European Quaker peaceworker schemes - an overview

SUMMARY

This short report is based on a survey of former staff employed by the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) and the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) in the capacity of Programme Assistants, and those employed by Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) London in the capacity of UK Peaceworkers between 1989 and 2015. It also includes responses from the two recent Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) Coordinators, employed by Britain since 2013. The results demonstrate that these schemes are very effective at sharing Quaker ideas, values and practices and the ‘faith in action’ component is important to a lot of people who do these schemes, both during and following their placements. The majority of peaceworkers who responded continue to be engaged in social justice work and activism following their placement year. Many indicate that they made enduring connections with fellow peaceworkers and staff members from their placement year and the majority express an interest in staying connected with each other and in mentoring current and future peaceworkers.

1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank current and former Representatives and staff members of the Quaker organisations who helped me to track down contact details, the wonderful Woodbrooke tutors and all those who took the time and effort to respond to the survey. Particular thanks are due to Rhiannon Redpath, Heather Rowlands, Christine McCartney and Jude Kirton-Darling for participating in interviews as well as my Quaker peaceworker friends for your support, encouragement, feedback and for inspiring this project.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Haifa Rashed was a programme assistant at the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) Geneva in 2012-2013. Whilst she specifically did not include her own experiences in the research, her experience as a peaceworker1 motivated her to conduct this study. In 2015 she was awarded an Eva Koch scholarship at Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre2, which enabled her to undertake this research.

November 2015

1 For ease of legibility, all participants in the schemes are referred to as ‘peaceworkers’ throughout this paper 2 Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre is Europe’s only Quaker study centre, based in , UK. See https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk for more.

2 Table of Contents

Research questions, method and background ...... 4 Survey limitations ...... 4

The organisations and their placement schemes ...... 5 The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) Brussels ...... 5 The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) Geneva ...... 6 Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) UK Peaceworkers ...... 7 Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) and (BYM) ...... 8

Survey results summary ...... 9 How peaceworkers found out about the scheme ...... 9 Peaceworkers’ prime motivations for applying to the placement ...... 9 The placement itself ...... 10 Training and support throughout the placement year ...... 11

Spirituality and Quakerism ...... 15

Where are they now? ...... 18

What next? ...... 21 Alumni network ...... 21

Conclusions and recommendations ...... 22

3 Research questions, method and background

The question of how can appeal to and engage with young people is often asked; yet we don’t know the effectiveness of the current European Quaker-sponsored work placements targeted at young people in this regard. This research considers how effective the placements and their related organisations are at sharing Quaker ideas, values and practices and to what extent these schemes encourage and support growth in the area of an individual’s spirituality in relation to their social justice work. It also explores whether former peaceworkers would be interested in connecting with each other and forming an informal alumni network, with the possibility of meeting, mentoring and collaborating together in years to come.

An online survey was set up for anyone who had been a peaceworker or programme assistant in the last 20-odd years at the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) Geneva, the Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA) in Brussels and from the Quaker Peace and Social Witness (QPSW) UK Peaceworker scheme. The survey was also completed by the two people who have worked for Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM) as Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) Coordinators. Whilst this post has only existed in its current format since 2013, it is another year-long European-based Quaker placement for young people and thus fit within the remit of the research.

The earliest respondent undertook their placement in 1989-1990 and the most recent respondents were peaceworkers from the 2014-2015 cohort. The three main organisations provided contact information for some previous peaceworkers, but weren’t all able to provide a complete record so social media, a letter in The Friend and emails to various Quaker contacts were also employed to track down former peaceworkers. A total of 64 people responded to the survey, including 22 from QUNO, 21 from QPSW, 19 from QCEA and two from BYM. Whilst it is difficult to know precisely how many peaceworkers there have been in the period studied, an estimate is that the response rate was roughly between 40-50% of all participants in the schemes over the last 20 odd years. The responses to the survey are all anonymous.

Two case study interviews were conducted, the first with Rhiannon Redpath, who is currently the only peaceworker to have undertaken two of the European Quaker schemes – she was a QPSW Peaceworker in 2012-2013 and a QUNO Programme Assistant in 2014-2015. The second interview was with Heather Rowlands, Christine McCartney and Jude Kirton-Darling, who were Programme Assistants at QCEA in 1999- 2000.

Feedback will be given to the three organisations concerned, including where suggestions and criticisms were made.

Survey limitations Those contacted who then did respond to the survey are a self-selecting group, and therefore this must be borne in mind when reading the results – those who are still involved in Quaker circles and who had a positive experience of their placement are more likely to have responded.

