Welcome

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The Quaker South Asia Interest Group (QSAIG) brings together people who are interested in Quaker activities in South Asia.
Members involved include those with extensive experience of working in South Asia and others who have never been there but have an active interest.
How can Quakers make South Asia a happier and more harmonious part of the world? 


QSAIG Objectives
To assist in the building of a peaceful, just and sustainable world inspired by our Quaker faith and focussing on the south Asia region by:-
a) Sharing information to inform our actions.
b) Supporting individuals and groups which
     * act to progress QSAIG's main aim,
     * including QPSW's work.
  c) Sustain relationships in South Asia that value the support of Quakers in Britain.


QSAIG is a Britain Yearly Meeting Recognised Body.                                                           
 

Quaker South Asia Interest Group history
There has been Quaker interest in South Asia for many years. 

Many Quakers have served with Quaker based projects and many more have undertaken work to support work in line with Quaker values. Can you help us with information about that involvement?

It is thought that the first Quaker visit to India was in 1657. Marjorie Sykes documented a lot in her books "An Indian Tapestry" and "Quakers in India". 

The Quaker settlement at Rasulia was established in 1891.

Many individual Quakers supported the Gandhian movement for independence from Great Britain, with witness being given both in Great Britain and in India. Gandhi visited Friends House during a visit to England.

Laurie Baker was a very active Quaker architect working in Kerala, many of his buildings can still be seen today.

In recent years opportunities have been sought by Quakers to bring about peace and reconciliation in South Asia with some work being undertaken in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Burma and Nagaland.

In recent years the amount of Friends House staff time available for South Asia has declined as resources are matched to the many concerns voiced by Members of Britain Yearly Meeting. This has meant Quakers anxious to maintain active links to South Asia have to come together to share news, ideas and provide support for initiatives as best they can. The Quaker South Asia Interest Group seeks to provide a focus for those concerns. 


Getting involved  
Becoming a member. If you wish to join QSAIG just get in touch by sending an e-mail to info@qsaig.co.uk. 
We welcome those who are interested in projects and work in sympathy with Quaker values in South Asia.
You can send material for our newsletters or for the website.
We also hold meetings once or twice a year and draw attention to events likely to be of interest to Quakers with an interest in South Asia.
Most of those attending meetings live in the United Kingdom but with increasing use of Zoom and other virtual platforms we are pleased to welcome you from where ever in the world you are.


We are certainly enriched to be able to share time, news and ideas with people in South Asia.

 

A lot of work is done in gathering people together to listen and discuss.