Kinder Ground: 2021 Swarthmoor Lecture

It’s important to create space to listen and understand – a cool sanctuary away from the easy answers of propaganda and the heat and hostility of so much political discussion. And it’s something Quakers have a history of being able to do. We’ve never had so much information more easily available to us, yet it’s harder than ever to discern the truth. Confronted with a blizzard of evidence and opinions, often delivered by methods of communication designed to entrench polarisation and stoke division, how should we respond? This book urges Quakers to recommit to the discipline and vigilance needed to be champions of truth, open to fresh insights and ready to be mistaken. We have to shed our prejudice and create kinder ground to help nurture the understanding needed for honest discourse and constructive change. Thomas Penny has worked for 29 years as a journalist for local, national and international news organisations, most recently as a political correspondent based in Westminster. He is a member of Blackheath Quaker Meeting and has a decade of youthwork experience with young Quakers.