a ministry support project under the care of Sandy Spring (Md.) Meeting (part of Baltimore Yearly Meeting), walking alongside Friends carrying public ministries and the elders who support them.

In June, along with Quakers in Pastoral Care and Counseling, Friends Incubator cohosted an online panel on support structures for Quaker ministry; smaller circles gathered to hear testimonies from public ministers, and a panel spoke on the vocation of spiritual direction. A growing library of recordings of public presentations is available on Friends Incubator’s YouTube channel.

In early September, a Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow joined: Bec Cormack, who will also be serving part-time with Western Friend.

A seven-part monthly online series called “Simple Contemplation: Supporting Ministry through Scripture and Imagination” launched September 27; it pairs guided meditation with worship sharing in small groups.

Friends Incubator’s first ministry fellowship cohort (made up of East Coast meetings, ministers, and elders) continues to shape wider conversations about public ministry, connecting the practical work of accompaniment with a question many Friends everywhere are asking: how is ministry recognized and sustained today?

For a week next spring, Friends Incubator will be in residence at Woolman Hill Retreat Center in Deerfield, Mass., with the current cohort of fellows. Friends Incubator is planning to expand future fellowship to other regions in the United States.

Friends United Meeting

friendsunitedmeeting.org

Friends United Meeting is an association of Christ-centered Quakers comprising 38 yearly meetings/associations and several ministry centers in North America, East Africa, the Caribbean, and Palestine. FUM’s four ministry priorities include leadership and resource development; evangelism; communication; and global partnership.

FUM’s work in Belize is changing. Historically, it has focused primarily on providing a second-chance education option for urban at-risk youth through its support of Belize Friends School (BFS), founded in 1994. BFS reintegrated students into the Belizean education system through remedial education so they could pass their primary school exam and advance to secondary school.

A recently passed education bill has shifted the Belizean government’s strategy and funding away from examination results and toward an emphasis on attendance, equity, and access. This shift means there is no longer a class of students who need the second chance BFS offered. Friends in Belize are leading FUM to focus instead on first-chance education by serving preschool students: to lay a solid foundation for young learners at Belize Friends Preschool.

“As they learn in a respectful and loving environment, we pray that they will come to know the living God who leads our work,” said BFS Principal Antoliana Budna.

Immediate concerns include purchasing culturally relevant, age-appropriate reading resources; hiring a teacher with early childhood experience; and installing safe playground equipment. The first cohort begins this fall.

Friends World Committee for Consultation (Asia–West Pacific Section)

fwccawps.org

Friends World Committee for Consultation, Asia–West Pacific Section (AWPS) is the collective body for Friends located in the Asia–West Pacific region.

In February, AWPS launched a “Month of Action on Myanmar,” inviting Friends to reflect on the brutal 2021 military coup in Burma, learn more about nonviolent responses, and explore ways to witness meaningfully, in large or small ways, during the four weeks.

The invitation was modeled on a similar project undertaken by Australia Yearly Meeting in 2025 to draw attention to the situation in Palestine. Online groups, websites, and introductory webinars helped Friends grasp complex issues and learn about a range of useful actions, including connecting locally with the affected diaspora. Participants pledged to support each other to take at least three actions of solidarity to stand with the people of Burma/Myanmar.

After four weeks, Friends were more aware of the current situation in Myanmar and attuned to future developments. Some Friends chose to stay connected via the online social media group or by worshiping with Yangon Recognized Meeting; all were strengthened by the month’s collective insights, diverse actions, and stories of Burmese courage.

With the world as it is, participating in opportunities like this to experience Quaker witness serves as a reminder that Spirit is ever present, and that peace is possible.

Friends World Committee for Consultation (Section of the Americas)

fwccamericas.org

Friends World Committee for Consultation, Section of the Americas fosters fellowship among the Society of Friends in the Americas, where the Quaker community extends from the Arctic to the Andes.

The first two cohorts of the Quaker Connect program include 20 unprogrammed and programmed meetings and churches from the United States, Jamaica, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Peru. The two-year program encourages the meetings and churches to experiment with new ways to engage their communities.

