Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 10 June 2026
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Jun 12, 2026, 8:40:40 PM (11 days ago) Jun 12
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Wahroonga Friends Bulletin - 10 June 2026
Covered Court Project, - Argyle Street Campus, The Friends' School HobartThe Friends' School in Hobart recently submitted, and subsequently received, Development Application approval for the construction of a covered court structure on the court adjacent to the Argyle Motor Lodge. This project will deliver a purpose-built covered outdoor court at the Argyle Street campus, addressing the current shortage of all-weather play, gathering and recreation space for students from Early Learning to Year 8. The development includes the reinstatement and enhancement of surrounding landscaping, upgrades to court access and safety features, new walkway lighting, retractable ball-stop netting, resurfacing of the court, masonry bounce walls, and repairs to existing hardstand and garden areas impacted by construction.
The design has been carefully considered to complement the established character of both the campus and the surrounding neighbourhood. A material palette of brick and red-toned steel reflects the dominant architectural language of the area, while landscaped edges and planting will soften the built form and enhance the pedestrian experience along Argyle Street. The School has appointed Tascon Constructions as the builder for this phase of the project, with construction scheduled to commence at the beginning of the Term 2 break on 13 July 2026. The project is expected to be completed by the start of Term 4. Further information regarding the logistical impacts of this exciting development will be shared in the coming weeks. Access to the Argyle Street Campus will continue to be available via the upper court, adjacent to Friends’ Early Learning.
Australia Has a Legal Obligation to Act in Response to Israel’s Crimes. Here’s HowLast month the foreign minister, Penny Wong, called Israeli soldiers’ actions in relation to the Gaza humanitarian flotilla “shocking and unacceptable” and on Thursday she said that the treatment of Australian women on the flotilla was “unacceptable”. Former minister Ed Husic said that there are many actions the Australian government should take to address Israel’s continuing crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories. I agree with them both.
I have spent the past five years collecting and analysing evidence of grave violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank. Since October 2023, much of my work has focused on Gaza, where the scale of civilian suffering, destruction, displacement and deprivation has raised profound legal and moral concerns. Our UN commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel’s conduct in Gaza constitutes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under international law.
While attention has been drawn away by the Israeli-American war against Iran, this conduct is continuing. The death toll in Gaza continues to rise. Identified direct victims of the violence now number almost 73,000. Estimates of indirect deaths go into the hundreds of thousands. The strip is in ruins. Humanitarian access is still gravely restricted, while displacement, deprivation and insecurity continue on a massive scale, including severe malnutrition among infants and young children. Last October Israel controlled 53% of the Gaza Strip; now it controls 60% and the Israeli prime minister said last week that it intends to control 70%
Nor is the crisis confined to Gaza. Violence and dispossession in the West Bank have intensified, accompanied by increasing settler attacks and deepening restrictions on Palestinian life. There is more and more evidence of torture, mistreatment and sexual violence in Israeli detention.
International law, as interpreted and applied by the international court of justice, imposes obligations on all states, including Australia, to act individually and collectively in response to these atrocities. Australia may be far away and its influence limited but its international law obligations are not reduced by distance or political limitations. There are steps the Australian government can and should take. I have proposed 20 of them in a series of lectures I have been presenting with Professors Emily Crawford and Ben Saul around Australia, organised by the Association for the Promotion of International Law and Amnesty International Australia:
The first action should be a wide ranging review to identify the many ways in which Australia’s relations with Israel support Israel committing international crimes.
Trade and diplomatic measures include ceasing all defence-related trade with Israel, including dual-use products, components, materials and technology, and ending trade and cooperative ventures with companies developing military items for use by Israel. Australia should also withdraw Australian defence and trade officials from our Tel Aviv embassy and impose secondary sanctions on states conducting defence-related trade with Israel.
Accountability measures comprise Australia affirming its commitment to enforce international criminal court arrest warrants for Israeli political and military leaders, along with imposing personal sanctions against these leaders and Israeli settlers responsible for violence in the West Bank.
Legal enforcement actions include investigating and prosecuting Australian citizens who have served in the Israel Defense Forces since October 2023 for potential war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, while prohibiting Australian citizens from fighting in foreign armed forces. The full force of Australian law should be applied to Australians who commit international crimes, as prime minister Anthony Albanese has said.
Settlement-focused measures would prohibit financial transactions with illegal Israeli settlements and end tax deductibility for Australian charities providing funding to organisations supporting illegal settlements.
Additionally, Australia should provide at least 15,000 humanitarian places for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and restore scholarship eligibility for Palestinians to undertake tertiary studies in Australia. This is not a wishlist. It is the simple implementation of legal obligations. Australia wants to be a good international citizen. This is how it can be that. Chris Sidoti is a member of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. He will present his full 20-point plan on 11 June. Australia has a legal obligation to act in response to Israel’s crimes. Here’s how | Chris Sidoti
See - Everything You Need to Know About Quakerism
Where did Quakers come from? What do they believe? And how did they get associated with oats? These are the sorts of questions Friends get asked on a regular basis. So we sat down with Steve Angell, a professor of Quaker studies at Earlham School of Religion, and got some solid answers on what distinguishes our faith from other religious communities.
