The meeting will host Julie Harlow of Friends House Moscow (FHM) this coming Sunday night, July 7th at 7:00 PM. She will be available to talk to Friends about the work of FHM.

About Friends House Moscow

Between 1987 and 1991, over 100 Friends from Pacific Yearly Meeting participated in peace tours of the Soviet Union sponsored by the East West Relations Committee of PaYM.  This committee was established in 1983 to develop understanding and positive relationships between citizens of the two countries.  When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 the underground groups with whom we had established relations asked us to be even more present with them as they tried to organize for real service and action.  From this request arose in members of PaYM the vision of a Quaker center in Russia that could assist in the development of a civil society.

Parallel visions were simultaneously held by Friends across the US and in Britain.  We found ourselves together at a meeting in 1993 reaching unity on only one position – without a center of some sort in Russia none of the other various visions could move forward.  Julie Harlow was asked to convene and clerk the first board meeting in Moscow in 1994.  Coming from the US, Britain, Germany, Norway, Holland and Russia, this group began to formulate what would become the International Board and program of Friends House Moscow, officially registered and opened in 1996.

All of the board and support work is completely voluntary.  We maintain a small office and two paid staff in Moscow.  However, the work of FHM has extended well outside the Moscow region.  Early work included assistance to refugees in and from Chechnya, projects in Ukraine, Georgia and Latvia, and various cities in Russia including St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Dzershinsk, Gatchina and Novgorod.   The projects that we support are too new or too small to receive grants from larger organizations.  We provide spiritual support for Quakers and seekers with translations of materials (funded by a special British grant), a Russian language website, logistical assistance for gatherings and personal contact with isolated Friends.  Alternatives to Violence Project is supported there by no one else.  Our provision for the support of Conscientious Objectors is unequaled.  The work we support has been groundbreaking and life changing for orphans and disabled children.  The annual newsletter, which can be accessed online, describes the specific projects for any given year.

The US support of FHM comes from over 70 monthly meetings and about 800 Friends.  Individual donations normally range from $10 to $500 although we have had donations of $5,000 and $10,000.  Monthly Meeting donations range from $10 to $600.  In some situations the monthly meeting is a token of support that keeps the name and cause alive to its members who make substantial contributions.  In the US most yearly meetings do not contribute to outside activities.  Only Baltimore and Pacific Yearly Meetings give direct financial support to FHM.

Julie Harlow is a long time member of Davis Friends Meeting in PaYM.  She was active on the East-West Relations Committee from 1984 until it was laid down.  Julie brought to this committee her leading to organize peace tours to the USSR for Quakers, led 3 of these tours and helped to organize the other 2.  Her monthly, quarterly and yearly meetings have all recognized her Leading to support the development of Friends House Moscow.  She has traveled widely across the US doing presentations about FHM and raising funds and carries a Travel Minute.