4 The organisations and their placement schemes

The Quaker Council for European Affairs (QCEA), Brussels

QCEA was founded in 1979 to promote the values of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in the European context. Its purpose is to express a Quaker vision in matters of peace, human rights, and economic justice. QCEA is based in Brussels and is an international, not-for-profit organisation under Belgian Law. Since its beginning in 1979, young people have worked alongside the Representatives initially as volunteers and now as Programme Assistants. The Programme Assistant (PA) placement is an entry-level position for young professionals, which includes accommodation and a living stipend.3

Programme Assistants currently specialise in QCEA’s Peace, Economic Justice and Sustainability programmes. “[The role] involves research, analysis, and advocacy through the publication of briefing papers as well as content for our newsletter and blog. Each Programme Assistant is also responsible for a share of administrative and other tasks. QCEA Programme Assistants live and work from Quaker House, located near many of the European Institutions, and also support the lettings and the general organisation of the House. Through your one-year contribution to the wide range of activities undertaken at QCEA, you gain valuable experience of working in European politics and managing the competing demands of a heavy workload.” 4

Who the QCEA Programme Assistant scheme is aimed at The scheme is aimed at “someone who wants to develop a career in European Affairs, politics, advocacy, or research, or specifically in promoting peace, economic justice, or sustainability, or addressing hate crime. Programme Assistants are given support to do their jobs but are expected to use their own initiative, drive, and enthusiasm to make a difference.”5

QCEA states that is has “always recruited Programme Assistants from a variety of backgrounds but has always sought to have at least some Programme Assistants who had a prior connection with Quakerism and with Quakers. This connection could be relatively loose or very close or anything in between.”6

3 QCEA (2009) p.7 4 QCEA Programme Assistant Job Description, 2015 5 QCEA Programme Assistant Job Description, 2015 6 QCEA (2009) p.7

5 The Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO) Geneva

What is QUNO? QUNO works to promote peace and justice at the United Nations and other global institutions. QUNO maintains houses in Geneva and New York to serve as QUNO offices and meeting places close to the UN. For nearly fifty years, Quaker Houses have provided a place where UN diplomats, staff, and nongovernmental partners can work on difficult issues in a quiet, off-the-record atmosphere out of the public eye.

“The Programme Assistant (PA) position is a one-year placement that gives a young person the opportunity to live and work in Geneva or New York, and contribute to QUNO’s work. The positions provide those individuals selected with an informal extension to their education in international issues. PA duties are split between programme-specific work and helping with the general running of the office. PAs monitor world news and developments in particular area, attend UN meetings, plan events and conduct research. PAs contribute actively to all parts of QUNO’s work, including general office, catering and domestic duties. The general office tasks can range from coordinating the layout and printing of publications, preparing mailings, answering the phone, organizing meetings, to clearing up afterwards.

Guidance is provided through one-on-one supervision meetings and regular programme planning sessions. Programme Assistants often contribute to a blog or write Journal Letters about the day-to-day experience of being a Programme Assistant. Programme Assistants receive a subsistence grant to help cover food and miscellaneous expenses. Accommodation is paid by QUNO Geneva. QUNO will provide health/medical insurance for the year, if not already covered.” 7

Who the QUNO Programme Assistant scheme is aimed at “PAs are usually Quakers or those in close sympathy with the Religious Society of Friends. They are typically recent university graduates, with a strong interest in international affairs and a demonstrable commitment to building social justice in the world. A degree or equivalent qualification is usual, and many have a postgraduate qualification. Fluency in English and well-developed computer skills are essential, and knowledge of another UN language is an asset, but not required.”8

7 Source: http://quno.org/programme-assistants 8 Ibid

6 Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW)

Quaker Peace & Social Witness (QPSW) works with and on behalf of Quakers in Britain to translate faith into action. The peace work of QPSW concentrates on peacemaking and peace building in areas affected by armed conflict, addressing the systemic causes of violence at a global level, and creating a culture of peace with justice based on nonviolent change.

The specific aims of the QPSW UK Peaceworker scheme are to • Provide for committed people one-year working opportunities in organisations working for peace. • Provide them with relevant experience and skills to enable them to continue as effective peace workers. • Help strengthen organisations working for peace by enabling them to do work they might not otherwise be able to do, or do as well. • Strengthen relationships between the partnering Quaker organisations and individuals and organisations working on peace and conflict transformation issues.

