Quaker worship for peace, for victims of war and all injustices brought a feeling that spirit moves in silence, that was deepened by a ministry that recalled how God saves those who love their “enemies” according to Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 5:44) and a future awaits those who seek peace (Psalm 37), Christ is the way (John 14:6). During the meeting for worship with attention to business of the religious community we discerned the issues of creation of a media committee, principles of charitable activity, peace and social witness, and Ukrainian spelling of the name of the Religious Society of Friends.
Yurii Sheliazhenko:
I am happy about the news that Kristen is going to visit Ukraine, and she will take for us some books on Quaker faith and practice. I am grateful to Artem for his thoughts expressed before the meeting that we need to learn from all Friends around the world, in Europe, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Friends, I am thinking about the fact that the Russian army continues the wicked attack on Ukraine, tried to plunge Ukraine into darkness with a devastating mass missile attack.
But, miraculously, we still find light in the human soul.
And when Putin’s regime tries to intimidate us with its nuclear weapons, we boldly demand justice, that all nuclear weapons should be banned in the name of humanity’s survival.
And when someone tries to deceive us by saying that peace is impossible, we tell the truth: whoever wants peace always finds a way to peace despite all the obstacles and threats.
George Fox tells in his journal how he felt the strength of the spirit after a difficult ministry, where, despite the embittered behavior of some of the listeners, he declared the Truth and the Light, recalled the words of Christ: learn from me (Matthew 11:29), I am the way (John, 14:6) — “So the Lord’s power came over them all, and put them to silence, and restrained the rude people, that they could not do the mischief they intended. And when I came… to… house, I saw a great hole in my coat, which was cut with a knife, but it was not cut through my doublet, for the Lord had prevented their mischief.”
Do not think that such miracles happen only once. They happen all the time. In a book by an American Quaker, David Hartsough, I read that he prepared for protests during the civil rights movement by recalling Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount: love your enemies; do good to those who hate you. And when one of the haters put a knife to his heart and threatened to kill him if he didn’t stop standing up for justice, David said to that man, “Friend, do what you believe is right, and I will still try to love you.” His jaw dropped and he walked away.
I also had a similar experience in my life, when people who don’t like pacifism threatened to take me to some basement, but changed their minds after I asked if they have books on international humanitarian law in their basement.
I rejoice in these memories and listen to what is said in Psalm 37: refrain from anger and turn from wrath; the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity; turn from evil and do good, then you will dwell in the land forever; the mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak what is just; the law of their God is in their hearts; their feet do not slip; keep thou innocence, and see equity, a future awaits those who seek peace (Psalms 37: 8, 11, 27, 30, 31, 37).
John Reuwer:
I hold you in the light everyday. Christmas blessing to everyone.
Meeting of Friends of Ukraine
15 December 2024
in Kyiv, online
8 Friends present.
Agenda
1. Creation of a media committee
2. Principles of charitable activity
3. Peace and social witness
3.1. Witness on a peaceful end to the war
3.2. Witness against torture
3.3. Support for Friends persecuted for being true to Quaker peace testimony
3.4. Witness on blood donation
3.5. Witness on solidarity with the civil society of Ukraine
3.6. Witness on support to human rights defenders
3.7. Witness on help to starving children in Pakistan
4. Ukrainian spelling of the name of the Religious Society of Friends
Discernment
1. Creation of a media committee
We are establishing a media committee to disseminate information about Quaker religion and life in the media, including social media. This is a standing committee which, together with the clerk, will carry out its functions using all available channels of communication. All Friends who are interested in taking part in the care of media witness are invited to join the media committee by contacting the meeting or the clerk. We appointed Artem Denysov, Oleksandr Ivanov, Yurii Sheliazhenko, and Serhii Vedmediev to the media committee.
2. Principles of charitable activity
Charitable activities of members of the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine are carried out individually at their own will, including when the participants of the meeting act in joint efforts. Any form of “tithing,” any requirement for mandatory or regular donations or contributions, is contrary to Quaker testimony.
Charitable support for good causes consistent with the Quaker testimony is associated with the hope of upholding the following principles.
Support should be desired and not imposed.