Recent improvements to the Section’s online Find Friends Map (available at fwccamericas.org/findfriends) has made it more user-friendly.

In April, the Section held a training for interpreters in Greensboro, N.C., in partnership with the Center for New North Carolinians. The 16-hour, professional standards-based curriculum welcomed equal numbers of native English and Spanish speakers, including two new interpreters from Philadelphia and Cuba Yearly Meetings.

FWCC staff and volunteers have also held consultations in Guatemala, Bolivia, El Salvador, Peru, and the United States. Intervisitation has both inspired and strengthened community, and the Section has dedicated significant time toward establishing intercultural guidance on traveling in ministry.

October 4 is World Quaker Day, with the theme “Let Peace Be Among Us.” A ninetieth anniversary celebration of FWCC is scheduled for October 9 in Philadelphia, Pa., honoring the organization’s decades of work in bringing together Friends of varying traditions and cultural experiences.

Public Friends

publicfriends.org

The mission of Public Friends is to ensure the future of Friends in North America by supporting and developing Quaker ministers to a professional standard.

In its first year of operations, Public Friends supported ministers by writing a comprehensive recording process and providing monthly professional meetings for members.

In its second year, Public Friends expanded to provide a professional association for ministers, and it began offering events that focus on practical skills and advice, such as workshops on making money in ministry and the practical aspects of traveling ministry, as well as a panel on the pros and cons of seminary, co-hosted by Earlham School of Religion’s Quaker Leadership Center. This work was supported by grants from the Shoemaker Fund and the Tyson Memorial Fund.

Now in its third year, the organization continues to offer monthly online meetings for ministers and to expand its workshop series, with upcoming sessions on climate change ministry, conflict in meetings, and money management for ministers.

On April 16, 2027, Public Friends will host its first one-day conference, “Ensuring the Future of Friends in North America.”

Quakers Uniting in Publications

quakerquip.com

Quakers Uniting in Publications (QUIP) is an international network of Quaker authors, editors, publishers, and booksellers with a concern for the ministry of the written word. The group’s goal is to share, in print and digitally, Quaker values. QUIP offers spring and autumn educational programs and shares members’ recent publications more widely.

The virtual spring meeting, “Getting Published as a Quaker,” was held in May and featured a moderated panel including Janaki Spickard Keeler, author and editor of Pendle Hill pamphlets and books; Audrey Greenhall, manager of FGC QuakerBooks bookstore; Eric Muhr, publisher of Barclay Press; Nancy Haines and David Haines, self-published authors; Jennifer Kavanagh, author and book editor based in London, England; and Sergei Grushko, a representative of Quaker publisher Friends House Moscow. The business meeting approved a $1,000 Tacey Sowle grant (assisting those from underserved countries) to a Kenyan writer. The “Show and Tell” portion of the meeting gave space for authors and publishers to share brief descriptions of their new and recent publications.

The autumn QUIP meeting on “Quakers and Publishing” is scheduled for October 24, 2026. It will be a one-day, online-only meeting for writers, publishers, booksellers, and anyone else interested in the work and ministry of sharing words in the world.

Development

Progresa: Guatemala Friends Scholarship Program

progresagt.org

Progresa is a Quaker-sponsored scholarship program for Indigenous Mayans to attend universities in Guatemala.

The current student body includes 91 women and 24 men; 81 percent speak a Mayan language. The most common majors are medicine, social work, nursing, agronomy, law, and engineering.

Four in-country staff members meet one-on-one monthly with the scholarship recipients. There are in-person quarterly workshops on topics such as organization, emotional health, and financial literacy. Each student performs 40 hours of community service per year, providing help to their community while also building their resumes.

It is a great benefit to an Indigenous Mayan community to have a professional such as a doctor, a social worker, or an engineer who’s fluent in the language living and working in the community. It is also a great benefit to the Progresa graduates to find ways to successfully live in their respective communities and avoid the perils of immigration.

