Learning resources
Quaker resources
- Ann Morgan, of Lancaster Meeting, shares her research about Video: Quaker involvement in the slave trade in the 18th century (Vimeo.com).
- Kate McNally, of Belgium and Luxembourg Yearly Meeting, shares information about the research she undertook through an Eva Koch Scholarship about Video: Britain Yearly Meeting's response to Yearly Meeting minutes about anti-racism (Vimeo.com).
- Kate McNally, of Belgium and Luxembourg Yearly Meeting, shares the anti-racism journey which emerged from her research into the response of Quakers in Britain to recent Yearly Meeting minutes about anti-racism, inclusion and reparations (Vimeo.com).
- Kate McNally, of Belgium and Luxembourg Yearly Meeting, examines the idea and possibilities of making reparations for the harm of the transatlantic slave trade (Vimeo.com).
- Reverend Doctor Gordon Cowans, of the Churches Reparations Action Forum, speaks with Friends from Lancashire Central and North AM about reparations. Journey for Learning to Reparations (Vimeo.com).
- Yearly Meeting Minutes 2022 (PDF) – minutes 27 and 33.
- Friends' Journal article by Gabbreell James, a member of Green Street Meeting (Philadelphia) about the meeting's journey to taking action on reparations.
- Reparations and Historical Injustice: Report to the FWCC World Plenary Meeting's International Planning Committee (PDF).
- Exploring Faith & Climate Justice booklet, module 2 (PDF).
- Helen Minnis's Swarthmore Lecture, 2022.
- Video presentation from Green Street Meeting's Reparations Committee for Philadelphia Yearly Meeting 2022.
- Ginny Baumann, of Streatham and Brixton Local Meeting, shares a paper exploring how to move ahead on reparations (Word).
- What are Quakers in Britain doing about this? Read the BYM Reparations Working Group Statement of Intention.
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.
Wider resources
The case for reparations
- The Guardian's series investigating its own historical connections with the transatlantic slave trade
- The case for British reparations can no longer be brushed aside - Afua Hirsch (article)
- The case for reparations – Jason Hickel (article)
- Bristol activists spearhead the call for reparations – Priyanka Raval (article)
- Reparations Policy – Movement for Black Lives (resource)
- The Case for Reparations – Ta-Nehisi Coates (also available as audio)
- Door Knocking for Reparations as a Rich Kid - Resource Generation blog
- Examining the slave trade - 'Britain has a debt to repay' – Jonathan Guthrie (article, paywalled on the Financial Times)
- British Raj siphoned $45 trillion out of India (article)
- Should Britain pay reparations for its part in the slave trade? - Al Jazeera (video)
- Reconsidering Reparations - Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò | Listen on Soundcloud
- Reconsidering Reparations - Olúfemi O. Táíwò (this is a book / ebook - purchase required to read)
- UN report on the human rights obligations of Member States in relation to reparations for racial discrimination rooted in slavery and colonialism: Download the full report: Contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance : (un.org)
- UCLA Promise Institute, Executive Summary: Executive Summary: Reparations for Colonialism and Slavery (ucla.edu
Principals for reparations
- UN's Basic Principles and Guidelines on Reparations (PDF)
- The Caricom Reparations Commission's Ten Point Plan for reparations
- Churches Reparation Action Forum - 7 Point Plan for Reparations (PDF)
- Rationale for the Churches Reparation Action Forum 7 Point Plan (PDF)
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