The belief and experience of Quakers is that the whole of life should be as sacred as the time spent in Meeting for Worship.  This has lead to much practical work on important issues.

Peace

The belief in "that of God in everyone" leads us to oppose war.  From our earliest history we have been openly against the use of violence to solve human problems.  In 1651 George Fox, the most prominent of our founders was offered a captaincy in the Commonwealth army, but he refused the offer, saying that he "lived in the virtue of that life and power that took away the occasion of all wars".

Today Quakers are engaged in:

• Peacemaking and peace building in areas of the world affected by armed conflict, such as Northern Ireland and the Balkans.
• Addressing the systematic causes of violence at a global level.
• Helping to create a culture of peace based on justice and non-violent change.

We are active in promoting these purposes at local, national and international levels.  There are Quaker offices in New York, Geneva, and Brussels, which work with the United Nations and European institutions. Recent campaigns have tackled land mines, conscientious objection to military service, and the use of child soldiers.

Social Witness

Quakers have supported and campaigned for many other causes which encourage respect and dignity for people otherwise abandoned.

More than two hundred years ago Quakers were campaigning against slavery, and current work concerns prison reform, homelessness, and poverty in Britain.

In Wirral and Chester there's an active group concerned with putting our testimonies into action.  For more information click this link:

Testimony in Action Group