Who the peaceworker scheme is aimed at The placement with a peace organisation in Britain is designed for people with a strong interest in, but limited experience of, peace work on a national level. The programme aims to develop the post-holder's potential as a peaceworker by providing experience such as campaigning, organising, facilitating groups, researching, and practical nonviolence or communication skills. 9 The QPSW peaceworker scheme is unique amongst the organisations in that it doesn’t solely recruit young professionals, and will consider applications from older applicants who are perhaps making a career change later in life. Furthermore, ‘there is no requirement [for peaceworkers] to hold a religious faith. Preference will be given to those who demonstrate their empathy with values consistent with Quakers’ and commitment to peace issues.’10

9 QPSW Peaceworker Job Description 2015 10 QPSW Peaceworker Job Description 2015

7 Young Friends General Meeting (YFGM) and Britain Yearly Meeting (BYM)

Since 2013, YFGM and BYM have combined to recruit a YFGM Co-ordinator and BYM Communications & Services Assistant. This role is based at Friends House, London. Unlike the other placements, this is a described as an ‘internship’ and lasts for 10 months.

Background YFGM represents Quakers aged from 18 to 30(ish)11 across Britain. It holds three open residential gatherings each year (with approximately 70 participants at each), along with smaller planning weekends (approximately 30 participants) and occasional social events (10-30 participants). BYM is the organisation representing Quakers (of all ages) across Britain. This role would serve the needs of YFGM and with time allocated to tasks within the Events & Committee Services Team or beyond. The position is based within Friends House, London for both the YFGM and BYM work.

The role

The aims of the role are to; • Provide organisational support to YFGM in fulfilling its long-term strategic goals. • Foster and strengthen relationships between YFGM, BYM, and other organisations within the wider Quaker community. • Develop the post-holder's potential by providing experience such as committee co- ordination, organising, facilitating groups, researching, and practical volunteer management skills.

“Preference will be given to those who demonstrate their sympathy with Quaker values. There is no requirement to hold a religious faith.”12

11 Most attendees are under 35 12 YFGM Job Description 2013

8 Survey results summary13

A total of 64 people responded to the online survey. The breakdown of respondents per scheme is as follows:

How peaceworkers found out about the scheme

The majority of peaceworkers (33 people or 57%) found out about the placement scheme through word of mouth – including from family members and from previous peaceworkers. 23 respondents (29%) saw the placement advertised online and 17 (30%) heard about the placement through an advertisement in The Friend.14 38 people (62%) said that they were aware of the other Europe-based Quaker placement schemes before they applied for their placement. Indeed, this research revealed that a third of all respondents (21 people) had applied to at least one of the other Quaker schemes prior to doing their placement and a couple of others had previously considered applying for another scheme. Two respondents mentioned the different application deadlines for the schemes impacting on which scheme they ended up applying for: “I didn't apply to them, but I would have done, had the deadlines been different.” These results demonstrate that there is clearly significant overlap between the schemes in terms of applicants.

Peaceworkers’ prime motivations for applying to the placement

I wanted to do something with Quakers and get practical experience

Christine McCartney, QCEA Programme Assistant 1999-2000

13 For complete quantitative survey results, see the Appendix document 14 The Friend is a British independent weekly publication about the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) see https://thefriend.org for more.

9

The greatest number of respondents (90%) emphasized their desire to gain work experience, including wanting “to start working for peace in some way”. The second highest motivation is the fact that the placements are paid and several respondents commented that this enabled them to undertake the placement. The importance of these schemes being paid was also reiterated in the interview with Rhiannon Redpath, who has participated in both the UK Peaceworker and the QUNO Geneva placements:

The other thing is the pay, that’s a HUGE thing in Geneva. Nearly all of my friends there who were interns were unpaid and were there because they had inheritance money or they had earned money over the summer or their parents were basically paying for them to be there. Young people in this country have fewer opportunities than our parents did… in this grossly overcapitalized society, all these young people are coming out with degrees and not having anything to do with them because there are no jobs and the jobs there are are unpaid! In my first week as a UK peaceworker… the interns for that organisation were all full time volunteers… I felt really embarrassed that I was getting paid and they weren’t getting paid, so it was a big factor.

