QCEA peacebuilding manual launched

The 'Building Peace Together' manual has been launched by QCEA

The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) has just released a hands-on manual called Building Peace Together. The pack includes advice on peacebuilding principles drawn from eighty real examples from around the world. It also identifies the issues that cause conflict from justice to communication, with exercises designed to help solve problems.

Molly Scott Cato MEP, who launched the report on 19 March in the European Parliament Library in Brussels, told the Friend: ‘We Quakers talk about seeking out the origins of war. This is a very practical guide to show how we can do this. It asks: “Where do conflicts come from?” This is what I love about Quaker initiatives. They’re usually so hands-on. It’s so easy to say things, but what we need are people on the ground doing practical things. Peace is not just an absence of war, but it’s making peace.’

Olivia Caeymaex, QCEA peace programme lead, said: ‘Building Peace Together is designed to show policy makers that peacebuilding is not wishful thinking. This new resource includes eighty real examples of where peacebuilding has succeeded across eleven sectors of government. Peacebuilding really is everyone’s business.’

Julian Egan, international alert, said: ‘This report comes at a critical time. Since 2010 more conflicts have been starting and less are being resolved. We need to change the way we work. This means dealing more with the root causes of conflict.’

Quaker Andrew Lane was interviewed on Radio France Internationale about the manual.

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