Social Justice Group: Brief History and Summary of Current Main Areas of Interest

Our Quaker Social Justice Group meets on the 4th Thursday of each month at 7.15pm at Central Manchester (Mount Street) Meeting House.

It has met for around 20 years and has engaged in a range of issues and with different approaches.
We have engaged with issues of Inequality in Britain, campaigning for a more equal society - this involved us one year in holding a vigil on the steps of the Meeting House with banners and placards to project the Quakler voice onto the street.

We have fostered the Neighbourhood Friends Project - this worked with schools in East Manchester to try to avoid school exclusions by working with youngsters who were in danger of this.

We have worked hard to engage Friends throughout our area with the problems of Trade Justice, and the need for debt forgiveness.

Latterly there has been a considerable focus on the difficulties faced by refugees and asylum seekers, not least so-called failed asylum seekers who are often both destitute and in danger of deportation. We have made our concerns known to Ministers and to our MPs, have created a fund to allow for urgent help in a small number of instances. there is also a scheme offering overnight hospitality to those in need which some of our members have been closely involved with.

Also in the last two or three years we have turned our attention to problems related to global warming - not least because this will have disproportionate effects on the poor globally, and even locally. In this respect we have promoted a Quaker position supporting the so-called Congestion Charge; we have secured the approval of area Meeting for our 'Position Paper on the Motorist Lobby' and have promoted discussion amongst Friends of the problems of choosing to fly

There is much else. But I hope that gives a flavour of the range of interests the Group has worked on and the range of approaches we have adopted. It is a Group that has helped Quakers locally to witness more effectively to their testimonies to Equality, Peace, Truth, Simplicity and Care for the Earth. It's a good base for witness. It is always open and is always prepared to hear new concerns.

Next meeting is Thursday, March 26th at 7.15 at Mount Street Friends Meeting House