Every year, on World Quaker Day, Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) – the international body of Quakers – puts on events and shared worship for all Quakers across the world, in different traditions and locations. Many Quaker Meetings across the Globe also mark the occasion in different ways.
World Quaker Day at FWCC
On World Quaker Day 2026, more than 900 people from at least 50 countries registered for an extended international online meeting for worship themed ‘Let Peace Be Among Us’ and hosted by FWCC. Up to 200 joined at a time over six hours. Speakers included Quaker peacemakers in Palestine, Lebanon, Cuba, Ukraine, Estonia and Rwanda.
The meeting began and ended with ministry by Friends at the Quaker United Nations Offices in New York and Geneva, and closed with the prayer of Francis of Assisi, ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace’. The session was preceded and followed by further online meetings which heard from Friends from Myanmar, Australia, the Philippines, USA and Japan. Read more from FWCC here: https://fwcc.world/quakers-pray-for-peace-around-the-world/
Here are some examples of how Quakers across Canada marked the occasion.
World Quaker Day in Winnipeg
To prepare for World Quaker Day, Winnipeg Monthly Meeting set up an ad hoc committee with one rep from Ministry & Counsel, one from Religious Education and one from Outreach.
This gave them time to consider options, keep the meeting informed and ensure people could prepare, if needed. On the day, about 25-30 people joined in worship with the two Quaker United Nations Offices (QUNO) in New York and Geneva.
They held a potluck for lunch, and appreciation was eagerly expressed, particularly knowing about Friends in Palestine and Ukraine.
Thank you to Glenn Morison for the submission!
World Quaker Day in Coldstream
For World Quaker Day on October 4, Coldstream MM had the following program:
- regular Meeting for Worship from 10:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.
- meeting by Zoom with FWCC from 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
- singing peace hymns from 11:30 a.m. to noon
- coffee, cake and cookies and much conversation afterwards.
Prior to Meeting for Worship, Coldstream Monthly Meeting listened to members and pastors from African Friends Churches. They also heard Yurii Sheliazhenko talk about the struggles of peace activists and conscientious objectors in Ukraine and his experience of torture for his beliefs by the Ukrainian military.
After Meeting for Worship, the Meeting learned about Brummana High School, a Quaker school in Lebanon.
Thank you Sheila Havard for the submission!
World Quaker Day in Cowichan Valley
At the Cowichan Valley Monthly Meeting, a small meeting of 16 people over online and in-person, they however have a diverse group of seasoned friends from across Canada, some from the UK & US as well, with a mix of traditions.
On World Quaker Day, as a way to share and educate, they looked at all the acronyms in the Quaker World and discovered that different traditions have very different acronyms, or the same acronyms with different meanings. For example, for Canadian Quakers, E&O means Education and Outreach. For a British Quaker, that might mean Eldership and Oversight.
We do love our acronyms! Thanks for reading, ttyl (talk to you later). From Holly Spencer at CYM (Canadian Yearly Meeting).