Theme: Ripples start where spirit moves

Dates: July 2-8, 2017

Location: Niagara University in Niagara Falls, NY

What happened at the 2017 Gathering?

Schedule and handouts from the 2017 Gathering

Articles & Videos

Article: “Ah, Go Fly a Kite” by Chuck Jones (FJ Sept 2017)

Bible Half Hour: Regina Renee Ward (not recorded)

Evening Programs

Monday Night

Kenneth Deer “The UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples: A Spiritual Journey”

Kenneth Deer has been active in promoting and defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the UN system for thirty years. He participated in the Working Group on Indigenous Populations, which drafted the original text of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and in the Working Group on the Draft Declaration, which elaborated and edited the Declaration prior to its adoption by the UN General Assembly in 2007.

Wednesday Night

Vonn New “Make Ripples”

Come listen, play, sing, move, dance, and make a joyful noise as we lift up the creative spirit of Friends young and old to perform an original spontaneous composition that reminds us that beauty, joy, peace, and love are the true antidotes to our turbulent times. Join us as we move into an evening of collaborative improvisation for all ages led by Vonn New and her team and, as we’re led, by all of us!

Thursday Night

Sa’ed Atshan, Sandra Tamari, and Dalit Baum “You just have to be human: Following the leadings of the Spirit toward liberation”, organized by AFSC

What does it mean to live under occupation? What does it mean to be cast in the role of occupier? How does Spirit guide resistance and liberation, awakening and struggle? Sa’ed Atshan and Sandra Tamari are Palestinian Quakers. Dalit Baum is an Israeli Jew. Together they will tell stories of living in the context of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, what moved them to begin resisting the occupation and militarism in that context and how the Spirit informs their struggle. They will draw connections between Palestine/Israel and other struggles such as Black Lives Matter and the need to push back against toxic masculinity. AFSC has worked in Palestine/Israel since 1948 and continues to work on the ground in the region and in the United States to shift policy there.

Friday Night

Pamela Boyce Simms “Eco-Justice, Equality, and Earthcare”

Quakers have the power and historical momentum to be heard. Friends are poised to drop a pebble, — which in co-creation with spirit, can swell ripples into mighty waves.

Deepening our impact on societal transformation requires commitment to the internal work needed to viscerally experience unity among ourselves, and with the planet. The time has come to listen deeply to spirit, and live into the wisdom of natural living systems. We must open ourselves to perpetual transformative self-examination in order to build the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual muscle needed to navigate the uncertain times ahead.

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