During the years since its inception in 1969, we have provided services to a range of groups including prisoners and their families, mothers and children, young people and senior citizens. Naturally our efforts have been focused on those who are disadvantaged. We assisted them through prison visitors centres, a family centre, a job creation programme, family holidays, a senior citizens lunch club and annual holiday, respite care for those suffering from dementia, and a community transport service.

We now concentrate our main efforts in two areas:

• The Monica Barritt Visitors Centre at Maghaberry Prison provides a variety of services for those visiting members of their families in prison.
• Quaker Cottage, perched on Black Mountain 600 feet above sea level with wonderful views over Belfast, is our family day care centre and provides a range of programmes for families from both communities together that are referred through social workers and primary health care workers. In addition there are separate programmes for children/young people who are non-attenders at school.

To support our work financially UQSC operates a charity shop, " Quaker Care", which sells good quality clothing, bric-a-brac, books etc.

For further information visit www.ulsterquakerservice.com.

AGM 2008

The first AGM of Quaker Service took place in Lisburn on Thursday 25th September 2008. It was well attended by over 25 Friends from a total membership of 105.

The business of the meeting was quite short comprising the presentation of the accounts and a report from Janette McKnight of the projects operated by Quaker Service. The existence of the Ulster Quaker Service Committee has not affected in any way the amount of hard work done by Quaker Service. We heard about the on-going work with mothers and children at the Quaker Cottage, the Teenage Project that is now up and running there, the Visitor Centre at Maghaberry Prison and projects beginning with women prisonners at Hydebank Wood.

The two Quaker Care charity shops are thriving, but still could do with more volunteer staff, especially on the Woodstock road.

A new scheme is being explored. The main prison at Maghaberry is set to expand in the near future, thus the need for increased visitor facilities is expected and plans are in place to build a new Visitor Centre with improved facilities and a Quaker Care shop. This is all dependent on approval by the Prison Service, Planning and Janette asked for our prayers.

After the AGM, which took only a half hour, thanks to the efficient chairmanship of Roy Blair, we were all refreshed and then entertained by the folk band from Friends' School.

Two shy, but brave, girls who took part in the Teenage Project this summer were "interviewed" by Janette about their Mosaic that was the fruit of their labours.

There was then a spectacular interlude where we listened to more music form pupils at the School.

The highlight of the evening was the guest speaker, Dan Gordon (Red Hand Luke from Give My Head Peace). Dan spoke honestly and movingly about his work with teenagers at HMP Hydebank Wood. He recently directed Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme by Frank McGuinness with the boys there. One of the boys is now beginning a drama course in Manchester, one is training to be a youth worker, one is in prison serving a sentence for murder.

I was reminded of the history of Quakers in prison work and was much humbled by Dan's presentation.

The evening was completed with an excellent supper.

So, if you have the opportunity to attend next year's AGM of Quaker Service, do make the effort. There is a staff of about 50, including volunteers, none of whom are members of the Religious Society of Friends. But they are working in our name, with our blessing and support. Do go and support them.

Margrit Grey, September 2008

[Enquiries can for the present be handled by the Editors pending the setting up of a direct enquiry procedure.]

Irish Quaker Faith in Action

This is achieved through supporting individual projects carried out by Irish Friends or in which Irish Friends have an active interest. Administrative costs are kept to a minimum and funds raised are directed to specific programmes of work approved by the Committee.

A further task is to promote awareness and encourage discussion of related social issues. Tens of thousands of euro are contributed every year to projects worldwide. Projects so far in 2005 include:-

Zimbabwe - famine relief. Through Quakers in Central and South Africa we have a special link with the Hlekweni Quaker farm training centre in Zimbabwe for the secure distribution of maize meal, the staple food in southern Africa for those really in need. So far €1,700 has been allotted, and more will be sent when requested.

Mexico City - a Friend working in one of the very poorest areas in the city has built up a thriving relief centre attached to one of the churches there, where a congregation of 400 is now receiving proper meals, clothing and loving care.