In this free-ranging talk, Steve tells us about the Quaker view of sacrament as "a life well lived," a model of simplicity and loving action toward others. "For Quakers, doctrine is not just what you believe, but what you actually do," he says. "Quakers are constantly thinking about the practical effects of how God is not only working within them, but working within the world." See it here Everything You Need to Know About Quakerism June QBC - The Stolen Wealth of SlaveryA Case for ReparationsThe June QBC (Quaker Book Club) selection is The Stolen Wealth of Slavery: A Case for Reparations by David Montero.
This groundbreaking book tracks the massive wealth amassed from slavery from pre-Civil War to today, and lays out a case for reparations that shows exactly what was stolen, who stole it, and to whom it is owed.
In this timely, powerful, investigative history, The Stolen Wealth of Slavery, Emmy Award-nominated journalist David Montero follows the trail of the massive wealth amassed by Northern corporations throughout America's history of enslavement. It has long been maintained by many that the North wasn't complicit in the horrors of slavery. The truth, however, is that large Northern banks--including well-known institutions like Citibank, Bank of New York, and Bank of America--were critical to the financing of slavery; that they saw their fortunes rise dramatically from their involvement in the business of enslavement; and that white business leaders and their surrounding communities created enormous wealth from the enslavement and abuse of Black bodies.
The Stolen Wealth of Slavery grapples with facts that will be a revelation to many: Most white Southern enslavers were not rich--many were barely making ends meet--with Northern businesses benefitting the most from bondage-based profits. And some of the very Northerners who would be considered pro-Union during the Civil War were in fact anti-abolition, seeing the institution of slavery as being in their best financial interests, and only supporting the Union once they realized doing so would be good for business. It is a myth that the wealth generated from slavery vanished after the war. Rather, it helped finance the industrialization of the country, and became part of the bedrock of the growth of modern corporations, helping to transform America into a global economic behemoth.
In this remarkable book, Montero elegantly and meticulously details rampant Northern investment in slavery. He showcases exactly what was stolen, who stole it, and to whom it is owed, calling for corporate reparations as he details contemporary movements to hold companies accountable for past atrocities. Obtain a copy here The Stolen Wealth of Slavery
e- Wahroonga Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 554662 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems.
Covered Court Project, - Argyle Street Campus, The Friends' School HobartThe Friends' School in Hobart recently submitted, and subsequently received, Development Application approval for the construction of a covered court structure on the court adjacent to the Argyle Motor Lodge. This project will deliver a purpose-built covered outdoor court at the Argyle Street campus, addressing the current shortage of all-weather play, gathering and recreation space for students from Early Learning to Year 8. The development includes the reinstatement and enhancement of surrounding landscaping, upgrades to court access and safety features, new walkway lighting, retractable ball-stop netting, resurfacing of the court, masonry bounce walls, and repairs to existing hardstand and garden areas impacted by construction.
The design has been carefully considered to complement the established character of both the campus and the surrounding neighbourhood. A material palette of brick and red-toned steel reflects the dominant architectural language of the area, while landscaped edges and planting will soften the built form and enhance the pedestrian experience along Argyle Street. The School has appointed Tascon Constructions as the builder for this phase of the project, with construction scheduled to commence at the beginning of the Term 2 break on 13 July 2026. The project is expected to be completed by the start of Term 4. Further information regarding the logistical impacts of this exciting development will be shared in the coming weeks. Access to the Argyle Street Campus will continue to be available via the upper court, adjacent to Friends’ Early Learning.
Australia Has a Legal Obligation to Act in Response to Israel’s Crimes. Here’s HowLast month the foreign minister, Penny Wong, called Israeli soldiers’ actions in relation to the Gaza humanitarian flotilla “shocking and unacceptable” and on Thursday she said that the treatment of Australian women on the flotilla was “unacceptable”. Former minister Ed Husic said that there are many actions the Australian government should take to address Israel’s continuing crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories. I agree with them both.
I have spent the past five years collecting and analysing evidence of grave violations of international law in Gaza and the West Bank. Since October 2023, much of my work has focused on Gaza, where the scale of civilian suffering, destruction, displacement and deprivation has raised profound legal and moral concerns. Our UN commission of inquiry has concluded that Israel’s conduct in Gaza constitutes war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide under international law.
While attention has been drawn away by the Israeli-American war against Iran, this conduct is continuing. The death toll in Gaza continues to rise. Identified direct victims of the violence now number almost 73,000. Estimates of indirect deaths go into the hundreds of thousands. The strip is in ruins. Humanitarian access is still gravely restricted, while displacement, deprivation and insecurity continue on a massive scale, including severe malnutrition among infants and young children. Last October Israel controlled 53% of the Gaza Strip; now it controls 60% and the Israeli prime minister said last week that it intends to control 70%
Nor is the crisis confined to Gaza. Violence and dispossession in the West Bank have intensified, accompanied by increasing settler attacks and deepening restrictions on Palestinian life. There is more and more evidence of torture, mistreatment and sexual violence in Israeli detention.
