The Quaker Peace Testimony is a foundational belief that rejects all war, violence, and physical fighting based on the conviction that the inner light/god resides in every human being.
The 1660 Declaration: This was a formal statement to King Charles II, stating they stated they would not use external weapons, choosing instead a spiritual path of peace.
This has meant many Quakers refuse military service and act as conscientious objectors during wartime. We consistently work to heal the wounds of war by providing humanitarian aid to victims on all sides of a conflict.
The testimony demands active work for reconciliation, social justice, and the removal of the root causes of violence, rather than passive resignation. Many Quakers go to Issrael and the occupied territories to act as idependant advisers
- Kindertransport Quakers played a monumental, hands-on role in rescuing nearly 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi-occupied Europe. Because Quakers maintained a presence in Germany, they could safely process and chaperone children where Jewish relief agencies were banned. Quaker volunteers staffed reception camps, found foster homes, and managed hostels across Britain.
- The Nobel Prize: The work done on the Kindertransport was one of the reasons the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Quaker service bodies in 1947.
- Amnesty International: Quakers were instrumental in the very conception of Amnesty International. Eric Baker, a prominent British Quaker, was one of the core founders of the organization alongside lawyer Peter Benenson.
- Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament: Consistent with their stance against weapons of mass destruction, Quakers were vital structural pillars of CND. Once again, Quaker Eric Baker served as a key founding member.The Society of Friends was one of the major organizations that backed CND at its launch. Quakers made up a significant percentage of the protestors in the historic Aldermaston Marches at Easter in 1958, cementing the CND symbol into global peace culture.
- The United Nations: While Quakers did not write the UN Charter as sovereign states did, they actively lobbied for its creation and shaped its humanitarian focus. Quaker delegates attended the founding 1945 San Francisco Conference, successfully pressuring world leaders to include explicit human rights provisions and support for refugees in the UN framework. In 1948, the UN granted official accreditation to the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO and since then Quakers have spent decades working inside the UN walls to secure international recognition for conscientious objectors and help draft treaties banning landmines and child soldiers
We continue this work today and are taking part in the national Silent Vigil for Peace