Tsunami relief - in 2005 over €5,000 was channelled through Christian Aid Ireland and Mission Aviation Fellowship (an organisation with whom Irish Quaker Doreen Dowd served as a flying doctor in Lesotho for a number of years) Europe - financial support has been given to the Quaker Council for European Affairs through their office in Brussels for an investigation into the treatment and condition of women prisoners in the European Union.

India - a link with the Friends School in Sohagpur has been strengthened by the presence there of two students from Newtown School Waterford for a term to teach English.

Madagascar - help has been given to La Source to build a second floor onto their orphanage building.

Ireland - continued support, financial and otherwise, towards the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into Irish society through the Irish Refugee Trust, to Comhlamh le Cheile, to the Debt & Development Coalition, and to the prison visitors' centres in Mountjoy and Cloverhill prisons that are run jointly by Dublin Monthly Meeting Service Committee and St Vincent de Paul for the families and children of prisoners' relatives who are visiting. (See below)

A Committee of Friends from within Ireland Yearly Meeting is appointed to manage the work of IQFA and to report annually. IQFA has Charitable Status in both Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland, and this enables tax-efficient contributions to be made.

Donations and bequests are always welcomed by the Committee. Several projects have benefited from generous co-funding from Ireland Aid, administered by the Irish Government. Including €30,000 from this source IQFA has raised and distributed €210,000 in the last five years.

The Moyallon Residential Conference Centre is available by arangement for courses, conferences, events etc.

Contact:- The Clerk, IQFA, Maitiu Ó'Murchu, c/o Ireland YM; see Contacts page.

Award for Prison Visitors Centres

The Committee and supporters of the Prison Visitors Centres Committee were delighted to be awarded one of the top prizes at the Dublin Bus Annual awards for Charities, which took place in July 2005 at Jury's Hotel, Ballsbridge. Both the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, and the Chairman of CIE, John Lynch, were present for the occasion. The Award honours the almost ten years of voluntary work by the Committee, which is managed jointly by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul and the Religious Society of Friends.

The need for this work was identified by the experiences of families visiting prisoners in the Maze and Magaberry prisons in Northern Ireland during the 1980's. It was realised that the families of prisoners were one of the most deprived sections of our community. Both spouses and children suffer greatly from the loss of the breadwinner and from the stigma attached to being a prisoner family. In many cases their suffering is more than that of the prisoners themselves.

The work started with a cup of tea and a listening ear by volunteers, members of the two Societies, but rapidly grew into full-time work with purpose built centres at Mountjoy and Cloverhill prisons. These centres, financed largely by the Department of Justice through the Prison Service, have been a model of care and have been visited by experts from overseas. They are a tribute to the work of the two Societies and to the caring attitude of the Department of Justice, the Prison Service and their officials. In the region of 8000 adults and children pass through the Centres each month.

The €5000 prize money will be used to provide extra fun and facilities for the children during the coming Christmas and Easter holidays.

Quaker House Belfast

In spite of the substantial progress that has been made in Northern Ireland, sectarianism and division still remain, and Quaker House is devoted to addressing the associated problems. One of its tasks is to keep a "watching brief" for potential new concerns or conflicts and to respond quickly.

For more information, including contact details, visit http://www.quakerhousebelfast.org

IRELAND/PALESTINE CONFLICT EXCHANGE January 2006

The exchange ran from Sunday 8th of January until Saturday the 14th.

Introduction

The problems they have faced and are facing are similar to all divided communities. The lessons that have been learned during the last thirty years are of most benefit to other regions in conflict while the participants that are responsible for the progress made are still involved in the process of reconciliation or have not completely retired from public life.

In a few years time historians and social commentators may well gloss over the difficulties that have been faced making the leaps of faith taken by the participants, and their achievements seem impossible to emulate.

This was a unique opportunity for Palestinian activists to meet and discuss how ordinary people working in different strata of Northern Ireland society have worked tirelessly, in their own fields, to bring about social change.

The purpose of the visit was as follows:

1) For Palestinian educators and community activists to travel to Ireland and learn about Irish History and the story behind the Irish Peace Process.

