Peru to host international gathering
International gathering of Friends to take place in South America for the first time
The most important gathering of international Friends will be held in South America for the first time in 2016. The next International Representatives’ Meeting (IRM) of the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) will be held in Arequipa, Peru from 12 to 20 January 2016, it has been announced.
The event will replace the triennial meetings of representatives. The IRM will be held every four years.
The Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) will be meeting this weekend with the clerks of the International Planning Committee (IPC). This meeting covers initial planning items, including site selection.
‘While we are excited about taking our main representative meeting to a major centre of Quakerism in South America for the first time, holding this meeting in Peru presents many challenges,’ said FWCC general secretary Gretchen Castle, ‘not least of which are the financial costs and the need to be as sustainable as possible in both planning and holding the meeting.’
Gretchen added that the IPC, co-clerked by Friends from Ireland and the USA, is being kept deliberately small and will meet face-to-face only three times (once in conjunction with another meeting in which most IPC members are involved).
Most of the work will take place using video conferencing, email and other electronic means, keeping both the financial and environmental costs as low as possible. As much of the work as possible will be done by the LAC, including the major responsibilities of organising on-site matters and local transportation.
Gretchen added: ‘Even though we are doing this work as efficiently as possible, there are still major cost implications for FWCC in planning this meeting.’ A formal appeal to raise funds to help Friends attend this meeting will be launched later this year.
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