Third Haven Friends Meeting’s George Fox Forum series will conclude this Friday, April 22, at 6 p.m. at the THFM common room (known as a parish hall at most churches). The focus will be on one of Quakers’ six key beliefs: Peace.
Based on the attendance at, and response to, the first three Forums, the “Quirky Quakers” are expecting a full house. The topic of the March Forum was Integrity, and one participant said she “started thinking more and more about my own integrity.” Another was pleasantly surprised by “the loveliness of Friends’ messages,” while “three great presentations” impressed yet another. And a fourth found them “very personal.” A repeat visitor characterized the Forums as “energizing.”
Named for the founder of the Religious Society of Friends, the George Fox Forum is a series of free evenings designed to help Mid-Shore residents get to know Third Haven and its members.
The evening will begin with supper, followed by a video from the popular online Technology, Design & Entertainment (TED) series, Scilla Elworthy’s Fighting with Nonviolence. Elworthy is a peace builder and the founder of the Oxford Research Group, a non-governmental organization set up in 1982 to develop effective dialogue between nuclear weapons policymakers worldwide and their critics, for which she was nominated three times for the Nobel Peace Prize. She served as its executive director from 1982 until 2003, when she left to found Peace Direct, a charity supporting local peace builders in conflict areas. In 2003 she was awarded the Niwano Peace Prize. In 2005 she was adviser to Peter Gabriel, Desmond Tutu and Richard Branson in setting up The Elders. She is a member of the World Future Council, and in 2012 co-founded Rising Women Rising World, a growing, vibrant community of women on all continents who take responsibility for building a world that works for all. Her latest book is Pioneering the Possible: Awakened Leadership for a World that Works, and her TED talk on nonviolence has been seen by more than 900,000 people.
Following the TED video, Neil Mufson of Third Haven, the headmaster of The Country School in Easton, will moderate a fast-paced panel discussion featuring three members of Third Haven Friends Meeting. Leigh Anne Dodge, James Turrell and Ralph Young, will share with you how they found their way to Quakerism and how they continue to grow in their Quaker spiritual beliefs. Each of their personal stories will focus on the role Peace plays in their lives.
Visitors will be encouraged to question the panelists afterward and enjoy an evening of fellowship. As they break up into small groups, they will be asked to consider and discuss the following question: Specifically, how can I promote peace in my life, my community and the larger world? One participant in the March discussion praised “the conversation at the table,” and another “the open-ness of my tablemates,” while yet another gushed that, “The table discussion was WONDERFUL.” A fourth enjoyed participating in the “open, accepting dialogue,” and another found it “inspiring.”
Admission, supper and convenient parking are free, and everyone, regardless of where, or even whether, he worships is welcome.
To learn more about the George Fox Forum, contact Dawn Atwater at 410-714-3371 or [email protected].
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