Answering God’s call to universal love, the Asia West-Pacific Section brings Friends of varying Quaker traditions and cultures together to celebrate our Quaker heritage, to care for one another and to work collectively on international concerns.
FWCC AWPS is the collective body for Friends/Quaker meetings in the Asia West Pacific Section. Yearly Meetings in the region can choose to affiliate with AWPS and then all individual members of those yearly meetings are members of FWCC.
Monthly Meetings and worship groups can also choose to affiliate with AWPS. Individuals who do not live near a meeting can become an international member. Affiliation of monthly meetings, worship groups and individuals is done through the International Membership program
Information about this international membership program can be found here.
Asia West Pacific Section is the newest of the sections and was formed in 1985 and the first business meeting was held in 1988 in Tokyo at the FWCC Triennial.
WHO are we? The FWCC was established in 1937 to promote closer understanding across the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) around the world. Asia-West Pacific is one of four geographic ‘sections’ of the FWCC which embraces Friends in India, Hong Kong, Cambodia, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Australia, Aotearoa/New Zealand, Thailand, Taiwan, Singapore, the Philippines, Nepal, Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia and China. The Asia-West Pacific Section (AWPS) was formally established in 1985 with its first business meeting held at the 1988 FWCC Triennial Meeting in Japan.
WHAT do we do? The AWPS brings Friends of varying Quaker traditions and cultures together to celebrate our Quaker heritage, to care for one another and to work collectively on international concerns. AWPS supports Quaker groups and individuals through newsletters, travelling Ministry, ‘Companion Meetings’, on-line Meetings for Worship and regional gatherings. Friends Meetings, Friends Churches and worshipping groups can choose to affiliate with AWPS, and individuals who do not live near a Quaker meeting can become international members.
WHY do we do what we do? As Quakers we are called to live adventurously by putting our faith into practice and living by our testimonies to Peace, Equality, Community, Integrity, Simplicity, and care for the Earth. More than ever before, the world needs to overcome division. By ‘seeking that of God in everyone’ we have much to offer and receive from being connected to the family of Friends in our region and around the world.
HOW are we guided? Quakers believe that every person is guided through a direct relationship with God. Many words are used by Quakers to describe God including the Divine, the Inner Teacher, the Christ Spirit and the Inner Light. Our work is essentially guided by listening to that Inner Light and values of:
Empowerment – AWPS encourages Quakers in this part of the world to build strengths and support each other. We value approaches and solutions that can be implemented locally by communities, using local knowledge and experience with support from Quakers throughout the region.
Diversity – Through a sense of shared identity, unity and an appreciation of the different ways in which Friends worship, we model global citizenry to our Quaker community and the world. We value inclusion of people of all faiths and traditions, cultures and creeds.
Partnership – Through AWPS we can do things together that we can’t do alone. We bring isolated Friends and small worship groups together, to actively engage, teach and learn from one another.
WHERE are we heading? Connecting, nurturing and inspiring the community of Quakers in the Asia Pacific Region by sharing information and resources with individual Friends, Quaker Meetings and Quaker Churches.
STRATEGIES to get there
- Engage with the broader Quaker family to achieve positive change
- Building community across the diverse geographical, cultural and worship traditions of the Section
- Be relevant & effective in a changing world
- Seek more sustainable funding for activities in the region