| | by admin | | posted on 7th May 2025 in Quakers in 100 Objects | | views 239 | |
The Never Again Bookmark was made by the Northern Friends Peace Board (NFPB) as the threat of World War II loomed over late 1930's Britain.
Never again
As we said after the world war of 1914 - 1918
Let us work now for a just peace
by negotiation and not a dictated peace, which will again sow the seeds of a future war
The phrase 'Never Again' emerged powerfully across Europe after the First World War as a moral response to industrialised slaughter. For Quakers, the phrase resonated deeply, but it was not merely rhetorical. It was understood as a religious imperative, grounded in the peace testimony and in lived experience of war's consequences.
The NFPB was founded in 1913, just a year before the outbreak of the First World War. Friends in the North of England saw the urgent need for a coordinated Quaker response to the rising tide of militarism and the threat of war. With the support of Yearly Meeting and a concern laid upon their hearts, they gathered in Leeds and formed what was then called the 'Northern Friends Peace Committee.'
It was established, “To advise and encourage Friends, and through them their fellow citizens, in the active promotion of peace in all its height and breadth.“ This mission has remained constant even as its areas of work have evolved to meet the challenges of each age.
In its early years, NFPB supported conscientious objectors during both World Wars, offered a faithful Quaker voice against rearmament, and encouraged disarmament campaigns throughout the Cold War. It also provided educational resources to help Friends engage with their local communities on issues of war and peace.
During the Troubles in Northern Ireland, NFPB members helped support reconciliation efforts and bridge-building. And through the 1980s and '90s, the board deepened its engagement with justice and nonviolence, recognising that peace cannot be separated from equality and truth.
Today, the Northern Friends Peace Board remains active in a number of vital areas. It supports Quakers across the North of Britain in their peace witness, offering workshops, written materials, and a forum for sharing inspiration and encouragement. Among its key areas of focus are nuclear disarmament, the impact of militarism in schools and society, and challenging the arms trade.
The Board has also turned its attention to climate justice, recognising the intersection of environmental breakdown and violent conflict. It joins with other peace organisations and faith groups in calling for government accountability, sustainable energy, and the protection of vulnerable communities at home and abroad.
NFPB believes that peace begins where we are. In this spirit, it encourages Friends to build peace in their local areas—whether by facilitating dialogue across political divides, supporting refugees and asylum seekers, or resisting the normalisation of war in culture and media.
Recent events, including war in Europe and deepening social inequality in the UK, have renewed the urgency of this work. The Board continues to bear witness to the Peace Testimony, offering quiet but persistent resistance to violence, and hope for another way.
Though the world has changed greatly since 1913, the NFPB remains guided by the light. It is a body not only of service, but of spiritual companionship and shared discernment. It continues to offer Friends a way to act collectively and faithfully on concerns for peace, justice, and the integrity of creation.
