Friends Peace and International Relations Committee Collected Materials

Established June, 1888 as the Friends Peace Committee; formed in London as a joint committee of the Meeting for Sufferings and the Women's Yearly Meeting Committee of the London Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers); first led by Henry Richard (1812-1888) to "speak as Christians to our fellow Christians" and to remind Quakers of Friends' heritage of the peace testimony; involved in all aspects of Friends' peace work, including efforts against conscription, in favor of international cooperation, against arms proliferation, for the alleviation of suffering peoples, in favor of disarmament, to further East-West dialogue during the Cold War, and towards the achievement of peace and justice. Changed name in April 1965 to Friends Peace and International Relations Committee; this committee absorbed the work of the Friends Peace Committee and the East-West Relations Committee, both of which had reported to the Meeting for Sufferings of London Yearly Meeting; it continued the international aspects of the work of the Race Relations Committee, and also developed closer cooperation with the complementary work of the Friends' Service Council.