Peace is a word often used by Quakers; it is one of our four main tenets alongside Truth, Equality and Simplicity.
We talk of world peace, but at present, this is still a long way away.
There are many groups in this country and around the world that work tirelessly to help bring Peace, as well as many others that help treat those affected by various conflicts including: Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders), The Red Cross, Oxfam, Medical Aid for Palestinians and others.
All praise to those who give their time and energy and sometimes their lives to this cause.
Personally, I have met a lady who had worked in Palestine for the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme, liaising between the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, and helping people on both sides to find common ground and settle their differences peacefully, which did not always happen.
The lady said it was not for the faint-hearted, it was tough, very tough.
In fact, a Palestinian man she was working with on the West Bank was killed during an altercation with the Israeli military.
The work for Peace goes on, and thankfully there are many people working tirelessly, in places such as Afghanistan, Syria, Tigre, Iraq, Somalia, Ukraine, Israel and in other lesser-known conflicts around the world.
At the Quaker Meeting in Wokingham, we do what we can to help the cause of Peace wherever we can, by donating some of our Sunday collections to organisations involved in war zones or supporting refugees in the many camps that have sprung up in adjoining countries.
Let us hold all those people who work for Peace in all kinds of ways in the Light, and that gradually the World becomes a more Peaceful place.
Martyn Towle from the Wokingham Quaker Meeting, writing on behalf of Churches Together in Wokingham
