SOUTH BELFAST QUAKERS

That of God in everyone

Eco Quakers @ The Imagine Festival

Screenshot 2021-03-11 at 20.36.00



South Belfast Eco Quakers are hosting:
Let’s Imagine a ‘New Normal’! on Tuesday 23rd March at 7pm.
An opportunity to explore and share aspirations for an alternative to ‘getting back to normal’ post-pandemic. What should a ‘new normal’ look like?
It will be in the form of conversation and exploration. There will be some short input from inspirational speakers- but the focus is on meeting and sharing visions of a better future.
Please sign up via the website as soon as possible, so we know it will be viable-
and please share with friends and colleagues who you think will be interested.

https://imaginebelfast.com/events/lets-imagine-a-new-normal/

Upcoming Eco-Quaker Zoom Conversation

what_is_sustainable_living

Next Eco-Quaker Conversation is Living Sustainably in a cooperative community.

Tue 9th February (from 19.30):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/living-sustainably-in-cooperative-community-tickets-139473891163

Loving Earth Project

Freya-Jordan-eco-569x568

Bronwen Haire shares her experience getting involved in the Loving Earth Project, sharing how South Belfast Meeting used Loving Earth to bring them together in lockdown

https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/loving-earth-project-south-belfast-meetings-story/

Loving Earth

Screenshot 2020-07-04 at 20.48.02

In Late May and early June 2020, we held All age Meetings for Worship on the subject of the loving earth project.

Here are some of our responses to what we love about the earth.
How we might be contributing to climate change.
What we can do to reverse climate change.

https://lovingearth-project.uk/gallery/

(poster above by Freya & Elijah Jordan)

Unknown

I was inspired to do this piece by thinking about the wild flowers in the garden, and the need to protect bees and insects, and biodiversity. The No Mow May idea had already been part of our unintentional letting go during lockdown, and I had enjoyed observing and painting dandelions and daisies. I got out my mum’s Singer sewing machine, which is between 70 and 80 years old. Along with sorting through her large sewing box for odds and ends, it gave me a strong sense of my mum’s spirit, and an impetus to teach Freya and Esme to use the Singer, and continue the maternal line connection.
Kate Fletcher

Unknown-1

I would like to see more being done to create sustainable housing and communities - maybe we could lobby Planning Offices and Government Departments by writing letters and following
up planning applications for large numbers of houses.
Megan Corrigan

Unknown-2


My panel represents how we share our local areas with many wild animals. We can make a positive impact by respecting and valuing their right to be there.
Laoise Corrigan

Unknown-3

The picture represents "connectedness" between water - trees/plants - and the bird at the centre. That we are all interconnected.
Evelyn Shire

Quakers & Ethical Investments

104689256_3274317519259283_2761058612551375485_n

The Ireland Yearly Meeting Investment Committee and Eco Quakers have produced a useful guide to encourage Quaker Meetings to invest within an ethical framework.

The 'Quakers and Ethical Investment' booklet grew out of a concern among Friends in Ireland about the investment of funds under Friends’ care and is designed to give broad guidance on investment.

Check it out here >> https://quakers-in-ireland.ie/2020/06/21/quakers-and-ethical-investment/

You can download the full booklet
HERE

Conversation at the Agape Centre

Screenshot 2020-01-19 at 18.54.32

Travelling Eco Congregations Candle Visits SBQM

IMG_5062


The Eco - Congregations Ireland Candle travels around the 100 or so churches and worshipping groups within Ireland, who participate in the ECI forum. On Sunday the 12th of January it arrived at South Belfast Quaker Meeting. Pictured above are members of the South Belfast Eco Quakers Group with the candle.

The following text was read in Meeting for Worship to mark the event:

Voice 1: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, day and night, and there was evening - that was the first day.

Voice 2: By burning coal, oil and natural gas, we have released billions of tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere, locking in warmth in what is known as the greenhouse effect.

Voice 1: Then God separated the waters under and above the dome, God called the dome, sky and there was evening and morning - that was the second day.

Voice 2: When sunlight strikes ice and snow, 80 percent is reflected back into space and 20 per cent is absorbed as heat. The opposite holds true for land and open water, further increasing the rise in temperature.

Voice 1: God summoned the waters under the dome to form the seas and let dry land appear, and the earth put forth vegetation. God saw that it was good. That was the third day.

Voice 2: Melting glaciers will bring floods to some areas, while changing sea temperature will shut down ocean currents and change rainfall patterns, causing droughts.