International law, as interpreted and applied by the international court of justice, imposes obligations on all states, including Australia, to act individually and collectively in response to these atrocities. Australia may be far away and its influence limited but its international law obligations are not reduced by distance or political limitations. There are steps the Australian government can and should take. I have proposed 20 of them in a series of lectures I have been presenting with Professors Emily Crawford and Ben Saul around Australia, organised by the Association for the Promotion of International Law and Amnesty International Australia:
The first action should be a wide ranging review to identify the many ways in which Australia’s relations with Israel support Israel committing international crimes.
Trade and diplomatic measures include ceasing all defence-related trade with Israel, including dual-use products, components, materials and technology, and ending trade and cooperative ventures with companies developing military items for use by Israel. Australia should also withdraw Australian defence and trade officials from our Tel Aviv embassy and impose secondary sanctions on states conducting defence-related trade with Israel.
Accountability measures comprise Australia affirming its commitment to enforce international criminal court arrest warrants for Israeli political and military leaders, along with imposing personal sanctions against these leaders and Israeli settlers responsible for violence in the West Bank.
Legal enforcement actions include investigating and prosecuting Australian citizens who have served in the Israel Defense Forces since October 2023 for potential war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide, while prohibiting Australian citizens from fighting in foreign armed forces. The full force of Australian law should be applied to Australians who commit international crimes, as prime minister Anthony Albanese has said.
Settlement-focused measures would prohibit financial transactions with illegal Israeli settlements and end tax deductibility for Australian charities providing funding to organisations supporting illegal settlements.
Additionally, Australia should provide at least 15,000 humanitarian places for Palestinian refugees from Gaza and restore scholarship eligibility for Palestinians to undertake tertiary studies in Australia. This is not a wishlist. It is the simple implementation of legal obligations. Australia wants to be a good international citizen. This is how it can be that. Chris Sidoti is a member of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel. He will present his full 20-point plan on 11 June. Australia has a legal obligation to act in response to Israel’s crimes. Here’s how | Chris Sidoti
See - Everything You Need to Know About Quakerism
Where did Quakers come from? What do they believe? And how did they get associated with oats? These are the sorts of questions Friends get asked on a regular basis. So we sat down with Steve Angell, a professor of Quaker studies at Earlham School of Religion, and got some solid answers on what distinguishes our faith from other religious communities.
In this free-ranging talk, Steve tells us about the Quaker view of sacrament as "a life well lived," a model of simplicity and loving action toward others. "For Quakers, doctrine is not just what you believe, but what you actually do," he says. "Quakers are constantly thinking about the practical effects of how God is not only working within them, but working within the world." See it here Everything You Need to Know About Quakerism June QBC - The Stolen Wealth of SlaveryA Case for ReparationsThe June QBC (Quaker Book Club) selection is The Stolen Wealth of Slavery: A Case for Reparations by David Montero.
This groundbreaking book tracks the massive wealth amassed from slavery from pre-Civil War to today, and lays out a case for reparations that shows exactly what was stolen, who stole it, and to whom it is owed.
In this timely, powerful, investigative history, The Stolen Wealth of Slavery, Emmy Award-nominated journalist David Montero follows the trail of the massive wealth amassed by Northern corporations throughout America's history of enslavement. It has long been maintained by many that the North wasn't complicit in the horrors of slavery. The truth, however, is that large Northern banks--including well-known institutions like Citibank, Bank of New York, and Bank of America--were critical to the financing of slavery; that they saw their fortunes rise dramatically from their involvement in the business of enslavement; and that white business leaders and their surrounding communities created enormous wealth from the enslavement and abuse of Black bodies.
The Stolen Wealth of Slavery grapples with facts that will be a revelation to many: Most white Southern enslavers were not rich--many were barely making ends meet--with Northern businesses benefitting the most from bondage-based profits. And some of the very Northerners who would be considered pro-Union during the Civil War were in fact anti-abolition, seeing the institution of slavery as being in their best financial interests, and only supporting the Union once they realized doing so would be good for business. It is a myth that the wealth generated from slavery vanished after the war. Rather, it helped finance the industrialization of the country, and became part of the bedrock of the growth of modern corporations, helping to transform America into a global economic behemoth.
In this remarkable book, Montero elegantly and meticulously details rampant Northern investment in slavery. He showcases exactly what was stolen, who stole it, and to whom it is owed, calling for corporate reparations as he details contemporary movements to hold companies accountable for past atrocities. Obtain a copy here The Stolen Wealth of Slavery
e- Wahroonga Send news of f/Friends and newsletter items to quiver...@yahoo.com.au Agenda items for Business Meeting should be emailed at wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info or handed to a co-clerk. Visit us at "Our Home" First days (Sunday), 9.30 am Meeting for Worship - Wahroonga Friends Meeting, your local peace church. Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) 59 Boundary Road Wahroonga NSW 2076 Email:wmnwah...@quakersaustralia.info Web: Wahroonga Local Meeting | Australia Yearly Meeting A Zoom meeting occurs 9.30 am Sundays Meeting link Join our Cloud HD Video Meeting 918 558 7747 Passcode: 554662 Phone: 02 8015 6011 Please contact Paul Carter if you have any problems.
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