2) Observe Northern Ireland society, a divided community struggling in a post war environment, to develop an atmosphere of trust, respect and acceptance for competing traditions.

3) Meet activists from various levels of society, education, political and religious. Some from one of the divided communities, others that saw themselves as being neutral.

4) Travel around to various parts of Northern Ireland and see the different degrees of progress being made to build bridges between the two communities.

It is hoped by seeing and learning how communities in the North worked through their difficulties in order to get to a point of a secure ceasefire Palestinians can return home and in their own areas try and innovatively apply tactics that they have seen work.

The Delegates

The names and profiles of the nine Palestinian Delegates are being omitted, for obvious reasons.

Accompanying us on the exchange was Jameen Kaur from Amnesty International. Jameen provided indispensable logistical support throughout the week. Jameen is manager of Amnesty Shop in Galway and a student of Law at NUIG. She is from a Indian Sihk background and was interested in seeing if the project could be tailored to suit activists from her own community.

The Evolution of Ideas

1) No Palestinians from areas under siege would allow their children to go off to Ireland to meet Israelis. It was too much to expect.

2) If the delegates were not well known, and respected people they would not have any credibility to suggest changes to their peers once they returned.

3) As one of them pointed out, there are very few Israelis that would be willing to take part, as contact with Palestinians from the Occupied Territories is against Israeli law. It has taken this person years to win the support of the Israeli families that he deals with.

4) Only after a few runs at this sort of project would people have an idea of what our angle was on the conflict and if they would be willing to trust us.

5) The situation in the North progressed to a cease-fire after all sides achieved a balance of power of sorts. No one was able to claim they conquered the other. Without a power balance between Israel and Palestine the idea of bringing Israeli and Palestinian children together would be viewed as supporting the ongoing land-grab. In other words "get used to your new neighbours".

Any project involving Israeli and Palestinian children together would require a lot more groundwork.

The Exchange Programme, Galway

A lecture on Irish History was given by Dr. John Cunningham, from the History Dept. National University of Ireland-Galway. In the space of an hour John covered events from pre-Norman invasion till 1916.

Dr. Eoghan McCormick's followed John with his personal account of events in Derry before and during the Civil Rights Marches leading into the beginning of the troubles and his involvement as a Republican activist and later H-Block prisoner in the late 70's and 80's.

Dr. Kathleen Cavanaugh. Historian and Lecturer of International Human Rights Law at National University of Ireland-Galway wrapped up the evening with a lecture on the International Communities influence on the Cease-Fire and Peace Process.

Monday was a travel day from Galway to Corrymeela.

Tuesday 10th of March:

On this day we met Anne Bennett at Quaker House Belfast. She spoke of the role Quaker House played over the last thirty years providing a safe venue for activists from both sides of the communal divide to come and speak in a discreet setting.

Later we met Robert Fairmichael from Innate, non-violent protester, at Quaker House. He spoke about the role his organisation plays in observing marches and his history of involvement as a community peace activist.

In the afternoon we met Ger Rice, community activist and Sinn Fein spokesperson for the Nationalist Lower Ormeau Road. He spoke about the very violent history of the area and the lack of stability in the peace process felt by residents. Ger shared with us his experience of negotiating with Loyalists from the Upper Ormeau Rd. earlier in the day and having had his shoulder patted to see if he was wearing a bullet proof jacket.

Ger took us for a walk around the area where he explained the various incursions into the Nationalist area by Loyalist paramilitaries over the years and the role played, as seen by Nationalists, of the police and security forces to keep the Lower Ormeau Road exposed to attacks.

Wednesday 11th of March:

In the morning we met with David Stevens the Director of Corrymeela Community at the Centre. He explained how the Centre came into existence, how they have tried to provide a neutral venue for politicians and community activists to meet and discuss relations outside of the glare of the media.

In the afternoon we travelled to the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry/Londonderry, after stopping off at the Giant's Causeway. At the Centre we met Paul O'Connor and members of staff from the Centre. He explained the History of the area as well as the Centre's role of documenting the efficacy and history of policing in Nationalist areas.

