'Now is the moment for British Quakers to strengthen their European identity.' Photo: Frederick Tubiermont / Unsplash.
‘I don’t want Britain to turn away… I believe Quaker values can infect and benefit Europe.’
The heart of Europe: Jeremy Lester of QCEA on life after Brexit
So, it’s happened. After nearly half a century, the UK has left the EU. After the pain, it would be easy to turn inwards, to focus on our communities and the many problems that need our local focus. But Quakers don’t go for the easy path. We take the one we discern to be the right one. The one where wrongs may be righted, where we can have an impact for the good.
Back in 1975, that’s why a group of Quakers became convinced that there had to be a Quaker voice in Europe. They thought carefully about it, and persuaded Friends and their Yearly Meetings, from one end of the continent to the other, to set up the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), answerable to Yearly Meetings wherever they were to be found in Europe. The need for QCEA is as great today, in the aftermath of Brexit, as it ever was. In fact, I’ll go further and suggest that the need is actually greater, for more is at stake.
Quakers want to make a difference, and in Europe they can. European policy is being formed on militarisation, migration, justice and human rights – as well as on trade, the environment, transport and so on. QCEA, inspired by Quaker work at the UN, has developed quiet diplomacy as a way to influence policymakers. It’s very cost effective, producing creditable research and effecting policy change at a fraction of the cost of many other advocacy groups.
British Quakers, from William Penn on, have seen themselves as European, and have been committed to peace across Europe. In 1693 he even advocated the creation of a European parliament. It would be a tragic error if British Quakers were to become little islanders. We all carry multiple identities and our European-ness is a part of that.
I don’t want the UK to turn away from Europe because I believe that Quaker values can infect and benefit Europe. I came to work at the European Commission way back in 1976. I have worked on development, on human rights, and on conflict prevention. I have represented the European Union as one of its ambassadors. I have been a part of supporting civil society in the former Soviet Union. In what other body would I have had such a rich career pursuing these objectives? And now, as clerk of QCEA, I watch over a fantastic team working to make Europe better. Their quiet diplomacy influences the EU, but also NATO, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – organisations of which the UK is either still a member, or by which it is deeply affected. Influencing Brussels is an effective way of influencing what happens in the UK, and will continue so to be. The EU will insist on the UK maintaining its standards if it is to trade on a level playing field. Its behaviour as a human rights defender and peace advocate will depend on QCEA, and will in turn affect UK policy.
Now is the moment for British Quakers to strengthen their European identity. May we all amplify our Quaker voice in Europe!
Jeremy is clerk of QCEA. Around Europe, the organisation’s newsletter, can be obtained free of charge on its website: www.qcea.org/p/around-europe.
