Dining With Diplomats, Praying With Gunmen by Anne Bennett

Author: Anne Bennett. Review by Ol Rappaport

This book arose from a conference held at Woodbrooke in 2019, at which experienced conciliators and younger peace activists came together. I was guided towards it by a Friend who shares my concern at the partisan approach of many British Friends to the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Let me be plain. I love this book: the content, the illustrations by Lynn Finnegan, the design, and even the paper. It opens with: a brief history of Quaker conciliation; the principles behind that conciliation; the lessons learnt; and the opportunities to apply that learning in today’s world. It includes details of Quaker interventions in former Yugoslavia, and in Uganda, Indonesia and Nigeria – to mention a scant handful.

Anne Bennett describes, in meticulous detail, the skills and resources needed to prepare for successful peacemaking. She identifies some of the snares and pitfalls, and offers some solutions in avoiding them. The book draws on first-hand experience, quoted and referenced. As such, it is much more than ‘Experiences of international conciliation for a new generation of peacemakers’. It is, in part, a beginners’ guide to international conciliation, and will hold your hand as it guides you towards the skills and resources you would need. It is specifically about conciliation between nations, but many of the techniques can be applied to institutions and individuals. It is, however, about Quaker conciliation, so is based on assumptions and beliefs that non-Quakers may not share.

The book does not include much on Quaker relief, which so often opens doors to conciliation. It was Friends’ relief work in the wake of world war one that enabled Rufus Jones to meet with the Gestapo after Kristallnacht, and negotiate. ‘The promise made to us was kept, and the door was opened for the extensive relief which followed our visit, including the emigration of many Jews.’

Little mention is made of Israel/Palestine. Clearly the need for confidentiality during any conciliatory dialogue means that we may not hear about processes for several years. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. But the hostile messages coming from British and US Friends about Israel don’t suggest any immediate Quaker involvement in conciliation is possible there.

This is the first physical book that I have enjoyed in several years – I am generally quite happy with an eBook. But here the words are enhanced by an unexpected smoothness and opacity of paper, which does justice to the illustrations. The accessible typesetting is first-rate. The illustrations themselves punctuate the text and offer moments of stillness for reflection. There is one significant omission: no index. The result is that my copy of this exquisitely-created book is bristling with Post-Its.

The book ends with an implied question: does Britain Yearly Meeting have the desire to continue the work of international conciliation? The fact that it has taken this long for anyone to review it is not encouraging.

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Comments

Ol writes, “But the hostile messages coming from British and US Friends about Israel don’t suggest any immediate Quaker involvement in conciliation is possible there.” There are hostile messages from individual Quakers. But the BYM position, discerned by the YM, trustees and MfS, is here: https://www.quaker.org.uk/our-work/international-work/quaker-engagement-with-israel-and-palestine-1 It is against the occupation, but not hostile to Israel.

By Abigail Maxwell on 3rd March 2023 - 10:52

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