An interesting project the Centre is now engaged in, is the study of British Army Regiments involved in the Gulf War that have previously served in the North. The purpose of which is to observe and document any correlation between particular Regiments that have served in the North and known to use excessive force and these same Regiments demeanour elsewhere. The material that they shared with us to date will be very interesting when it is published in the months to come.

In the evening we met with Martin Snoddon from the Belfast based, Conflict Trauma Resource Centre. Martin explained the activities that his organisation is involved with. He explained his own past and how he came to become involved with his work through his time in prison and working with prisoners. This was a very personal story that went further than the easily consumable power-point presentation delivered early in the evening. His description of his time in prison and the effects of prison on people struck a cord with the delegation, all of whom would be able to relate directly or at least indirectly to what he recounted.

Thursday 12th of March:

We met Philip Weir, an Advisor to the DUP from Portadown, at Stormont Castle. Philip gave a very engaging overview of the political situation as seen through the eyes of the North's largest political party.

In the afternoon we swung to the other end of the spectrum by meeting Nationalists in Portadown, at the Community Centre. Here we met Brendan McKenna, spokesperson for the area and Member of the Legislative Assembly for Sinn Fein, John O'Dowd.

We would have liked to have met members from both communities in the same venue, but this is prohibited by policy of the DUP, as was explained by Philip Weir. Observing the prohibition of contact in practice was excellent for the delegation to experience, as the rawness and reality of distrust between the communities demonstrated the work remaining to be taken up, and reminder us that the problems facing the divided communities are still "live" and capable of destroying the progress that has been made.

In the evening we met Davide Ervine leader of the Progressive Unionist Party in Belfast City Hall. David told us the story of his loyalist community and his own involvement in a paramilitary organisation, his years in prison and his commitment to finding a solution to Northern Ireland's problems that will accept the competing traditions.

He shared with us his frustration at the slow rate of progress being made on the ground caused by politicians that have never spent a night in jail nor lost a drop of their own blood. Such is human nature that we would rather risk a return to war in certain quarters than take genuine risks for lasting peace.

Friday the 13th of March, THE ARDOYNE:

We departed from the Corrymeela Centre and headed back to Belfast. This time we went to the Ardoyne and after a tour of the community went to a reception held in our honour at the Constituency Office of Gerry Kelly MLA.

Of all the groups we met in the North this meeting was seen as the most practical. The walk around the Ardoyne and seeing the plaques commemorating all the people that had been murdered in sectarian attacks over the years was humbling. When we met the representatives from the area and they spoke of their commitment to finding a solution to the political difficulties we were reminded of the words of David Ervine about the communities that have suffered the most, working hardest to make sure no effort is spared in trying to make the peace permanent.

We spoke with Gerry Kelly first. Gerry Kelly is a senior Sinn Fein activist, former prisoner, and a chief negotiator. He gave the delegation a brief history of the Ardoyne, a Nationalist enclave with 21 interfaces with Loyalist neighbourhoods. He told us of the present ongoing task of working with Loyalist leaders in the surrounding neighbourhoods to defuse sectarian tensions. He also spoke of the hope residents in the Ardoyne have in the future, evident by the willingness of residents to build and rebuild their homes in the area in contrast to the apparent demographic flight from Loyalist neighbourhoods. This demographic flight he believes is due in part to the rise of Loyalist involvement in the sale of drugs and involvement in other crime.

Most notably Gerry Kelly spoke of the help Republicans and Unionist received from South Africans in the form of encouragement and practical advise on how to negotiate with your political opposites. Both ANC members and Afrikaaners advised groups involved in the Northern Ireland negotiations to be as generous as possible wherever they could be to help foster respect and goodwill. These words seemed to really hold the delegates as just minutes before we saw the true cost of not making peace with your neighbours.

We also met Kathy Stanton, North Belfast Sinn Fein MLA and Brendan McFarlane, Sinn Fein Activist, and former H-Block leader, and lifelong friend of Gerry Kelly. In a lighter note each man blamed the other for leading them astray in life.