Rhiannon Redpath, QPSW peaceworker (2012-13) and QUNO PA (2014-15)

A third of respondents wanted to do the work specifically as it was Quaker-related, as these comments testify: “[I] wanted to work for Quakers”, “I like the Quakers, respect the work they do and their testimonies.” Others referred to the spiritual element of the schemes “I liked the idea that I could combine my work with my spiritual interest (though me not being a Quaker).” Several QCEA respondents were specifically drawn to working in Brussels, “wanting policy experience at the European level” and a “chance to work overseas and practice my French.”

The placement itself

I’ve always thrived in working environments where I have complete autonomy… we weren’t going into meetings with other organisations where it was ‘this is the intern, they sit in the corner and they don‘t speak’ we were the representatives of Quakers in Europe and some of the things that we did are still referenced by other organisations today. Jude Kirton-Darling, QCEA Programme Assistant 1999-2000.

10 84% of respondents said they felt a sense of ownership over their work. The comments to this question were more nuanced, however. Many referred to the high level of responsibility they had for their work. Some appreciated this, whilst for others being “left to their own devices” left them feeling unsupported. The average response to ‘how much freedom did you have to set your work plan?’ was just over 6/10.

66% of peaceworkers from the QUNO and QCEA placements who had accommodation provided with the placement said the accommodation arrangements worked for them.15 Several QCEA respondents referred to the challenges they experienced as their accommodation was in the same building that they worked in. Several mentioned the difficulties in keeping their professional and personal lives separate – including from their line managers who also lived in the building. Whilst some didn’t mind the living arrangement so much, others described it as being “intense”, “stuffy”, “unbearable” and “a claustrophobic arrangement.”

Training and support throughout the placement year

The results found that 76% of respondents were connected to other peaceworkers during the placement year. Some used social media and/or email to keep in touch and many mentioned the mid-term workers seminar in /Brussels16 as the seminal point in their placement year where they (re)connected with the other peaceworkers.

How helpful was the training and support you received…

As seen above, in terms of training and support offered before, during and after the scheme, the mid-term workers seminar and the pre-placement Woodbrooke-based preparation week17 were deemed the most helpful, with peaceworkers grading them an average of 7/10. The pre-placement training at Friends House and during the placement

15 Further feedback from the comments provided will be sent directly to the organisations concerned. 16 This is a weekend run by staff from Woodbrooke and Friends House that is available for peaceworkers from QUNO, QCEA and QPSW to meet half way through the year. 17 This is a five day programme pre-placement training currently offered to QPSW and QUNO peaceworkers prior to the start of the peaceworker year. The varied programme includes sessions on Quaker History, Faith in Action and teambuilding.

11 support (in general) both had just over 6/10. QCEA respondents commented that they were not offered the pre-placement training at Friends House and Woodbrooke or the post-placement ‘return weekend seminar’ at Woodbrooke. This post-placement support was the least popular (on average graded 5/10) but also the least frequently offered to all participants.

Breakdown:

Percentage who Organisation said 'Yes' BYM/YFGM 100% QPSW 95% QUNO 55% QCEA 16%

The BYM/YFGM statistic of 100% is very promising, although it is worth bearing in mind the tiny sample of just two people. It would be worth re-asking the question once the scheme has been running longer to get a better overall picture.

The differing responses for the three main peaceworker placements are perhaps due in part to how the support mechanisms are set up – in the case of QPSW peaceworkers, they do not work directly for QPSW but have a staff member at QPSW who is available to support them when disputes arise, and to hold regular review meetings. In the comments for this question the QPSW UK peaceworkers commended the support they had with Steve Whiting at QPSW and the regular reviews that took place with him. The programme assistant schemes at QUNO and QCEA operate differently as the young people are placed directly in the organisation, so there is not an external support person in the same way. Rhiannon Redpath (who has been both a QPSW peaceworker and QUNO programme assistant) commented on the differing support structures:

12 There wasn’t a Steve! There wasn’t a Steve at QUNO there wasn’t someone outside of the Quaker office that had any connection to peaceworkers or any interest in them or to give them any support… in Geneva you kind of had to do your own thing, make your own support network. With the peaceworker scheme it felt like everything had been considered there with the pastoral –‘you’re moving to a new city, you’re going to a new community, you’re going to a new office, how’s that all going to feel for you?’ they even set aside a pot of funding for you if you needed to go and have an emergency meeting with other people… and none of that was replicated at QUNO. There was no-one in charge of pastoral support for PAs. Professional support I got from my line manager.

