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Friends International LibraryBackground and Past ProjectsIn 1983, shortly before glasnost and the opening of Russia, a small group of American Quakers from several yearly meetings in North America began to meet with a concern to help create a spiritual linkage between the Soviet and American people. The group named itself the Quaker US\USSR Committee. After the break-up of the Soviet Union the name was changed to Quaker FSU (Former Soviet Union) Committee, and in 2002 the name was changed to Friends International Library. In 1985 the committee was incorporated and established IRS tax exempt 501(c)(3)status. Several members of the committee tested their leadings and were granted a minute of service in the ministry from their Quaker meetings. Over the years many trips to and from the Former Soviet Union were made. Meetings and phone calls were and still are frequent. Many F/friends contributed time, hard work and financial support which manifested in several projects which are outlined below.The Human ExperienceAfter meeting for about a year, and after many prayerful meetings the group decided to put together a collection of Soviet and American literature that portrayed the similarities of the lives of ordinary people in both countries. We decided to call the book The Human Experience and to publish it in English in the United States and in Russian in Russia. In spite of having no experience in Russian relations, the Committee found that friendly doors opened quite easily at the Soviet Embassy in Washington, D.C. and the Soviet Writers Union in Moscow. A joint editorial board comprised of Russians and American was formed for the purpose of publishing the anthology of Russian and American writers and poets. In 1989 The Human Experience was published in English by Alfred A. Knopf in the U.S. and by Hydozhvestnaya Literatura in Russia in the Russian language. A soft cover edition was later published by Joshua O'Dell Editions, Capra Press. The English language editions can be ordered from Janet Riley.
A three day conference drawing most of the book's writers and poets was held at the Friends Meeting of Washington after publication. Russian authors had a chance to visit several areas of the U.S. after the conference. A follow-up conference was held in Moscow a year later. Sharing our Lives – A Childrens Global Connection
Alternative Service for Conscientious Objectors in RussiaWorking with an elected Deputy on the Moscow City Council, the Committee collected about 4,000 signatures of support from the west calling for the establishment of an alternative service law. We presented these signatures to the Human Rights Commission of Russia and the Youth Commission of the CIS. Amnesty International subsequently took this project over. Friends House Moscow continues to work for the establishment of alternative service in Russia. Charity AidFrequently F\friends would make donations to help those in need in Russia. With this generosity and the help of the City Council Deputy, we distributed a small amount of charity aid to children, elderly and people with mental handicaps. Traveling FriendsWe helped arrange for Tatiana Pavlova, a Russian Quaker, to reside at Pendle Hill for a term of study. During this visit she was the featured speaker at Philadelphia Yearly Meeting; the Wilson Lecturer at the Earlham School of Religion; and speaker at various Friends groups in California. She also met informally with Friends in homes and Meetings. Tatiana was the translator of the Russian edition of Woolman's Journal. Russian Quaker LibraryDuring the course of working on these projects committee members traveled to Russia many times and found themselves worshiping in the manner of Friends with Russian seekers of all ages and in many places. It was during these rich encounters that the Russian Quaker Library was begun. During one of Janet Riley's visits she met a Russian seeker who was enthusiastic about bringing Quakerism to Russia. When she asked him how Quakers in the West could help, he said that he had first learned about Friends through reading. He went on to say that Russians are a country of readers and place value on the written word. He felt it would be helpful to provide translated Quaker literature for those who wanted to know more. We took his answer seriously and began our work. The first translated Quaker books have been in the hands of Russian seekers for several years and include:
The Journal of John WoolmanA major undertaking of the Friends International Library Committee was the translation and publication of The Journal of John Woolman including "A Plea for the Poor". Most of the books have been placed in Russian libraries throughout Russia. Some were sold in bookstores.
Russian artists created images authentically depicting the life of John Woolman. Funding for these projects has come from many Friendly sources. Our major donors include: The John Pemberton Fund, International Outreach Committee, Chace Fund Committee, Bequests Committee, Alan Hilles Fund, Shoemaker Fund, Sara Bowers Fund, Friends Institute, and Tract Association, all of Philadelphia Yearly Meeting; United Society of Friends Women of Western Yearly Meeting; Canadian Yearly Meeting; Friends United Meeting; Central Philadelphia Monthly Meeting, First Friends Meeting of Richmond, IN, Homewood Friends Meeting of Baltimore, MD, Willistown Monthly Meeting; George Soros Foundation; and, Kingdon Swayne, Henry Ridgeway, Viva and Ralph Lugbill, Paul and Marie Turner, Theodore and Angela Von Laue, Clarence Pershio, Helena Volinski, and Charlotte Fardelman. Please consider making a tax deductible contribution. |
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After the publication of The Human Experience and a period of rest, a Russian\American children's program was begun. Sharing Our Lives, as we called the project, paired ten elementary schools in both countries. Several of the schools had inter-visitation in addition to letter writing. Some of the schools are still in contact with one another. The most successful pairing was between Buckingham Friends School and a school in St. Petersburg which has jointly established an international environmental project between several elementary schools in Russia, the U.S. and India.