LAGAN COLLEGE INTEGRATED SCHOOL:

Here we met Brendan Dowd, the Religious Education teacher, and one of his classes. This was very interesting for our delegates working directly with children. They could relate to the stories the children told of the memories of their parents of the troubles and trying to overcome the boundaries set by culture and social conditioning.

Evening, Fr. Alex Reid: We drove from Belfast to Dublin to have refreshments with Fr. Alex Reid. The Redemptorist Priest from Tipperary that lived and worked in St. Clonard's Monastery in West Belfast. Fr. Reid as we well know facilitated early discussions between John Hume and Gerry Adams.

Fr. Reid talked about his years in West Belfast and his experience working with Republicans on the ground, and how this interaction grew into a respectful relationship that provided the foundation for future cooperation.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION:

The tenth member of our group is a member of Al Haq, a Palestinian Human Rights organisation. He was refused permission to travel by the Israelis without any reason given - Israeli Security never needs to give a reason.

Meeting and talking to people on both sides of the communal divide in a post conflict situation was a unique experience for our delegates. The youngest of the delegates could not have imagined that Ireland ever suffered anything like what he has had to endure in Hebron, the son of a martyr, trying to be a student, and have a normal life - he now knows that people in other countries have had to endure similar experiences. For him the experience broadened his mind and has encouraged him to think positive about possibilities that can be achieved by working hard and not giving up.

Each participant was given a questionnaire to fill out regarding the exchange. By and large everyone felt they benefited from the exchange. Most commented that there was a lot to see and experience, and wished they had more time to spend with each group we met.

Naturally enough the delegates seemed to empathise more with Nationalists, but they also had a very high regard for David Ervine, the leader of the PUP as well. Ironically, we seemed to meet Nationalists on the ground and walked the turf with them, whereas with Unionists and Loyalists we tended to meet in more posh surroundings. For instance we met David in Belfast City Hall and in contrast met Gerry Kelly from SF in his office close to an interface. I don't know if it was by design or purely by chance, but the contrast of meeting venues helped highlight the alienation experienced by Nationalists and the structures of power in Northern Society and added to the affinity felt by the delegates for Nationalists in general.

In Hebron the Zionist Settlers are actively and aggressively trying to take the houses off Palestinians, nearly as they have their tea, and are backed by the Israeli Defense Forces in the process. For one of the delegates meeting a senior SF politician on the ground surrounded by 21 interfaces was like being home.

FUTURE PROJECTS:

1) More time given to specific interest groups. For example focusing on former militants realisation of the futility of armed struggle to achieve National Rights and Human Rights as seen by their community.

2) More time given to negotiators and the lead up to the cease-fire.

3) More time given to those involved with the effects of trauma on children, ex-prisoners and other members of the community.

4) More time spent with people negotiating with their opposites in flash-point areas.

Other possible areas of focus in the future could be:

1) Programs for teachers and social workers dealing with children affected by trauma.

2) A teacher exchange program with Friends School in Ramallah.

3) Support for up and running cross community children's projects.

4) An exchange for former Israeli soldiers and former militants where they could meet and discuss possible win/win scenarios with former militants and former security people from the North.

There is no shortage of very useful projects that could be developed as offshoots from this exchange. We travelled perhaps too much. Palestinians are not allowed to travel very far due to closures and checkpoints and we spent hours on the road. But I felt it was necessary to slightly overload the first running of this project to get a sort of market sample.

Every group that we met, no matter what tradition they represented, welcomed the Palestinians with open arms. My gut feeling is that the Palestinians would soak up anything that could be learned from the years of experience of people active in trying to move events forward in Northern Ireland.

I would finally like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Robert & Kezia Stanley Chapman Trust for their support.

Richard Kimball (rkimball at eircom dot net)

Dublin Monthly Meeting Peace Committee report October 2006

We would also like to thank Brian Bromwich and Sonja Schrei for their work in the Peace Committee.

