This page contains resources which Quaker groups, including local and area meetings, might find helpful in working together to respond to the Yearly Meeting 2022 minute regarding reparations.  Resources and suggestions for using them are shared in the hope that they will be helpful.

Get involved

    Learning resources

    British Quakers' Commitment to Reparations

    A Quaker Take is a podcast from Quakers in Britain and Woodbrooke featuring people talking about ideas, faith and activism. This is a special series exploring reparations – more episodes will be added as they are released. Listen here or via a podcast app:

    Find all the shownotes and previous episodes at www.quaker.org.uk/podcast.

    Historical Research

    Reimagining the stories we tell...

    Few people have heard of Friend Elizabeth Heyrick; even fewer remember what she stood and struggled for 200 years to the day on which this widow, racialised as white, from Leicester inspired the first, the largest, the longest lasting and most politically influential women's anti-slavery society, the Quaker Racial Justice Network met, with invited expert guests, to consider how fresh story-telling about the history of Quaker anti-slavery could empower Friends today to deliver on the BYM 2022 Yearly Meeting Minute on (i.e. "commitment to") Reparation.

    This video features short talks by two expert guests: Jocelyn Robson, author of Elizabeth Heyrick: The Making of an Anti-Slavery Campaigner, and Nicola Crews, archivist at the Library of Birmingham, which holds the records of the Birmingham Female Society for the Relief of British Negro Slaves. The two expert guests are introduced by the BYM Reparation Coordinator, Dr Nathaniel Adam Tobias Coleman.

    International Quaker Work on Reparations

    Working with and learning from others

    The BYM Reparations Working Group sees the importance of international and ecumenical connections and learning to undertake its work. One of the groups we have been privileged to learn from is the Churches Reparations Action Forum, based in Jamaica but with connections across the Caribbean, which advocates for reparations in the Caribbean. Their website is here: CRAF | Jamaica (crafja.com)

    Video 1 – 13 minutes: An introduction to the Churches Reparations Action Forum (Jamaica) By Reverend Dr Gordon Cowans.

    Video 2 – 26 minutes: An exploration of the work and thinking of the Churches Reparations Action Forum (Jamaica) By Reverend Dr Gordon Cowans.

    Video 3 – 17 minutes: Introduction to philosophical approaches to reparations – with Megan Blomfield.
    Megan is a Senior Lecturer in Political Philosophy at the University of Sheffield whose research focusses on global justice including the environment, justice in migration and reparations for historical injustice.

    Wider resources

    The case for reparations

    Video: Philosophical approaches to reparations – with Megan Blomfield

    Principals for reparations

    Undertaking your own research

    Woodbrooke offers support to independent Quaker researchers. Visit Woodbrooke's research pages (offsite link) for more information. Staff are specifically helping Quaker meetings who want to research their historical links to slavery and colonialism. It doesn't have to be formal research or very academically rigorous. Please email Learning@woodbrooke.org.uk.

    Staff of the Library of the Society of Friends are also happy to support Friends in this area.

    Library staff have written a Research guide - Slavery and the meeting (PDF) for meetings to explore their links to slavery. The guide was inspired by the research by Ann Morgan at Lancaster Meeting.

    Learning with Woodbrooke

    Woodbrooke, a Quaker learning and research organisation, has a number of relevant sessions and courses over the next few months. These deal with reparations directly, or further the general conversations coming out of Yearly Meeting. All course links are to Woodbrooke's website.

    Find out about Woodbrooke's courses.

    Learning with your own Quaker Community

    Models for activities

    1. Using one of the resources listed below as a starting point, use worship sharing to respond to the following questions:

    • What is uncomfortable?
    • What is helpful?
    • What is emerging?

    2. Opportunities for research and reflection: Where do the legacies of enslavement play out in life in:

    • your meeting
    • your town
    • your area or
    • your country?

    3. How do the legacies of enslavementimpact on:

    • health
    • economic wellbeing
    • education
    • mental health
    • spiritual wellbeing
    • access to justice

    4. Reflecting on our resources, what internal or external resources:

    • do you have?
    • does your family have?
    • does your meeting have?

    How could these be used in a reparative way?

    Inner resources include specific strengths, qualities, and experience, as well as the knowledge and skills you've acquired . External resources include relationships, contacts, and networks you can draw on, as well as material resources such as money, equipment, and places to work or recharge.

    Banner image: Fort William by William Wood (fl. 1827–1833), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Contact us

    If you have additional suggestions for resources, or session plans, please do share them with us by emailing equity@quaker.org.uk.