Support must be effective, that is, we care about the efficacy of support and practical benefit, the real achievement of good goals. Also, if there are different ways to achieve good goals, we aim to support the best of such ways.
The work for a good cause that we support must be transparent and accountable. We may ask for financial documents, performance reports, personal testimonies from aid recipients and other factual evidence of the achievement of good goals and proper use of our donations.
We welcome ministries and personal example regarding charitable activities, as well as honest expressions of confidence or uncertainty in following the principles and addressing concerns expressed in order to succeed in charitable activity.
3. Peace and social witness
3.1. Witness on a peaceful end to the war
We ask our clerk to address the President of Ukraine with a letter about Quaker support for the Christmas truce on the condition that the Russian side stops a full-scale invasion and withdraws troops, as well as about support for nuclear neutrality – Ukraine’s accession to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons to prevent nuclear war, which threatens the survival of Ukrainians and humanity as a whole, to reduce the risks related to Ukraine’s possible accession to NATO and to promote cessation of Russian aggression.
3.2. Witness against torture
We ask our clerk to address the Parliamentary Commissioner for Human Rights, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, MPs, diplomatic missions regarding the need to improve the national preventive mechanism and introduce changes to the legislation of Ukraine to prevent torture and inhumane treatment in the context of military mobilization.
3.3. Support for Friends persecuted for being true to Quaker peace testimony
We are concerned by messages that Andrii Vyshnevetsky and Artem Denysov may face persecution for their adherence to the Quaker peace testimony. We ask that the Care Committee, together with our Clerk, keep in touch with all Friends who are or may be persecuted because of their adherence to the Quaker Peace Testimony, and to give Friends the necessary support and inform the Meeting of the situation.
3.4. Witness on blood donation
We approve and publish on the website of the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine Artem Denysov’s testimony about serving society through blood donation.
3.5. Witness on solidarity with the civil society of Ukraine
We welcome all manifestations, consistent with Quaker faith and practice, of public solidarity of the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine with the civil society of Ukraine. We were pleased to participate in the Civil Society Development Forum in Kyiv.
3.6. Witness on support to human rights defenders
We maintain support of human rights movement by the Meeting of Friends of Ukraine. We were pleased to support by donation the Center for Civil Liberties.
3.7. Witness on help to starving children in Pakistan
We welcome decision of a Friend to make a Christmas donation to help starving children in Pakistan, and we hope that a further report will confirm that our principles of charity work have been followed.
4. Ukrainian spelling of the name of the Religious Society of Friends
As the Meeting requested, our Clerk asked the National Commission for State Language Standards for advice on the correct spelling of the name of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Ukrainian in accordance with the current state language standards.
The National Commission for State Language Standards informed us that according to the rules for interpretation of English phonetics in Ukrainian language according to § 133 of the Ukrainian orthography, the equivalent of the word “quaker” in the original language is “квейкер”. Also, with reference to dictionaries, the commission notes that the ancient borrowing of the word “квакер” and words derived from it are rooted in Ukrainian language: квакерка, квакерський, квакерство etc.
We take into account the concerns expressed that, on the one hand, the word “квакери” may be misperceived as calqued from Russian language, and, on the other hand, the word “квейкери” may be mistaken for the name of players of the computer game Quake, which promotes violence contrary to our Peace Testimony. We urge: do not afraid of such false associations and explain to people the true meaning of these words.
We will use the words “квакери” and “квейкери” interchangeably. We will use more actively the words “квейкер”, “квейкери”, “квейкерка”, “квейкерський”, “квейкерство”, “квейкеризм”, hoping for a gradual rooting in Ukrainian language and inclusion in dictionaries of these words, that sound alike original pronunciation of the words Quaker, Quakers, Quakerism, etc. in English. We hope and we will work for as faster as possible enrooting of the word “квейкери” in Ukrainian language.
Leaving without change our prior decision to form a religious community, we will continue to use the word “квакери” in our name, motto and official correspondence. We will consider in a year the question of whether the word “квейкери” closer to English phonetic spelling has taken root enough in Ukrainian language to change our official name and motto.
Signed
Yurii Sheliazhenko, Clerk