At last Yearly Meeting, we were able to hold a Special Interest Group on what we, as Friends, mean by peace and how we can move to implementing our thinking. Anne Bennett, Jude Lal Fernando and Liz Scurfield spoke, followed by intense discussion. All of them were from outside The Republic of Ireland and approached the subject from radically differing perspectives. It was clear that individuals attending this Group felt isolated but wished to contribute in a real way to building peace. There was need expressed for means of making and building contact and discourse. The Interest Group asked Yearly Meeting to consider the question of reconstituting Yearly Meeting's Peace Committee, to provide an Ireland-wide resource.

Dublin Peace Committee felt it appropriate to contribute to building thinking and action on peace, by, with Dublin Monthly Meeting's agreement, offering an email and postal contact address for exchanging information.

Dublin Peace Committee has begun a programme of 3 seminars, [Fear of the Other, Power and the Other, Religion and the Other] leading towards a conference [Peace and Complicity] in September/October 2007. We hope that these will attract participants from outside Quakerism, but we must also consider Friends' Peace Testimony and its relationship to 21st century experience. We plan to hold the first and third seminars and the conference in Dublin and the second seminar in Belfast. It is important that this concern should be perceived as Ireland-wide, not just in thinking but in action.

We wrote to the Taoiseach concerning military commemoration of Easter 1916 and received a considered response.

We held discussions with Johnston McMaster, of the Irish School of Ecumenics, related to our plans for peace seminars and conference.

We met with Edward Horgan, who was an officer in the Irish Army and who served in Lebanon, but who is now an activist in the peace movement. He will speak at our first seminar.

We were represented at Global Human Rights Protection - the way forward; Eighth Annual NGO Forum on Human Rights; Department of Foreign Affairs 24th July 2006. This was addressed by Conor Lenihan, Minister of State for Development, Co-Operation and Human Rights; Erika Fuller, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR; Tom Hyland, East Timorese-Ireland Solidarity Campaign, with four study groups on different concerns related to human rights protection.

We were also represented at Peacebuilding - What Is the Role of Europe? A Conference organised by Quaker Council for European Affairs, Brussels, 20th-22nd October, 2006. This focused upon the relationship of Quaker-representation and advocacy to peacebuilding and other peacebuilding groups within the context of the EU, which includes its relations with countries and power groups outside the EU. Main speakers included Alan Pleydell, Assistant General Secretary of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, Peter Nias, Director of the Peace Museum, Bradford, UK, Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director General, Directorate General of External Affairs, EU, Martina Weitsch, QCEA, Carne Ross, independent diplomat, Laura Davis, European Peace Building Liaison Office; in addition, there were eight workshops, varying between international groups' actions, concepts and specific geographical problems of violence. Those attending were from Belgium, Germany, Ireland, Norway, The Netherlands and UK. This conference was focused and kept clear of comfort zones. Hard questions were posed. The breadth and generosity of support from participants was immense. QCEA must be thanked for their thinking and work.

As a Peace Committee, we are conscious of the problems for us as a small group, of dealing with the increasing number and complexity of matters related to peace-building. Darfur, Iraq, Israel/Hezbollah/Lebanon, North Korea, Iran, Chechnya: those are a small number of current world problems in terms of violence practised by human beings on each other. Add to that individual countries' special interests within the EU and UN and the effect which they had in slowing international action in Lebanon. Add to that the marketing and strategies of the arms manufacturing industries. Add to that declining fossil fuels and water as actual and potential sources for conflict. Add to that a human population running out of space.

As a Peace Committee, we have begun to think about how to give focus to considering these concerns. How many can we develop our responses to, in an effective way?

We are also dealing with a western Europe, including Ireland, which has not experienced European-wide war for 60 years. How do we communicate to 3 generations who have thankfully not directly experienced war, the importance of peacebuilding? We hope that the thinking in our seminars and conference, engendered by Friends' consideration at Yearly Meeting, will assist us all in focusing on hard questions and seeking movement towards answers and action.

Peacebuilding: What Is the Role of Europe?

Peacebuilding is a very important word. It contains an idea, an aspiration - it also contains the need for action to achieve that aspiration. One cannot function without the other. The European Union [EU] is a good example of how aspiration and action work. The EU is a very long way from perfect, but it has developed from two devastating European wars. The institutional violence of war achieved horror. Rebuilding Europe centred upon the determination of wrecked countries to move to co-operation, or watch Europe implode.

