QEW Fall Gathering: Seeking Common Ground for Unprecedented Action

Friends gathered in October at Powell House and via Zoom for the QEW Fall Gathering. Held under the weight of our planetary crisis, the weekend was anchored by a powerful and essential theme: Common Ground. It was a time of deep spiritual grounding and clear discernment, where we explored how to move beyond the limiting “illusion of separation” and into courageous, Spirit-led action for our Mother Earth.

We began by grounding our perspective in the realities of the land and the law. Geoff Garver, of the Quaker Institute for the Future, guided us away from abstract environmentalism toward a concrete vision of “territories of life.” He challenged us to honor the Indigenous peoples—specifically the Seneca Nation in Western New York—who have stewarded these lands for millennia. His message was a call to justice: recognizing our spiritual connection to the land is a non-negotiable prerequisite for restoring the ecological cycles that sustain all life.

Our Saturday session shifted the focus from deep roots to outward action. Eileen Flanagan, author of Common Ground and a leader in nonviolent direct action, spoke with clarity about the strategic necessity of unity. She powerfully named the “illusion of separation” as a profound weakness that corporations exploit. We build collective power not by watering down our faith-based values, but by finding shared, tangible interests with diverse communities. She urged us to let communal Quaker practices help us move away from individualism. This was a clear call to dismantle the barriers of racism and colonialism so we can fight effectively alongside our neighbors for a life-giving future.

The gathering culminated in a refusal to separate “spiritual life” from “political reality.” Friends traveled from Powell House to Albany to join the “No Kings” demonstration, standing as a public witness against the authoritarian systems that fuel planetary destruction.

This commitment to direct witness fueled a powerful unity among QEW’s leadership: We must step into Unprecedented Action for Unprecedented Times.

The message carried away by all Friends was clear: our path forward requires us to weave together spiritual depth with strategic, nonviolent action. Whether that is planting gardens of sustenance, marching in protest, or engaging in deep listening with our neighbors, the Fall Gathering reminded us that when we stand firmly on the common ground of love and justice, we can rise to meet the extraordinary challenges of our time.