QPSWCC 21-23 February 2025

Quaker Peace & Social Witness Central Committee (QPSWCC) held its annual weekend-long in-person meeting to address several important topics related to peace, social justice, and the role of Quakers in these areas.

What is this committee responsible for?

QPSWCC oversees national Quaker efforts to build a sustainable and peaceful world, and helps shape Quaker positions on public affairs.

What did it do at this meeting?

Peace past and present was a thread throughout this meeting. We heard about the international work that QPSW's predecessor bodies did from 1950-2000. We agreed to a narrative detailing the links between peace and climate justice work, which committee members and staff had worked on for a year, and the need to revisit our peace campaigning priorities in a rapidly changing world.

We clarified for staff our position on the various forms of geoengineering, in preparation for a wider consideration of climate justice priorities in April. We discerned that geoengineering can be used as an excuse for continued fossil fuel extraction and we need to deal with the underlying causes of rising emissions, including consumption.

We had a deep dive into the public affairs and parliamentary work of Quakers, hearing about the need to prioritise when there are so many issues we could advocate for. The continued restrictions on nonviolent protest concerned us, but we welcomed the Quaker meeting for worship now taking place in Parliament.