78% of QUNO respondents who said ‘no’ did their placements in the last five years, which suggests this is a current issue. The QCEA percentage seems particularly low, although some of the comments are more nuanced than the result suggests, e.g. “yes and no. More no. The systems that were in place were not functioning/effective” and “the support was pretty poor in practice though everyone meant well.” A couple of people highlight the fact there is no independent person for programme assistants to go to.

Would you recommend the placement scheme to others?

91% said Yes

BYM/YFGM, QUNO and QPSW all had 100% ‘yes’ response rate. QCEA had a 68% response rate.18 Here is a selection of the comments on this question:

QUNO:

It's an absolutely unique and wonderful year. Yes there are challenges, but these are far outweighed by the positives

It's an excellent way to gain first-hand experience in the field of international relations with plenty of support along the way.

Best internship-type opportunity going, with excellent support and payment.

18 The full feedback from the QCEA programme assistants who said ‘no’ will be fed back directly to the organisation.

13

Despite the difficulties, it is a good scheme, in a world of unpaid internships and photocopying. Excellent exposure to international diplomacy and policy making. Wonderful to work on topics that I had only previously studied.

Despite my frustrations and difficulties, I strongly recommend these schemes. They're just ace opportunities for young people to explore this sort of work, and their spirituality, if they wish to.

QPSW:

It was a great way to start a career. Fascinating to work in social justice/ peace (I've not stopped since).

Because it's a unique opportunity to get crucial and eye-opening experience working for peace.

It's brilliant when it works. You get much more responsibility than other interns, the training is great, pay is fine. It's a real hand up.

Great way of gaining experience in the peace sector without having to do loads of unpaid internships!

QCEA:

It was the thing that got me into peace work - simple as that.

It's unique. Where else are you going to get that sort of experience? For better, and for worse.

Yes, it's an amazing career step and experience. But I'd only suggest it to certain people and with the caveat of it being very intense and difficult at times.

I think it is a great first job - lots of flexibility and opportunities for development, along with the opportunity to live in a foreign country and explore that country's culture. I think there would have to be a few caveats to this recommendation - it might be difficult to establish yourself in the other country, and that can be trying. Also in a small office environment, if you don't get on with all your colleagues (or all your colleagues don't get on with each other) it can be very difficult indeed, and the conflict/stress sort of hangs over everything else. This isn't something particular to Quaker organisations though - I would assume it's fairly common in a lot of small organisations… maybe people expect Quaker organisations to be different though...

This was such an excellent and supportive environment for an introduction to faith in practice, social justice and the world of work more generally. For a sector that is notoriously difficult to get into and which requires years of unpaid internships, the Quakers are one of the few employers that proactively seeks to support the next generation of young people and to shape the way they engage in the world. I'm not sure I'd be where I am today without [it], and I sincerely hope this continues to be an area of investment for [these Quaker organisations] in future.

14 Spirituality and Quakerism

78% of peaceworkers who responded to the survey were connected to Quakers pre- placement. Of these:

• 35 respondents (78%) were Members or Attenders of a Quaker meeting. • Over half (58%) were involved with Young Friends • 53% were brought up in a Quaker family • 13% worked for Quakers.

81% of all respondents attended a Quaker meeting during the placement (mostly ‘occasionally’) and 89% of all respondents said that their placement contributed to their understanding of Quaker beliefs, practices and processes. Some commented that they had a better understanding of “Quakers around the world”, and “history of Quakerism and diversity of beliefs within it.” Other peaceworkers referred to the training they had received at Woodbrooke as being particularly useful in this regard: “the Woodbrooke introduction really helped me to reflect on the Quaker aspects of the peaceworker year.”

The following comments from those working for a Quaker organisation in international diplomacy (QCEA in Brussels or QUNO in Geneva) referred to deepening their understanding of Quakerism in this context: “mainly learning about practical implementation of Quaker methods for the betterment of society at a global level”, “better understanding of Quaker faith in action at the level of international diplomacy and negotiations; as well as Quaker history” and “I understood how Quaker beliefs in social justice and equality could be applied practically in the areas of international relations and development.”

For some, working for a Quaker organisation conflicted with their understanding of Quaker beliefs, practices and processes: “understanding… the limitations of the Quaker business model. The pretence that there was no hierarchy, when there clearly was was also problematic”, “No. The opposite - I felt the manner of work / management was in fact unQuakerly” and “my experiences as a PA were often the antithesis of everything I understood about Quakerism and were damaging to my relationship with Quakerism.” A number of respondents currently attend Quaker meetings, others work alongside Quakers in their social activism and one replied that they are “a Quaker in the way I live my life.”

