In this section:
• Peacebuilding and the EU
• Online European Peace Directory
• The EU’s Response to the Threat of Terrorism
•
Enhancing European Capacity for Peacebuilding
•
Intergroup on Peace Initiatives
•
Peace Tax at the Council of Europe
• Europe and the Non-Proliferation Treaty
• European Security Research
• Effective Counter-Terrorism: A Critical Assessment of European Union Responses *New*
The Quaker concern for peace derives from a belief in the unique value of individuals. The worldwide Quaker tradition of peace has evolved over three hundred and fifty years, and the peace testimonies remain a guide and inspiration for activism to the present day. More information on the Quaker Peace Testimony.
Quakers believe conflict should be resolved through means which foster mutual understanding of needs at the earliest stage, and which therefore make violence unnecessary. Quakers also believe that violence does not lead to sustainable conflict transformation and that it therefore does not solve problems in the long term, even if it appears to be solving a problem in the short term.
There are Quaker projects worldwide promoting peace, working at the international, national and grass-roots levels. Many Quaker organisations, some of which have a primary or core focus on work relating to peacebuilding and conflict prevention are listed at http://www.quaker.org/#2.
If you have any questions relating to this programme, please contact QCEA
Peacebuilding and the EU
This series of Briefing Papers aims to outline the work of the European Union (EU) in the field of Peacebuilding, how it is involved in Conflict Zones and International Actors (illustrated by Case Studies). The papers are intended to act as an introduction to this topic and to help provide understanding of the EU’s work in this field. Go to briefing papers on Peacebuilding and the EU
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Online European Peace Directory
The European Peace Directory is an online resource for all those in Europe who are working for peace and want to find out who else in Europe is working in this field.
Search the European Peace Directory
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The EU’s Response to the Threat of Terrorism
QCEA has been working on the subject of the EU’s Response to the Threat of Terrorism for some time. This first set of Briefing Papers represents our interim progress on this topic. They attempt to set out systematically what the EU has been doing in response to the threat of terrorism which has been very much in the forefront of policy debate. We look at this response in light of existing Treaties, in terms of the external policies of the EU and in terms of the internal policies of the EU.
Read the Briefing Papers on 'The EU's Response to the Threat of Terrorism'
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Enhancing European Capacity for Peacebuilding
QCEA is currently working to encourage the European Union to enhance its civilian capabilities to intervene in and manage crises and to assist in long term peacebuilding. QCEA helped establish and is currently a member of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO). EPLO can be contacted at nbeger@eplo.org.
More Information:
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"Generating Civilian Capabilities: Moving Beyond Crisis Management to Peacebuilding" (EPLO Policy Paper March 2005) - PDF (157kb)
Instructions on downloading PDFs:
 To read PDFs you need Adobe Acrobat Reader.
To download the PDFs right click the link select "Save Target As" and save it on your computer.
Please note that this is a large file and depending on your connection speed may take some time to download
• Visit the EPLO Website
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Intergroup on Peace Initiatives
QCEA acts as secretariat for the MEPs Intergroup on Peace Initiatives providing logistical and administrative support.
The Intergroup on Peace Initiatives acts as a forum where MEPs of different political groups can discuss peace & conflict issues, and further the political debate on these issues.
For the report on the Intergroup on Peace Initiatives event of 21 November 2007, Arming Big Brother Revisited, please follow the link below or click here
More information on the Intergroup on Peace Initiatives
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Peace Tax at the Council of Europe
QCEA is asking the Council of Europe for the establishment of a legal right to conscientious objection to the use of our tax money for military purposes. We have drafted a resolution to this effect, based on the text of the resolution which legally affirmed the right to conscientious objection to military service. QCEA has also produced a series of briefing papers looking at the proposals relating to the recognition of Conscientious Objection to taxation for military purposes which we are making to the Council of Europe and sets them in the context of the Council of Europe and its prior work on Conscientious Objection to Military Service.
More information on Peace Tax at the Council of Europe
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Europe and the Non-Proliferation Treaty
The Mayor of Hiroshima recently visited Brussels (18th – 19th January 2005) as part of the Mayors for Peace Campaign. More information on the campaign and the upcoming Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (May 2005)
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European Security Research
Ben Hayes from Statewatch and Herbert von Bose, Head of Unit of the Preparatory Action for Security Research came together at a recent event organised by the Intergroup for Peace Initiatives to discuss issues arising from the fact that the recently approved FP7 includes funding of research into civil security.
More information on European Security Research
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Effective Counter-Terrorism: A Critical Assessment of European Union Responses
This report builds on a series of briefing papers compiled by QCEA on the European Union's response to terrorism. The report seeks to put this into a broader critical framework of responses to terrorism which is based on the Quaker Testimonies to peace and equality.
Click here to download the report in English
Click here to download the report in Danish
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