For sixty years, there has been no major Europe-wide war - itself a major achievement. The nature of the EU has changed radically in size, balance, economic power and intentions. The EU is immensely complex. It is a world power negotiating with other complex bodies and powers. Presently, at a Europe-wide level, the EU is rethinking what it is and what it wants to be. There is a huge mesh of national and regional interests, mixed in with special-interest groups.

Within this, peacebuilding, and within that, the Quaker Council for European Affairs [QCEA]. QCEA acts as a body representing Quaker concerns for Europe and is based in Brussels. It functions as a non-governmental organisation [NGO]. It advocates for its own concerns and also co-operates with other NGOs, whose interests relate to QCEA's. Together, they can work as a strong advocacy group. In their own way, they represent the complexity of the EU and the way in which co-operation functions.

Similarly to most such organisations, QCEA is understaffed and underfunded and achieves a huge amount through focused commitment. Their conference played a significant role in focusing this participant's thinking on how peacebuilding has to relate to an international setting. The people attending were Quakers from Belgium, Germany, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and the U.K. Immediately, different experiences begin to support each other.

The conference involved speakers and workshops. Alan Pleydell, Assistant General Secretary of Quaker Peace and Social Witness, spoke about Responsibility to Protect and led a workshop on Dealing with the Past. Karel Kovanda, Deputy Director General of External Affairs, European Commission, discussed peace building from a European Union [EU] viewpoint. Martina Weitsch [QCEA] had the incredibly difficult job of giving a brief overview of EU conflict prevention and crisis management programmes and what EU structures these relate to. Carne Ross retired from the UK diplomatic service because of a crisis of conscience related to the UK's diplomatic programme on Iraq. He discussed the structure and mind-set of diplomacy and how to move from this. He was scathing of diplomatic practice and theory and scathing about the frequent almost wilful naivety of peacebuilders.

Workshops - The Peace and Disarmament Programme at Quaker United Nations Office [QUNO], Geneva; The Work of Quaker Peace and Social Witness; Creative Peace Outreach of the Peace Museum UK; Advocacy through European Peace Liaison Office [EPLO]; Responsibility to Protect; Dealing with the Past; Nonviolent Peaceforce in Sri Lanka; Preparing for Peace; Ecumenical Accompanying in Israel-Palestine.

This was a powerful and dynamic conference. It set peacebuilding in its context - a contemporary world in which implementing intentions is as complex as the mesh of structures and interests amongst which peacebuilding must be advocated. That is a complex sentence and deliberately so. Individuals' commitment to peacebuilding is central to moving countries and power blocs, but the opposition is very powerful and sophisticated. Individuals need to focus their belief in never again seeing the horror of European war and moving from there to the positive dynamism of peacebuilding. They cannot avoid thinking through their intentions and the real-life effects of their intentions - are they well-intentioned but damaging to peacebuilding?

A number of factors reappeared. Underlying distrust of authority: this was particularly noticeable in UK participants, related to the falsity of UK and USA governments concerning Iraq. That has a parallel in current distrust of governmental and religious institutions in Ireland. There was also a clear undertow that people at least knew what others were doing, sadly, unlike on this island. Projects and programmes such as The Peace Museum and Preparing for Peace [see below] were long-term and focused.

The need for hard thinking about the meaning and inferences of words: The EU needs exact definitions to implement action in a very diverse group of states. At times, that is pedantic beyond belief, but it does compel advocacy groups to think rigorously about meanings and effects. We need to do this here.

Finally, this conference set up two days of informed contact and discourse. It was built upon the assumption of an existing focused discourse and dialogue. Dublin Peace Committee's seminars and conference hope to expand the habit of extended discourse at this level here. QCEA has to be thanked for this conference, which demanded hard thinking with no comfort zones amongst generous-minded people.

One last point: Preparing for Peace by asking the experts to analyse war; Westmorland General Meeting, 2005; a fine publication, containing diverse opinions about the validity of war now. ST£6-99, ¤10.