Since many areas of study involve documents in English, Progresa also provides an annual week-long opportunity for the students to receive English language instruction from a native speaker. The lessons are provided by volunteers from the United States who come to Guatemala during the students’ winter break. In January, the seventeenth year of this program ran and included a visit from Nobel Prize-winning astrophysicist John C. Mather, who shared about his experience working at NASA.

Quaker Service Australia

qsa.org.au

Quaker Service Australia (QSA) is the international development organization for Quakers in Australia, working alongside communities in Australia, Asia, Africa, and the Pacific to build a more peaceful, just, equitable, and compassionate world through community-led projects.

In India, a new partnership with Arogya Agam is supporting Dalit and Adivasi women to build sustainable livelihoods and economic resilience. In Uganda, farming families are using agroecological approaches to improve food security and adapt to climate change. And in Cambodia, women are building skills, livelihoods, and leadership through climate-smart agriculture and permaculture.

Through its Aubrey Bequest funding program, QSA supported five new initiatives working with refugees and displaced communities, from helping Afghan peace workers reach safety to strengthening refugee-led food security and education programs.

In May, QSA hosted a webinar featuring guest speaker Joyce Ajlouny, general secretary of American Friends Service Committee, reflecting on the role of international non-governmental organizations in the current global climate.

Last November, during QSA’s annual general meeting, members and supporters enjoyed a rare opportunity to hear from Josephine Kizza, executive director of St. Jude Family Projects in Uganda, one of QSA’s longest-standing project partners.

QSA has also been preparing for rigorous re-accreditation under the Australian Government’s NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The process has challenged QSA to improve the ways it governs, manages risk, safeguards people, and demonstrates accountability.

Right Sharing of World Resources

rswr.org

Since 1967, Right Sharing of World Resources (RSWR) has embodied Quaker concern for global inequity. RSWR recognizes that economic justice and spiritual growth are connected. In Guatemala, India, Kenya, and Sierra Leone, RSWR partners with women’s groups that build savings and businesses. RSWR also offers activities and resources that explore the spiritual dimensions of money, simplicity, and consumption.

The organization’s partnership model with the women’s groups has evolved in recent years. RSWR country coordinators now work with groups for up to four years, a significant increase from the earlier timeframe of 12–18 months. Additionally, women’s groups that have previously received a RSWR grant can now apply for additional funding. In April, RSWR offered its first round of these second grants. Both of these shifts were born from deep listening to RSWR country coordinators who felt the need for deepened relationships and more support for each group.

Spiritual education programs, predominantly offered in the United States and online, have also grown over the last year. Workshop offerings have expanded to include sessions such as “Money, Me, and Community,” which guides participants in reflecting on the practical and spiritual ways that money shapes our relationships.

In February, RSWR launched a new website designed to make it easier to find resources, read impact stories, explore upcoming events, and learn more about hosting or attending a Right Sharing workshop.

Education

Friends Council on Education

friendscouncil.org

Friends Council on Education nurtures the Quaker life of schools; strengthens the network of support; promotes Quaker-based learning and decision making through consultations, programs, and publications; and assists in the establishment of new Friends schools. The organization advances common ideals, expectations, and standards in alignment with the needs of students today. There are 73 member schools serving over 20,000 students.

Friends Council has started to amplify its support to schools via the Ravdin Fund by giving larger grants than in the past. Such grants directly affect a school’s ability to engage professional advice and counsel to guide the school through a high-impact project around financial sustainability.

Friends Council is becoming an approved member of International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation (ICAISA), which is a nonprofit organization that establishes and upholds standards for accrediting associations in order to ensure quality and accountability in independent and international schools across the globe. Work with ICAISA will enhance Friends Council’s Membership Renewal Process (MRP).

This school year, the MRP will engage ten schools in a structured framework for evaluating their mission, governance, worship practices, equity and justice efforts, leadership, curriculum, and overall community life through the lens of Quaker principles and practice. Notably, several schools will be participating in this process for the first time.

Historic Fair Hill

historicfairhill.com

Historic Fair Hill (HFH) offers programming in early literacy, community building, advocacy-based history, and urban greening in the Fairhill neighborhood of North Philadelphia, Pa. It was founded in the 1990s by Quakers who came together to restore a neglected Quaker burial ground where abolitionists and activists had been laid to rest. Today, the group takes action for social justice in one of the highest poverty areas of Philadelphia.

