“Peace is not the absence of war, but the absence of fear” - Ursula Franklin
QCEA’s peace programme works to promote nonviolent alternatives and non-military approaches to conflict resolution. We seeks to influence the discourse on ‘security’, by challenging militaristic definitions of ‘security’ at the European level and promoting alternatives such as mediation, dialogue, and peace education.
In our research and analysis, we seek to address the root causes of social injustices including colonialism, structural racism, and patriarchy. As such, we believe that many issues of social justice are interlinked. For example, the ecological collapse we are experiencing today is the direct result of an unequal social contract, unsustainable economies, and political systems. The people and communities suffering most are disproportionately racialised communities, and people in the global south.
“If you have come here to help me, you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up with mine, then let us work together.” - Lilla Watson
We advocate to bring peacebuilding ‘home’ and to bridge the gap between the ‘domestic’ and ‘foreign’ aspects of peacebuilding by questioning the pre-established assumptions in the EU that underlie peacebuilding, such as the notion that peacebuilding “is for others.” We advocate inward reflections of Europe’s own challenges to social cohesion such as violence by state actors, politics of fear, and xenophobia.
Building on the tradition of Quaker storytelling, we intend to highlight and promote the lived experiences of the people most impacted by social injustices and simultaneously highlighting positive examples of people from around the globe who have developed long traditions of resilience out of necessity.
“The notion of dreaming in a time where we are told that it is foolish, futile or not useful is one of the most revolutionary things we can do.” – Ruby Smith Díaz