81% of respondents ‘still engage with Quakers’ in some way, with the vast majority of these (80%) indicating that they have social connections with Quakers. 84% of respondents indicated that they are still in touch with people from their placement year including fellow peaceworkers or staff from their respective organisation. This indicates that the personal and professional connections made during the peaceworker year are enduring.

15

The written responses to this question were extremely varied. Some respondents continue to be involved with Quakers, for example one peaceworker referred to their subsequent work as an Ecumenical Accompanier in Palestine/Israel,19 another works for Quaker Peace and Social Witness, and one respondent mentioned that they have become a Member of the Religious Society of Friends since completing their placement. One respondent replied that they were “closer to Friends, distant to Quaker structures.” Several respondents shared this sentiment: “After finishing my internship, I did not want any involvement with the Quakers for a long time” and some reflected on the difficulty of living up to Quaker values:

I think I have a more realist, inside perspective of Quakerism now - nothing in action can live up to ideals… the journey continues. But I do feel closer now.

Then, I was five years along a Quaker path, now I am 15 years along, it is just another point in the journey and opened my eyes and heart to how far we can fall short of good practice.

I found the year very intense and became disillusioned with Quakerism in many respects, particularly the disconnect between Quaker values and the practice of Quaker organisations and some individuals. I still uphold Quaker values and many of the things that I learnt, but prefer to practice alone rather than go to MFW.

I don't relate to 'Quakerism'... I think my relationship with Quakers and their processes etc has become more complicated. I am immensely grateful for the Peaceworker experience and all that came with it. But getting closer to the work

19 In the UK & Ireland, the Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine Israel (EAPPI) is administered by the Quakers in Britain. Ecumenical Accompaniers provide a protective presence to vulnerable communities and report human rights abuses. See eappi.org for more.

16 of Friends House and meeting more Quakers around the country has been a confusing education - I have complex emotions about Quakers now. I love Quakers but I find them rather frustrating!

Living faith in action

I would have very much understood it as expression of my faith and looking for a way to live out my faith in my work and this was a way to do it.

Christine McCartney, QCEA Programme Assistant 1999-2000

I think we were all quite driven by working from our faith base, that that was the reason that we were working there was that it was a way of living out our faith... For me it was important to remind myself of that… It made me feel more confident in speaking out as a Quaker, which was one of the things that we had to do, because I knew that when I came back to the office there were other people who were speaking out as Quakers.

Heather Rowlands, QCEA Programme Assistant 1999-2000

The average response to the question ‘how important was the spiritual/faith-based component of the placement in attracting you to it (if at all)?’ was 5.6 out of 10 and 66% of respondents felt that the placement contributed to their spiritual development. The experience of living ‘faith in action’ (or witnessing others attempting to do so) was mentioned by several respondents and the pre-placement training for the position at Woodbrooke (and in the case of a BYM/YFGM Coordinator, the Young Adult Leadership Programme at Woodbrooke20) were highlighted by some as being especially helpful in this regard. The average response to the question ‘how important is combining your spiritual life with your peacework or ‘living faith in action’ to you?’ was 7 out of 10. The following are a selection of responses to the question ‘to what extent did your placement fulfil this objective?’

It gave me an insight into one way to put faith into action.

I think faith in practice had always been important to me but working at QCEA was the first time I had been actively encouraged and supported to be deliberate in how I thought about and applied faith principles in the workplace.

For me Quakerism is more about brave, loving action than silent worship. My placement enabled me to develop a set of skills and tools that I have built on over the years to be able to make a useful contribution to creating better, more empathetic relationships between people in different parts of the world.

20 The Young Adult Leadership Programme is a year -long programme for young people aged 19-28 and is run by Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre. For the BYM/YFGM Coordinator, it is a part of their internship year. See https://www.woodbrooke.org.uk/pages/young-adult-leadership-programme.html for more.

17 I am one person. I don't believe in separating work and personal life. I couldn't possibly do a job that I didn't bring all of myself and my beliefs into,

The average response to ‘how important is spirituality in your life today?’ was also 7/10.

Spirituality is pretty high up on my list these days, and exploring my spirituality takes a leading role in my life.

Very important- it has a big influence on both my personal and professional life, and it is reason I do the work I do.

57% said they have a regular spiritual practice and/or identify with a particular religion. Of these, 26 people referred to being a Quaker/attending Quaker meeting. Others identified more with Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and no religion.

Where are they now?

