Meeting for Sufferings: Quaker Council for European Affairs
Changes to QCEAs governing structure were reported to Meeting for Sufferings
Elaine Green, representative to the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), reported on changes that have been made in its governing structures.
The General Assembly (Assemblée Générale) will be made up of nominees representing Quaker bodies in Europe appointed for three years and renewable once. Then the Council, which is designated the ‘governor/trustee’ role, will be made of people appointed by members of Quaker Meetings in Europe. No one body should have a majority.
QCEA has made a major change to its priorities. It has reshaped its programme of work so that it will concentrate on two areas: peace and human rights.
Elaine suggested that Sufferings appoint a new representative rather than the current representative and alternate, which is done now. This will add an additional Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) representative to the General Assembly, which meets twice a year, as Elaine Green has been invited to be part of the Council.
She will be reporting on the trustee management of QCEA while the BYM representative, she explained, would be better placed to report back on work being done to engage British Friends on the QCEA work programmes.
BYM is the largest contributor to QCEA and is also the landlord of Quaker House, QCEA’s base in Brussels.
Paul Parker, recording clerk of Britain Yearly Meeting, reminded Sufferings that the BYM trustees make a grant to QCEA annually as a contribution to the core costs.
This is currently about £22,000 and is kept under review by the Finance and Property Committee.
