Based in Quaker House in Brussels, Belgium, Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) brings a vision of peace, justice, and equality to Europe and its institutions.
In April, the peace program launched its new report, “Climate, Peace, and Human Rights: Are European Policies Coherent?” This report—rooted in Quaker experiences of working on climate and security issues—followed the recent adoption of a European Green Deal and calls for a more integrated approach to climate, peace, and human rights. It also calls for support of the people most impacted by climate change and for recognition of Europe’s colonial legacy and structural racism.
In May, together with Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW), QCEA organized a large online conference on peace education. The event was a success with more than 500 people registered from all over the world.
The human rights program hosted a spring series of informal lunchtime discussion events on Africa–Europe relations in the past, present, and future. The aim was to examine and deconstruct some of the ideas and assumptions about Africa–Europe relations and the contemporary repercussions of centuries-long shared history.
The program also contributed to a seminar on “Confronting racism in Ireland, the UK and the EU,” which looked at the so-called “migrant crisis,” the rise of “nativist” populism across the continent, and the impact of COVID-19 on these issues.
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