‘Have Mercy’ Washington Bishop Mariann Budde’s plea to President Donal Trump

22 January 2025: For the record: Episcopal News Service: As Trump demands apology, Washington bishop explains her call for mercy toward those living in fear

The sermon’s duration was less than 15 minutes. Its theme – a call for unity grounded in faith at a time of political division – was hardly out of the norm for a post-inauguration service at Washington National Cathedral, which has hosted similar services 10 times before.

It was the sermon’s final four minutes that struck a chord. Washington Bishop Mariann Budde issued a final plea directly to President Donald Trump as he sat in the front row, a moment that would generate national headlines and intense reactions, both positive and negative.

Her calm plea to the president: “Have mercy.”

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Rethinking Security guide to research

November 2024: Researching Security that Matters to You: A Guide to Citizen Social Science

Why do we need to do more and more research on ‘security’?

Because it is a word that we all use in many different contexts all the time, but we might not think about what we mean by it.

Because it is a value-laden word, used from the highest level of government policymaking to people in the street, we have to check what ‘values’ lie behind it exactly – and whether we agree or disagree with them.

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Gathered and Scattered

From Iona ‘Thought for the Day’:

For our treatment of asylum-seekers,
for all who have been ignored,
humiliated, degraded by the system;
for the loss of our humanity,
we express our shame and ask forgiveness.
We commit ourselves to work for a fair and just immigration policy.

Stanley Hope, from Gathered and Scattered

Asylum accommodation – call for evidence

Home Affairs Sub-committee: deadline 3 February 2025

The Home Office has a duty to provide housing and subsistence to asylum seekers who are awaiting a decision on their claim and are destitute.

Asylum accommodation is primarily delivered by private providers through the Asylum Accommodation and Support Services Contracts (AASC). Home Office spending on asylum accommodation and support has increased significantly in recent years, from £739 million in 2019-20 to £4.7 billion in 2023-4.

The Home Affairs Committee has launched an inquiry into asylum accommodation. The inquiry will focus on how asylum accommodation is currently delivered, how the Home Office has managed the AAS contracts, and what lessons can be learned and applied to delivery of asylum accommodation in the future. The inquiry will also look at the impact that the current approach to delivering asylum accommodation has on local areas, and how the Home Office works with local partners, particularly local authorities.

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Life and death on the Bibby Stockholm

8 January 2025: Guardian: Life and death on the Bibby Stockholm: ‘No one wanted to go inside – but we had no choice’

From the moment it was announced that asylum seekers would be accommodated on this hulking, prison-like barge, the scheme was steeped in controversy. As it leaves British waters, here is the inside story

The asylum seekers sent to live on the Bibby Stockholm complained of the same recurring dream. As they slept in narrow bunk beds on the barge, they dreamed they were disappeared from the UK in the dead of night, the boat slipped from its moorings by the Home Office, drifting into the open sea towards Rwanda.

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QARN next meetings

QARN meetings: next planned meeting dates: on Zoom on 5 April;

5 July – this will also be our AGM on Zoom and in person at Harrogate Quaker Meeting House 12a Queen Parade, Harrogate, HG1 5PP;

and 18 October; and 10 January 2026.

We usually meet quarterly using Zoom and all Quakers are welcome. We plan to start at 10.30am to manage the technical aspects of a Zoom meeting, falling quiet at around 10.45am, and beginning business at 11am; and we aim to end around 12.30pm. The meeting link will  be available to those who receive our emails, but for other people, please contact us via info@qarn.org.uk giving your name, and the Quaker Meeting to which you are attached. Thank you.

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