This summer, HFH welcomed 12 teen neighbors as youth interns. They focused on community pride, engagement, and beautification. Over the past few years, two youth interns have moved into paid staff roles.

Throughout the school year, HFH operates four school libraries and provides literacy assistants and reading buddies. During the summer, a program called Wondrous Wednesdays runs weekly for children to read books, sing songs, and connect to nature. This year saw the highest attendance yet.

HFH has been working with the Philadelphia Land Bank to acquire and transform vacant lots. The Auburn Street garden is expanding to include a Food Forest that will allow HFH to provide more free produce to families. HFH is also planning to break ground on its first permanent home in early 2027. The new space and expanded garden will both enable more programming, connection with more neighbors, and greater year-round opportunities.

The School of the Spirit Ministry

schoolofthespirit.org

The School of the Spirit is a Quaker-founded ministry of prayer and learning that offers programs and contemplative retreats throughout the year. It is dedicated to helping all who wish to be more faithful listeners and responders to the Inward Teacher.

The school’s newest spiritual formation program, God’s Promise Fulfilled, is in its second of two years through February 2027. Participants are listening for the Spirit in community in order to grow into an understanding of their gifts and ministries while living under our culture’s damaging logic of domination and injustice.

Over the first weekend in September, the Streams of Living Water retreat gathered participants, core teachers, elders, and staff from past extended programs around their experiences of God’s presence working through them in the world.

An online reflective retreat, Breathing the Beloved, was held in September. Participants sought to release resistance, rest in Spirit, and breathe in being beloved.

Two contemplative retreats are scheduled so far for 2027. Friends will gather at Powell House in Old Chatham, N.Y., in January, and at Siena Retreat Center in Racine, Wis., in April.

Participating in God’s Power is a 16-month program designed to help participants open powerfully to the Source, work through internal resistance and connect this grounding to actions in the world. This program of six residencies will return in 2028–2029.

Woodbrooke

woodbrooke.org.uk

Woodbrooke, based in Britain, delivers a wide range of learning courses and research programs, rooted in the Quaker tradition and open to all. Courses are offered online and in-person, alongside online worship six days a week.

Woodbrooke recently announced its program of courses for November through April. The courses offer opportunities for Friends to deepen their understanding of Quaker history and theology, enrich their spirituality, develop their roles within their Quaker community, and explore peace and social justice.

Over the past year, Woodbrooke has worked with Britain Yearly Meeting’s Reparation Working Group to research and deliver learning on reparation, including undertaking historical and theological research into the Quaker theology used to justify and support systems of enslavement and oppression, as well as the theology of abolition, reparations, and liberation. This research is presented in a report, launching at a conference in October, and will be explored in an online course in December.

In July, three students graduated from Woodbrooke’s Centre for Research in Quaker Studies (CRQS): two with PhDs and one with an MA.

Woodbrooke regularly hosts key lectures, including the George Richardson Lecture, given annually by a leading academic in Quaker studies. The 2026 George Richardson Lecture was delivered in September by Haverford College’s David Harrington Watt; it was entitled “Quakers and Nazis: The Stories We Tell.”

Environmental and Ecojustice

Quaker Earthcare Witness

quakerearthcare.org

Quaker Earthcare Witness (QEW) is a North America-based international community of Friends called to act with courage and spiritual depth in the face of the climate and biodiversity crisis. QEW works to inspire Spirit-led action for ecological justice, right-relationship, and an Earth restored.

This year QEW has expanded its impact through field campaigns, broad outreach, and earthcare advocacy.

In Philadelphia, Pa., new Quaker Voluntary Service Fellow Norwood Keaton is working on ground-level campaign partnerships with local Quakers to oppose exploitative data centers in the New Jersey Pinelands, halt proposed LNG export facilities along the Delaware River, and push for bold climate justice legislation. QEW launched parallel efforts in California, organizing a town hall and interfaith summit in August for climate justice and to demand fossil fuel companies pay for damages and the renewable energy transition.