I think its part of the jigsaw isn’t it and I probably wouldn’t be where I am now without that piece of the jigsaw but it’s not the whole story.

Christine McCartney, QCEA PA 1999-2000, Campaigns Manager at Oxfam Ireland

Former peaceworkers can be found across Europe, in the UK, France, Ireland, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland. The majority of European-based respondents are located in London (24). Further afield, peaceworkers can be found in Jamaica, Australia and Burma. Furthermore, 92% of former peaceworkers surveyed have been involved with peace/social justice work or activism after their placement, either personally or professionally. In the comments to this question, peaceworkers referred to the wide variety of social justice/human rights/peace work they have subsequently been involved with, including:

• working with former child soldiers in Uganda, • working with a renewable energy analyst firm involved with the low carbon transition, • working with homeless people and women who are vulnerable to sexual exploitation, • being a Trustee for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, • working at UNICEF and Terrence Higgins Trust, • youth work, • community development, • permaculture, food growing, herbalism • participating in peace marches • setting up alternative media outlets • working for Quaker Service Australia, • being a social worker • being a primary school teacher

18 • working with UN in Syria • human rights and social justice work in Palestine • working for the UN Secretary General, Foreign Office and Cabinet Office.

In response to the question ‘in what ways did your experience as a Quaker Peaceworker/Programme Assistant help your subsequent social justice work (if at all)?’ UK peaceworkers responded with “it was integral to my career – it motivated me to work both in peace/social justice work, and to focus on youth”, “it was a vital stepping stone, both in terms of training and also as an outlet for my rather unfocussed sense of social injustice that I found it difficult to constructively channel”. QUNO respondents referred to the knowledge they gained of international human rights processes/UN systems, “increased relevant knowledge and skills, contacts, ways of thinking about approaches to working for change”, “it was key in positioning me to get my position at the UN”, “it informs how I make decisions, the silence I try to work into every day and how I handle relationships”. QCEA respondents replied that it “gave me experience of working in an NGO”, “It certainly helped me better understand the importance of a spiritual dimension to any social justice work; and also that the way organisations are structured is very important” and “It helped me very much in terms of experience for my CV (working on policy issues, understanding EU structures and ways of working, leading a piece of research etc)…then there were also the 'softer' skills I learned while working with the Quakers e.g. speaking truth to power in a constructive way.”

Survey participants were asked what and where they are currently or most recently employed (where applicable). The majority of respondents work in the ‘third sector’ of charities, non-governmental organisations, international organisations (including the United Nations) and politics. This is a list of where respondents said they are now working:

Quaker & Christian/faith based organisations • Operation Noah • QPSW • QUNO Geneva (three of the four current Representatives of QUNO Geneva are former QUNO New York/Geneva Programme Assistants) • St Ethelberga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace • The United Reform Church, • Woodbrooke Quaker Study Centre

NGOs/charities/voluntary sector • Bat Conservation Trust • Bristol Natural History Consortium • Changing Lives • Child Soldiers International • Children England • ForcesWatch • Greenpeace UK • Leap Confronting Conflict • Medact • National Council of Voluntary Organisations

19 • Oxfam Ireland • Penal Reform International • Save the Children • Terre des Hommes • War on Want • War Resisters International.

Politics, including United Nations and other international organisations • Australian Foreign Office • Cabinet Office • Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces • International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) • International Institute for Sustainable Development. • UK Department for International Development • Parliamentary Assistants for Members of the European Parliament • Member of the European Parliament • UNICEF consultants.

Commercial - energy • Bloomberg New Energy Finance • Douglas-Westwood

Education • Some peaceworkers are currently students whilst others are teachers, or work in academic administration.

Other projects • Founder of a magazine celebrating sustainable, peaceful and creative living in Northern Ireland, • Freelance writer and editor. • Volunteer on a sustainable building project and mentor working with National Citizen Service • Setting up a gift-economy based permaculture smallholding project in Ireland.

20 What next?

Alumni network

I benefitted greatly from the Programme. I would like to help if I can.

