13 November 2026: The QCEA Blog: Naming rights: Catherine Henderson on countering the rise of fascism
Author: Catherine Henderson, Hertford Meeting
We need to talk about Fascism. Not the Fascism we learnt about at school, but the 21st-century version. Most apparent in the US but also spreading ominously across Europe, Fascism thrives on human insecurity and polarisation. It pushes its way up through the cracks in society. We don’t always notice it at first; we don’t want to notice it.
Some members of the Quaker Asylum and Refugee Network (QARN) Steering Group have begun exploring Fascism as a result of a question arising from a talk by Joanna Frew, outreach co-ordinator for Rethinking Security, who spoke at our AGM back in July. She suggested we explore why it is that people protesting peacefully in support of Palestinians, or demanding our leaders address the climate crisis, are far more likely to be arrested than anti-migrant protesters. This connects with our particular concern about the worsening attitudes towards, and treatment of, people coming here to seek safety and a better life.
Read more here