This summer, QEW upgraded the Quaker Earth Action Map, connecting hundreds of Quaker meetings across North America and internationally. QEW leadership engaged Friends across the country through nationwide speaking tours, including keynote ministry at yearly meetings and workshops on resisting data center expansion.

In September, QEW organized its first biannual Earthcare Day of Action, engaging over 30 meetings across three continents. Friends from Kenya to Seattle, Wash., took hands-on action by planting native trees, building pollinator hotels, and advocating for regional environmental policy.

Investment Management

Friends Fiduciary Corporation

friendsfiduciary.org

Friends Fiduciary Corporation (FFC) is a Quaker faith-based investment firm that manages the long-term financial assets of Quaker meetings, schools, and other organizations across the country and aligns its investments with broadly held Quaker values.

Through shareholder advocacy, Friends Fiduciary has continued to engage corporations with the goal of improving impacts on people and the planet. This proxy season FFC has engaged with over 45 companies on issues ranging from climate and sustainability to human rights and sound governance. It filed a total of 18 resolutions, serving as lead filer on seven of them. A highlight of the season was the strong investor support at corporate annual meetings, including on proposals requesting the separation of chair and CEO positions at two corporations: 23 percent support at one and 33 percent at the other. Additionally, a number of shareholder proposals led to reaching agreement with and subsequently withdrawing from several companies.

Friends Fiduciary has continued to speak with companies about sustainability concerns, the need to protect human rights—including tech company engagements and engagements around living wage, workers’ rights, and the human right to health—and the importance of diversity and inclusion at the workforce and board level.

In the months ahead, Friends Fiduciary will be rolling out a new website and client portal and sharing updates about the progress of individual investing at Friends Fiduciary.

Retreat, Conference, and Study Centers

Pendle Hill

pendlehill.org

Pendle Hill is a Quaker study, retreat, and conference center located outside of Philadelphia, Pa., that fosters Spirit-led learning and community.

Between March and August 2026, Pendle Hill welcomed approximately 401 sojourner reservations, 91 conference groups, 1,499 online and in-person program registrants, and 15,529 visits to hybrid meeting for worship.

Spring on campus was filled with resident students and scholars centering down for the Spring Term. This immersive program included time for participants to settle into daily rhythms of work, study, and worship, and culminated in this year’s Quaker Institute in collaboration with Earlham School of Religion’s Quaker Leadership Center.

In February, Pendle Hill published the statement “Our Call to End and Reform Unjust Immigration Enforcement Practices and Laws.” Rooted in the testimony of equality and the belief in the Inner Light within every person, the statement is both a condemnation of current immigration practices and an invitation for other faith communities and individuals to “rise courageously alongside immigrants facing persecution.”

Staff and volunteers continue to restore the campus after the devastating storm in early 2024, including planting several species of native trees.

Pendle Hill published four new pamphlets, with original pieces from Max Carter, Jennifer Kavanagh, Steven Dale Davison, and C. Wess Daniels, the last of which marked its 500th pamphlet. Pendle Hill has also expanded its presence on Bookshop.org.

Silver Wattle Quaker Centre

silverwattle.org.au

Silver Wattle Quaker Centre is a place for contemplation, retreat, and study situated on the edge of Weereewa, a large inland lake in Ngunnawal Country, 40 minutes from Australia’s capital city, Canberra. Grounded in Quaker tradition, the center offers social and religious education in addition to support and preparation for witness and service.

In late June, Silver Wattle hosted four Pacific Peace Pilgrims from Oceania as they prepared to lobby politicians to ratify the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. This Pacific peace action was supported by Australian Quakers against nuclear weapons and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

These pilgrims have experienced the devastating human and environmental impacts of nuclear testing in their homelands and Sea Country. This group included Australian First Nations representatives, including a second-generation nuclear test survivor from Maralinga, South Australia. The pilgrims advocate for a future that is “decolonized, demilitarized, denuclearised, and decarbonised.”