87.5% of respondents indicated an interest in forming part of an alumni network. The breakdown of activities that those who said ‘yes’ would consider being involved in is indicated below:

The most popular potential activity is ‘being a mentor to a current or former peaceworker’. In response to this, I have liaised with the three main organisations and Woodbrooke and I am creating an informal voluntary mentoring scheme for current peaceworkers to connect and be ‘mentored’ by former peaceworkers during their placement year. At the time of writing, three of the current peaceworkers have been connected to a mentor. I have also established Facebook and Linked In groups for former peaceworkers and intend to hold a gathering in London (where most former peaceworkers are based) in the near future. Interestingly, almost half of respondents who are interested in an alumni network indicated that they may be interested in sharing their personal and/or professional journey with Quaker meetings or interest groups. Rhiannon Redpath (who has been a peaceworker twice) had the following to say about a potential alumni network:

I guess maybe there is space for linking people up. Also – getting people in who’ve already had that experience who can say ‘Geneva is a weird place, you’re not going mad, don’t worry you’ll survive’, there is definitely space for support and mentoring in that sense and a network of people to stay in touch with each other as its so valuable and so niche, two or three people get to do this at each organisation every year, that’s really remarkable and it’s a small group of people that could be better supported, rather than waved off at the end of the peaceworker scheme…they have this collective and shared experience which in some way is Spirit-connected or Spirit-led and that in itself is a powerful resource that is just frittered away ‘cos the new peaceworkers are coming in for the next year.

(Rhiannon Redpath, QPSW 2012-2013 and QUNO 2014-2015)

21 Conclusions

This research started with the question of how effective these placements and their related organisations are at sharing Quaker ideas, values and practices and to what extent these schemes encourage and support growth in the area of an individual’s spirituality in relation to their social justice work. The results clearly demonstrate that these schemes are very effective at sharing Quaker ideas, values and practices and the ‘faith in action’ component is important to a lot of people who do these schemes, both during and following their placements. The scope and level of engagement in social justice work and activism following the placement schemes also suggests that on the whole the schemes are not an isolated event in the lives of those who undertake them, but rather are a part of (and for many, a significant part of) a long-term commitment to peace and social justice work.

The other question for the research was whether former peaceworkers would be interested in connecting with each other and forming an informal alumni network, with the possibility of meeting, mentoring and collaborating together in years to come. The response has been positive; particularly with regards to the (optional and voluntary) mentoring scheme with former and current peaceworkers that has the potential to become a regular feature of the placements. Some former peaceworkers have also expressed their interest to share their personal and professional life experiences with Quaker groups and meetings as well as to collaborate and connect with work and activism ideas, projects and events as well as socially.

Despite all participants being labelled as ‘peaceworkers’ throughout this study, the schemes are all different, run by different organisations in different countries. That said, there is some overlap in terms of funding and support/training. One consistent and valued factor across the schemes is the fact that they are paid – this was a key incentive and enabling factor for peaceworkers to participate in the schemes. The QUNO and QPSW peaceworkers receive the same pre and post placement training and support at Woodbrooke and Friends House, whilst the QCEA peaceworkers don’t (although they have periodically attended the same mid-year seminar). The issue of ongoing support during the year was raised by some at QUNO and QCEA who indicated a lack of independent support, unlike with the QPSW placement where a designated staff member external to the organisation is available for ongoing support and reviews.

Of the three main ‘peaceworker’ schemes, QCEA produced the most mixed results, and It is worth recognising that the organisation is currently in a process of reviewing its work, including its staffing. Clearly more research would need to be done into the YFGM Coordinator/BYM role further down the line in order to better assess the impact of the placement as the internship is only two years old and the sample size of two is too small. However, given the overlap between applicants for the different schemes, I felt this internship is worth including and where possible connections made between the placements and their respective participants.

Given the limited time frame of this scholarship, it was limited to European-based placements, as that the three main peaceworker schemes have been running for over twenty years, are primarily co-ordinated, supported and funded by Quakers in Europe and this is the first time their impact on the (primarily) young people who undertake

22 them has been assessed. One respondent pointed out that as a QUNO programme assistant, they would have more in common with the QUNO New York programme assistants than other Europe-based peaceworkers. Perhaps further research is needed into more of the Quaker schemes, including QPSW international peaceworkers, QUNO New York programme assistants and Quaker Voluntary Service and Friends Committee on National Legislation’s respective USA-based Fellows schemes.

Recommendations:

It is recommended that: • this research be repeated with future peaceworkers periodically in order to continue to evaluate the effectiveness of the schemes. • all the organisations mentioned keep a record of previous alumni, at least their names and email addresses. • the voluntary mentoring scheme be offered to incoming peaceworkers routinely as part of their placement. • QUNO and QCEA review the pastoral support available to their peaceworkers. • QCEA reviews the accommodation and training arrangements for their peaceworkers. • the different organisations consider whether the placements could be advertised at the same time.

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