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Public Statements and Letters of Concern
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A Public Statement:
- is made on behalf of Quakers in Australia and signed by the Presiding Clerk
- is a formal position that Friends take on contemporary issues that reflect or intersect with our concerns
- is done in consultation with the QA Coordinator, who normally has received a draft statement from either a Yearly Meeting session, an QA Committee, or a Regional Meeting
A Letter of Concern:
- is made on behalf of Quakers in Australia and signed by the Presiding Clerk
- is sent to government official/s to voice a concern that Australian Friends have regarding a public policy, government action (or inaction) or a matter of urgency that Friends believe needs to be addressed
2026
Public Statements 2026
- April 2026 - Joint inter-faith statement on reviving the Non-Proliferation Treaty
- March 2026 - Response to attacks on Iran
Letters of Concern 2026
- June 2026 Letter to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - Call to embed Truth Telling in our institutions and communities
- June 2026 NCCA Letter to Immigration Minister re accepting refugees and asylum seekers
- March 2026 Letter to Foreign Minister Penny Wong calling for support of international law, including with Iran
- February 2026 Letter to Senate Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade about democracy and human rights in Myanmar
- February 2026 Letter to Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade on Australia’s international aid program in preventing conflict
2025
Public Statements 2025
- December 2025 - Condolences to Australian Jewish communities in response to Hannukah shooting
- July 2025 - Statement by Australian Quakers on the unilateral aggression by the United States of America and Israel against Iran
- July 2025 - Quakers Discern Genocide is Occurring in Gaza and Urge Courageous Action
Letters of Concern 2025
- November 2025 - Letter to Foreign Minister Penny Wong re: Myanmar to condemn sham elections and strengthen safeguards against the junta
- November 2025 - Atrocities in Sudan & Australian military export safeguards
- October 2025 - Letter to the Prime Minister regarding his peace-supportive speech at the UN General Assembly on 25 September 2025
- September 2025 - Letter to to all PM informing them of the Quaker statement regarding genocide
- September 2025 - Letter to Defence Minister Marles regarding exports to Israel signed on to IPAN (The Independent and Peaceful Australia Network)
- August 2025 - Letter to Minister for Multicultural Affairs regarding antisemitism
- August 2025 - Letter to the Prime Minister for Hiroshima Day
- May 2025 - Letter to Minister for Indigenous Australians
- March 2025 - Letter regarding JobSeeker and related payments
- February 2025 - Letter to PM regarding West Bank Incursions by Israel
2024
Public Statements 2024
- July 2024 - Yearly Meeting Statement adopted 13 July 2024
- April 2024 - Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee Statement on Arms Sales to Israel for Use in Gaza
Letters of Concern 2024
- October 2024 - Letter to Federal Representatives regarding Myanmar
- October 2024 - Quakers response to UNGA speech - Letter to Penny Wong, Minister for Foreign Affairs
- September 2024 - Letter to PM regarding B52s and nuclear weapons
- August 2024 - Quakers call on Australia to ban the bomb
- July 2024 - Quakers on Australian response to ICJ and Palestinian rights
- June 2024 - Letter to the Prime Minister on Future Gas Strategy June 2024
- June 2024 - Quaker letter to Federal Representatives regarding high level nuclear radiation storage
- April 2024 - Letter to Richard Marles re Quaker Peace and Legislation Committee Statement on Arms Sales to Israel for Use in Gaza
- March 2024 - Response Letter to Penny Wong re the Middle East Conflict March 2024
- February 2024 - Letter to Penny Wong Minister for Foreign Affairs re UNRWA February 2024
- January 2024 - Letter to Clare ONeil Minister Home Affairs re PNG asylum seekers
2023
Public Statements 2023
- July 2023 - AUKUS Defence and Foreign Policies
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July 2023 - Support for the Statement from the Heart and for the Voice to Parliament
Letters of Concern 2023
