Irit Pollak and Abbey Kos at doteveryone have been doing a series “Dispatches from the Real World,” in which they profile “unexpected changes new technology is having on services and people.” This month they look at Friends in Britain.
It’s written for a tech audience and leans a bit on the dichotomy between old (“It still looks much the same as it did in 1670”) and modern communication but there are some insights that we Friends sometimes take too much for granted:
Social media tends towards the shallow and boastful. That’s not an intuitive fit for the meticulous work of ecumenical accompaniment, nor for a faith that values authenticity and depth. However, Teresa and her team know they need to do more — not despite their beliefs, but because of them.
I also appreciate the comparison between Quaker organization and principles of decentralization found in networks.
Just as in tech, decentralisation — building a more networked approach — is high on Quakers’ agenda. But that journey is perhaps easier for a faith fundamentally opposed to hierarchy. Now, rather than try to hang onto old models, Quakers in Britain are actively (and continuously) checking their power and privilege.
Friends Journal ran a whole issue on Quakers and Social Media back in November 2016. One of my favorite FJ tech pieces however was in November 2015, when we interviewed Sue Gardiner to understand why Wikimedia was so interesting in Quaker process.