Voice 1: God made the sun to rule over the day. The moon to rule over night. And God saw that it was good.

Voice 2: Prolonged periods of drought will wreck harvests and destroy lives, human and other species. Communities that depend on fragile agricultural cycles will be devastated.

Voice 1: God created every living thing that moves and swims and flies. God blessed them, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply’. That was the fifth day.

Voice 2: Everything will have to adapt to the effects of climate change, but while rich people and nations can more readily afford to counter rising sea levels, or repair the damage caused by hurricanes, poorer countries cannot.

Voice 1: And God said, ‘Let the earth bring forth living creatures of every kind’ and it was so. And God saw that it was good.

Voice 2: The pressure that increasing floods, famine and drought will put on vulnerable countries will be devastating – for some developing countries, the effects of climate change are already catastrophic.

Voice 1: Then God said, ‘Let us make humankind in our image and let them be carers of all the earth.’ God saw everything and indeed it was very good: that was the sixth day.

Voice 1: On the seventh day God rested.

Voice 2: It is time to change the climate of apathy that prevails in our privileged communities and take action to stop global warming devastating the world’s most vulnerable communities and other species.

IMG_5063

Eco Congregation Ireland Newsletter

Screenshot 2019-12-15 at 22.02.31

Dear Friends of Eco-Congregation Ireland

Welcome to the
November/December 2019 edition of the Eco-Congregation Ireland newsletter!  Please find the newsletter attached. Thank you to all who sent articles and photos for this edition. Please re-share this email and circulate the newsletter to anyone you feel may be interested!  SPREAD THE WORD!

If you have any information or stories from your congregation, parish, meeting or Eco-Congregation I would love to hear from YOU!  Please forward your news to me at
info@ecocongregationireland.com.  Newsletters will be sent out at the end of January, March, May, July, September and November 2020 .

Read the newsletter
HERE

Love & Despair: Action & Responses to Climate Breakdown

“Love and Despair: Actions and Responses to Climate Breakdown.” One Day Gathering in Belfast on Saturday 19th October.
Some reflections by Kate Fletcher, South Belfast Meeting
What a fantastic title, and what an amazing Gathering to be part of. As a member of South Belfast Meeting I felt we were privileged to host such an event, but much more, we are reminded of the necessity that we rise and act as individuals and as a community to face the challenges put before us by our speakers and fellow participants.
There is an excellent summary from Fran Brady, and transcripts of talks made by the inspiring and engaging speakers, Lindsey Fielder-Cook, John Barry and Lynn Finnegan. So this does not repeat what is already there, but is a personal reflection………. (to read the full article click
HERE)

state_of_climate_emergency

Eco Congregation Ireland's Newsletter


Screenshot 2019-10-11 at 07.25.59

Dear Friends of Eco-Congregation Ireland

Welcome to the September/October 2019 edition of the Eco-Congregation Ireland newsletter! Please find the newsletter attached. Thank you to all who sent articles and photos for this edition. Please re-share this email and circulate the newsletter to anyone you feel may be interested! SPREAD THE WORD!! You can also read the newsletter on the ECI website here.

If you have any information or stories from your congregation, parish, meeting or Eco-Congregation I would love to hear from YOU! Please forward your news to me at info@ecocongregationireland.com. Newsletters will be sent out at the end of November 2019 and January 2020.

TO DOWNLOAD THE LATEST NEWSLETTER,
CLICK HERE

Global Strike 4 Climate - New Photos Album


pic

A number of South Belfast Quakers recently joined the young people in their global strike for climate change issues. The peaceful protest involved a "die in" around the Spirit of Belfast statue in Cornmarket, Belfast. We have added a new photo album to the Photos page which you can check out here.

Banner Designed By SBQM Kids Featured On Belfast Live

unnamed-13

The Climate Change banner which was designed by the young people of South Belfast Meeting, was featured on a recent Belfast Live article. The link to the article is below. Well done to our younger attenders for helping to get this important message out there.

https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/climate-strike-events-planned-belfast-16922798

Amazon Petition To Sign

gettyimages-1163382240

Hi Friends
Can you please consider signing this urgent campaign. Apologies if you have already signed.

The Amazon rainforest is on fire.

If the fires continue to rage, it’s not just the rainforest that’s at stake - it’s our very survival. Because if the Amazon dies, our chances of avoiding total climate breakdown will be seriously under threat.

I’ve just signed this petition calling on the UK government to suspend its trade deal with Brazil until the fires are out. Can you add your name too? This is an emergency.

