WITH the eye of the world fixed firmly on war at the moment it is easy to forget about a group of people who are, and always have been, working for peace.

There are some 28,000 Quakers, or Friends, in Britain, and, in Wharfedale, a sizeable number are doing their bit to oppose the war on terrorism.

Central to their belief system is the Peace Testimony - part of a declaration which was presented to Charles II by the Quakers in 1660 and which states: "We utterly deny all outward wars and strife, and fighting with outward weapons, for any end, or under any pretence whatever."

As Eva Pinthus, 76, of East Parade, Menston, said that Quakers believe that war is futile and cannot solve anything in the long term. She should know. Born in Berlin she came to England in 1939 at the age of 14 having lost most of her family to the Nazis. Then, the orphanage where she was living in Kent was bombed.

"I remember as a teenager saying to a friend I wish I was a bomber pilot. And she said, 'why, that will never do any good'.

"I became a pacifist and have been one all my adult life. I felt it was important that as soon as the war was over I did relief work in Germany. There were lots and lots of Quakers doing relief work there. I became a Friend in 1949."

Eva, the Quaker chaplain at Leeds University and a member of the Quaker Meeting House in Ilkley, thinks the current strikes on Afghanistan will do nothing to combat terrorism.

"If only the politicians were better informed about history they will know that this sort of thing never brings results," she said. "There have been two goes by Britain to do something about Afghanistan and one by Russia. They had to withdraw each time. It ought to have made them think.

"You can't bomb guerrillas. Think of Northern Ireland. You can't find them. Just to go and bomb a place where there happen to be some guerrillas will not get rid of guerrillas. Osama Bin Laden was actually supported by America when Russia invaded Afghanistan. There's no rhyme nor reason to any of it.

"We need to question why this is happening and look at the ever widening gap between rich and poor. Usually it is the western countries that are rich and a lot of the Islamic countries which are poor. It's to do with capitalism."

She said many Quakers were attending local peace vigils and protests to raise awareness about the futility of the war. "The peace vigils at Menwith Hill are one way that Quakers are working together to oppose the bombings. On the whole we don't think it's terribly good to do things on one's own."

And she believes that world leaders can learn a lot from Friends about diplomacy. "I can't tell you whether anyone is talking to the Taliban at the moment. But I think a lot of people will be doing things, talking to both Bush and Blair.

"We have an embassy in Geneva and Brussels. There will be a lot of advice from there to leaders, a lot of behind the scenes diplomacy. If you make anything public you already negate a lot of what you are trying to achieve."

Carol Wise, 53, of Rose Bank, Burley-in-Wharfedale agrees. She tells me that her way of dealing with the war is to learn more about communication and how to get people to talk through their differences.

On Saturday she will attend a seminar on mediation at the department of Peace Studies at Bradford University. "It's about how to demonstrate respectfulness, being a little bit more tolerant. It's a step in the right direction."

Quakers in Ilkley have already extended the hand of friendship to Muslims in Bradford - offering to visit and worship with them.

"We wanted to show we are supporting and caring about them. They thanked us for the concern which they said they would take back to their community, But in terms of inviting to worship with us they didn't take that up, which is a shame."

Carol, a homeopath, has only been a member of Ilkley Quakers since February but has been attending meetings for many years. Being a part of the group has made her feel she can do more to oppose the war.

"It's the Quakers who take the initiative," she said. "There's a sense that we do do more and that we can do more. Around the world Quakers are mediating and helping people, offering medical treatment and humanitarian aid, lots of little projects.

"It's also about leading our lives in a more caring way. It's how you do it not what you say."

She likens the way that Quakers deal with volatile situations to homeopathic medicine. "We look at the cause of symptoms rather than the outcome. We work out what caused the pain. We need to consider what it is about the Taliban that has caused them to have this big hatred of America."

Beryl Milner, 54, of Station Road, Burley, wants to make people realise they are not alone if they don't support America's action in Afghanistan.

Her way of doing that has been to hold a peace vigil every Friday night at 7pm with her husband Alistair on the road where they live. "It's an opportunity for people if they have a faith to pray, if not, to reflect and think. We have posters so people who are driving past will be reminded that the war is happening but it's not something that everyone supports."

So far around 20 people have gathered at the vigils each week. "People have said to us 'I'm so glad this - the vigil - is happening'."

Beryl, a pacifist long before she joined the Quakers 15 years ago, is vehemently opposed to the strikes but believes those responsible for the terror attacks should be brought to justice.

"The planes being flown into the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon were horrendous acts. They were actually criminal acts. I do believe everything should be done to bring those behind the attacks before an international tribunal.

"I know the Taliban have done awful things but bombing Afghanistan is not going to make any difference. It simply creates martyrs."

But she readily admits there is no quick fix solution to terrorism. "Addressing the cause is a long programme. I'm not a political analyst but there is something everyone can do. The vigils are our way of making a difference."