| | by admin | | posted on 25th April 2025 in Quakers in 100 Objects | | views 153 | |
For decades, Quakers in Britain and around the world have had no faith in nuclear weapons, advocating disarmament, peace, and global cooperation through protest and policy influence.
British Quakers have long opposed the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons programme, with the Trident missile system being a central focus of their witness. Based at HM Naval Base Clyde in Faslane, Scotland, Trident comprises four nuclear submarines carrying missiles with warheads of devastating potential. To Quakers, the very existence of such a system contradicts the peace testimony that lies at the core of their faith — the belief that there is “that of God in everyone,†and that war, especially nuclear war, is an affront to this spiritual truth.
Protests at Faslane have become a symbol of Quaker resistance. Friends have regularly travelled from across the UK to hold Meetings for Worship outside the gates of the base, sometimes in silence, sometimes with messages of disarmament on placards or chalked on the road. These actions are not just symbolic; many Quakers have been arrested over the years for non-violent direct action, including obstructing access to the base. The acts are carried out with dignity and clarity of conscience, often as part of the wider movement known as Faslane Peace Camp — a permanent protest site active since 1982.
The connection with the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) is deep and enduring, most notably at the Greenham Commom Women's Peace Camp during the 1980s. From the early Aldermaston Marches of the 1950s — where Quakers walked alongside scientists, students, and clergy — to present-day lobbying and education, Friends have worked with CND to keep the moral, political, and financial questions of nuclear weapons in public view. Many Quaker Meetings display the CND symbol or link to it in their peace literature, viewing it as a kindred cause in the wider movement for social justice.
Importantly, this activism is not limited to public protest. Quakers in Britain have made submissions to Parliament, contributed to legal challenges, and supported conscientious objectors in the military-industrial sector. In 2017, they were among the first faith groups in the UK to endorse the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons — despite the UK government refusing to participate. The Friends' commitment to peace is not reactionary; it is sustained, thoughtful, and rooted in centuries of principled dissent.
Outside Britain, the global Quaker community has maintained a similarly strong stance on nuclear weapons, focusing particularly on international cooperation, treaty support, and persistent moral advocacy. Central to this is the work of the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), which represents Friends' concerns on peace and disarmament in both New York and Geneva. Through behind-the-scenes diplomacy, quiet dialogue with diplomats, and coalition-building with civil society, QUNO has earned a reputation as a calm and consistent voice for peace in multilateral forums.
Quakers worldwide have supported the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) since its inception in 1968, advocating for both its non-proliferation goals and its often-overlooked Article VI commitment to eventual disarmament. Friends have regularly sent delegations to NPT review conferences, not just to lobby, but to listen — engaging with voices from nations most threatened by nuclear posturing, and promoting trust-building across political divides. The Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) coordinates much of this effort, ensuring that Quaker concerns are represented across all regions and theological traditions.
In the United States, the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) has been a major force in anti-nuclear activism since the Manhattan Project. It helped organise early civil resistance campaigns, produced educational resources warning of nuclear dangers, and continues to campaign against the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Today, AFSC works on peacebuilding in nuclear flashpoints such as North Korea, Iran, and Israel/Palestine, pairing its disarmament agenda with humanitarian diplomacy and regional de-escalation.
Friends in the Global South have also brought vital perspectives to the global anti-nuclear movement, often highlighting the unequal power structures and colonial legacies embedded in nuclear politics. From Kenyan Quakers campaigning for peace in East Africa to Latin American Friends advocating for regional nuclear-weapon-free zones, the message is clear: peace is not just the absence of war — it is the presence of justice, equity, and mutual respect. This global witness strengthens the call to abolish nuclear weapons not just for strategic reasons, but as an ethical imperative rooted in shared humanity.