Follow this link to sign the petition >>
https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/stop-amazon-fires-em-sh

It’s hard to convey just how important the Amazon rainforest is, but I’ll give it a shot. The Amazon provides 20% of the earth’s oxygen, it’s home to more species than any other habitat on this planet, and it’s absolutely crucial in the fight against climate change because its trees soak up so much of the CO2 we emit.

The fires that are raging there right now aren’t natural - they’re part of the Brazilian president Bolsonaro’s war on the Amazon. Since coming into office, he’s encouraged farmers and illegal loggers to loot the rainforest. These fires were set by his supporters to show their support for him.

The Brazilian president isn’t the type of politician to pay attention to international outrage. But he does care about his economy. And that’s where we in the UK can have a real impact. We can do our bit to stop the Amazon fires that threaten the rainforest, the people who call it home - and the climate upon which we all depend.

A UK trade mission is in Brazil right now for talks. Let’s call on them to suspend any trade talks with Brazil until the Amazon rainforest is protected.

Follow this link to sign the petition
https://secure.greenpeace.org.uk/stop-amazon-fires-em-sh

Thank you for your support in this emergency.

Marie

Eco Congregation Newsletter & UQM Updates


Screenshot 2019-08-03 at 20.16.32

The New Eco Congregation Ireland Newslertter is available to download HERE

Also

Ulster Quarterly Meeting Updates are below

Dear Friends

Welcome to the August 2019 edition of the Ulster Quarterly Meeting Central Committee newsletter.  Below you will find some events and information that Ulster Friends have shared for circulation around Meetings. This newsletter will be circulated at the beginning of each month. If your Meeting is planning any events that would be of interest to Ulster Quakers and that Friends from other meetings could attend or you have any information to share, please send me it and I will include it. The deadline for the September 2019 edition is
Friday 30 August 2019.

Agenda for September Ulster Quarterly Meeting in Bessbrook
Please find the first draft of the agenda attached.

Quaker Cottage Belfast currently have vacancies for one year volunteer internships
Please see attachment for all details. Dave Morton encourages Friends to circulate at home and abroad!

Quaker Service AGM 2019
Invitation from Dave Morton: Friends! Book early and avoid disappointment as space is finite!  This year we are excited to be highlighting a new developmental area of our work which is sure to generate a lot of interest and, we will be closing with a social lunch allowing lots of time for F/friendly chat around the tables of the Moyallon Centre!

Love and Despair - Action & Responses to the challenge of climate breakdown
Advance notice of an exciting EcoQuaker series of three conferences across the island of Ireland starting this Autumn.

The first conference, entitled ‘Love and Despair - Action & Responses to the challenge of climate breakdown', will take place on Saturday 19th October from 10am until 4pm at South Belfast Meeting House, Marlborough Park North, Belfast and will be aimed primarily at all Meetings in Ulster. Others who are interested in promoting a sustainable approach in their meetings and lives are also all welcome to come along.

There will be a number of speakers to introduce us to the issues at stake - Lindsay Fielder-Cooke the representative for Climate Change from QUNO (Quaker United Nations Office); John Barry, Professor of Green Political Economy at Queens University; and Lynn Finnegan from Coleraine Meeting who will talk about the relationship between hope and despair, and the emotional difficulties we are currently experiencing with this climate crisis. Lunch will be provided.
 
Richard Bloomfield, Clerk of EcoQuakers Ireland will be writing to each meeting/worship group with more details very shortly.  If you would like further information feel free to email Kerry Nicholson at
kerry@karenandkerry.com or any of the EcoQuaker’s Committee members. Please put Saturday19th October in your diary. EcoQuakers hope to run another two conferences in the Leinster and Munster areas in early 2020.

Kind regards

Karen
--
Karen Nicholson
Administrator
Ulster Quarterly Meeting
admin@ulsterquakers.com

Burial Ground Bees

bees.001

As a Meeting we try to exist as sustainably as we can. We belong to the Eco-Congregational group of churches within Ireland and one of our endeavours is to use our burial ground as a home for bees. We have two avid beekeepers in our ranks, Karen and Sylvia, who along with Billy (also included in the pictures) tend to the bees. To see more photos from today's buzzing activities go to our photo page here

Eco Congregation & IYM Newsletters

Screenshot 2019-06-10 at 21.37.56

Both the Eco Congregation Ireland Newsletter and the Ireland Yearly Meeting Newsletter are available for download in the two links below:

Eco Congregation Newsletter - May 2019

IYM Newsletter - Week Ending 7th of June