What is TYQ?
The Young Quaker is a magazine for young Friends everywhere, produced in print and online. Published by YFGM, TYQ comes out three times a year, to coincide with YFGM weekends – meaning that you can expect a new issue in February, May, and October.
The aim of TYQ is to share news, opinion, and pretty much anything that might be of interest to young Quakers.
All of our articles are either written by young Friends, about things that young Friends have been doing, or simply about things that young Friends might find interesting. Most of our articles tick two or three of those boxes, too.
We’re always looking for new material. If you’ve got an idea for an article you’d like to see in The Young Quaker, get in touch with us at the email address below. If you’re able to write it, even better!
Although our focus is on the UK, we also welcome articles from Quakers in other countries, and we also welcome submissions from people under 18; you might not be able to come to YFGM yet, but we’d love to hear from you.
What is YFGM?
Young Friends General Meeting, abbreviated as YFGM, is the national community for young adult Quakers in Britain.
Our main events are the three General Meetings which take place at Quaker meeting houses around the country in February, May, and October each year.
These weekends are open to anyone aged between 18 and 30ish who is a Quaker or interested in Quakerism, from the UK or farther afield, and are a chance to meet like-minded people and find out more about what Young Adult Friends do.
YFGM is an autonomous organisation, entirely run by the young people who take part in it, using Quaker principles and methods. We’re also an active part of the wider Quaker community in Britain, providing representatives to bodies such as Meeting for Sufferings, Quaker Life, and the NFPB.
If you’d like to get involved in YFGM, to come along to a YFGM event, or simply find out more, then visit the YFGM website at yfgm.quaker.org.uk or email yfgm@quaker.org.uk. You can also find the YFGM group on Facebook.
What are Quakers?
The Religious Society of Friends, commonly known as Quakers, are a religious group which started in the north of England in the seventeenth century. Originally a Christian sect, modern Quakers include people from a multitude of religious and philosophical positions.
One of the key ideas in Quakerism is that truth isn’t necessarily found in old scriptures, but can be revealed to anybody who listens for it. Quaker worship is mostly silent, with people speaking when they feel called to do so by the ‘Inner Light’, sometimes called ‘that of God within everyone’.
Quakers are concerned with making the world a better place. Central to Quakerism are the Testimonies of Peace, Equality, Truth (or Integrity) and Simplicity. Others, such as a Testimony to the Environment, are also spoken of in some contexts.
A commitment to these principles has put Quakers at the forefront of political and social issues; for example, Quakers were among the leading groups who campaigned for the abolition of slavery, and in more recent years Quakers advocated strongly for the legalisation of same-sex marriage.