- Oct 2023 - Letter to Anthony Albanese PM re: ratification of Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons TPNW
- Oct 2023 - Letter to Penny Wong re the Middle East Conflict October 2023.pdf
- July 2023 - Letter re: Support for Palestine
2022
Public Statements 2022
- July 2022 - Climate Emergency & Species Extinction Working Group Public Statement
- July 2022 - Statement holding Albanese Government accountable to its commitments
Letters of Concern 2022
- July 2022 - Letter of accountability to Albanese Government
- July 2022 - Letter of Congratulations to Prime Minister, with call to sign The Treaty on Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- July 2022 - Reply to Letter from Albanese Government
2021
Public Statements 2021
- September 2021 - Public Statement to stop excluding military from climate agreements
- July 2021 - Quakers call upon the Australian Government to sign the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
- January 2021 - Quakers speak out regarding the recent awarding of the Order of Australia to an opponent of the equality of LGBTIQ Australians
- January 2021 - Following the violent disruption at the Capitol Building in Washington DC
Letters of Concern 2021
- September 2021 - Letter to Prime Minister re: New Trilateral Defence Alliance.pdf
- September 2021 - Letter to Minister Hawke re: Afghan Advisory Panel
- August 2021 - Letter to Minister Hawke re: Afghan Refugees in Australia
- June 2021 - Letter to Australian Human Rights Commission regarding detention of First Nations People
- June 2021 - Letter to the Prime Minister regarding Australia's Nationally Determined Contribution to reduction in global greenhouse gas emissions
- April 2021 - Letter to the Prime Minister relating to the Brereton Report and alleged war crimes by Australian solders in Afghanistan
2020
Public Statements 2020
- February 2020 - Quakers Australia's Presiding Clerk joins with other faith leaders to sign open letter to Prime Minister urging climate justice, in campaign organised by ARRCC
- August 2020 - Alarm over nuclear weapons threat
Letters of Concern 2020
- October 2020 - Letter to Prime Minister re: Concern for Wellbeing of Asylum Seekers
- September 2020 - Letter to PM and Opposition Leader re: Government's Increased Military Defence Spending
- September 2020 - Letter to PM and Opposition Leader re: concern for people in immigration detention falling through the safety net during COVID-19
- September 2020 - Letter to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition about Australian Quakers' concern re: the pressures on democracy and social cohesion caused by the COVID-19 pandemic
- July 2020 - Quakers write to Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan, Foreign Minister Marise Payne and others concerning the destruction of the significant rock shelters located in Juukan Gorge, Hammersley Ranges.
- June 2020 - Quakers write to Northern Territory's Chief Minister to express deep concerns over the police practice of transportating children, unrestrained, in police cages
- January 2020 - Urge government to support ruling of International Court of Justice in relation to the Rohingya people of Myanmar
Letters of Concern 2019
- December 2019 - Concern over signficant decline in DFAT funding
- October 2019 - Quakers write to government and industry leaders re: climate emergency
- May 2019 - Quakers express concern regarding treatment of Julian Assange
- April 2019 - Quakers urge government to protect children of ISIS fighters in Syria
- February 2019 - INF Treaty withdrawal by US
- January 2019 - Quakers support Labor's decision for Australia to ratify Nuclear Weapons Ban Treaty
Letters of Concern 2018
- November 2018 - Quakers query PM over Government's decision not to adopt the Global Compact for Safe Orderly and Regular Migration
- November 2018 - Quakers question Prime Minister over Australian Embassy move to Jerusalem
- July 2018 - Quakers speak out over Government's disregard of the Uluru Statment from the heart
- February 2018 - Quakers Alarmed At Government’s Decision to Increase Arms Trade
- February 2018 - Submission to The Religious Freedom Review
Previous
Public Statements 2017
- September 2017 - Open Letter Marriage Equality
- July 2017 - A Quaker Statement 50 Years after the 1967 Referendum
Public Statements 2016