Although Silver Wattle has been closed for renovations to increase disability access and to create a library for early Quaker works, the center opened to support the important witness of these pilgrims, who seek peace through nuclear arms control.

Beginning in October 2026, Silver Wattle will again welcome individual sojourners and groups to its retreat center, set on 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) of Australian bush land.

Service and Peace Work

American Friends Service Committee

afsc.org

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) works for a just, peaceful, and sustainable world free of violence, inequality, and oppression.

In June, AFSC launched the Quaker Action for Migration Justice Network (QAMJN, pronounced “Q-imagine”). QAMJN’s purpose is to connect Friends, meetings, and other stakeholders so they can build community, share ideas, and organize migration justice actions.

On July 4, as the United States marked its 250th anniversary, AFSC published its “Declaration of Resistance,” part of a larger National Day of Action. Across the country, over 30 Quaker communities hosted local vigils. The Declaration is part of AFSC’s new Commit to Resist campaign, calling on all to protect communities, resist authoritarianism, and build peace with justice.

In August, AFSC joined other human rights organizations in a lawsuit challenging a February 2025 executive order by the Trump administration that authorized sanctions on individuals and organizations affiliated with the work of the International Criminal Court. The plaintiffs state that the sanctions are a blatantly illegal attack on international justice and should be struck down.

Since April, AFSC staff have offered presentations to over 50 Quaker communities around the world, including over 20 yearly meetings, where AFSC facilitated programs about immigration justice, Palestine activism, resisting authoritarianism, and more. From February through August, AFSC’s Quaker Engagement team also conducted a speaking tour of Quaker communities throughout the Northeastern United States.

Friends Peace Teams

friendspeaceteams.org

Friends Peace Teams (FPT) is a Spirit-led organization working to develop long-term relationships with communities in conflict around the world to create programs for peace building, healing, and reconciliation.

In regional teams on five continents, volunteers of many different faiths, ethnicities, and cultures work together to create enduring cultures of peace. Every region engages in Quaker practices, Alternatives to Violence Project, and Power of Goodness.

The Europe and Middle East Team offers psycho-social support to people affected by war and builds skills among justice and peace workers in Ukraine, North Caucasus, Iraq, and Palestine.

Peacebuilding en las Américas supports children, families in crisis, incarcerated individuals, people with disabilities, and war survivors across El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Colombia, and Ecuador.

The African Great Lakes Team facilitates healing ethnic divisions and trauma among refugees from wars in South Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as offers economic empowerment, women’s health, and education for English literacy and agriculture.

The Asia–West Pacific Team supports displaced persons from Myanmar-Burma, eco-justice projects in the Philippines and Korea, and skills development among justice and peace workers in Nepal, Indonesia, and Papua.

The North America Team shares resources for economic justice, supports children’s peace libraries, and lifts up Indigenous voices to heal from the harms of genocide, colonization, and forced assimilation, including harms caused by Quaker Indian Boarding Schools.

Youth Service Opportunities Project 

ysop.org

Youth Service Opportunities Project (YSOP), a nonprofit with Quaker roots founded in 1983, engages youth, college students, and adults in service experiences through a program that combines an orientation to the issues, hands-on volunteer work, and reflection. Through this process, YSOP inspires its participants to broaden their perspectives and become engaged citizens.

YSOP renewed its Washington, D.C. programming this spring after pausing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five student groups joined YSOP for weeklong service immersion programs in the nation’s capital.

Throughout the spring and summer, YSOP youth volunteers served neighbors experiencing homelessness and food insecurity while learning through service and conversation. Groups worked with DC Central Kitchen, Martha’s Table, Charlie’s Place, Father McKenna Center, So Others Might Eat, Thrive DC, and the Capital Area Food Bank to address homelessness and poverty across the city. Students heard from guest speakers from Charlie’s Place and Community Family Life Services who shared personal stories and knowledge.

Each program included orientation and daily reflection led by YSOP facilitators. Luther Place Memorial Church hosted the groups overnight and provided space for these sessions, during which students processed their experiences, connected service to broader social and structural issues, and deepened their understanding of the communities they served.