‘How to build peace’ – Quakers publish report

IssueApril - May 2018
News by Benjamin Kaplan

Peacebuilding ‘is about a longstanding partnership, not a series of one-off projects’, said Charlotte Morris, senior conflict adviser at the department for international development, on 21 March, at the launch of Building Peace Together, a new Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) resource book.

‘At its most effective, peacebuilding is a combination of historical knowledge, local expertise, and international experience,’ Morris added.

The launch, at Friends House in London, also featured project leader Olivia Caeymaex, Marigold Bentley and Tobias Wellner of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, and Julian Egan of International Alert.

Building Peace Together is a 160-page book. Each of its 11 sections focuses on a specific area such as education or diplomacy, and includes real-world examples.

As well as providing readers with a variety of tools to promote nonviolent action, the guide also includes sections on self-reflection and critical thinking.

QCEA hopes the book will influence government policies and the private sector – and also get the average person to think of themselves as peacebuilders.

‘It is not comprehensive because there is no way for it to be, but it can serve as an inspiration,’ said Caeymaex.

QCEA launch events were also held in Brussels and will take place in Dublin (April) and Berlin (June).