QUNO - Geneva - August 2010

Tom Richardson, Quaker United Nations Office

Dear Friends,

To begin where I left off four months ago, in March I joined the other 1 year Peaceworkers for a two day retreat in Amsterdam. It was a great chance to relax and reflect upon the first 6 months of our placements, offer support and suggest ways of overcoming the challenges we face in our day-to-day jobs. Our trip was guided by Helen Bradford (QPSW) and Lizz Roe (Woodbrooke College) who were fantastic facilitators, creating a safe environment but also teasing out the more complex issues. Purposefully avoiding Amsterdam’s more hedonistic “attractions” I found it to be a very relaxing and charming city. Perhaps it’s all the bicycles and canals, creating a sense of effortless and liquid transition, but life slowed down and I found myself in an all too temporary oasis of tranquillity. I would like to thank Friends for continuing to support the one year workers’ seminar in Amsterdam; which may seem like a bit of an extravagance, but I would argue is an invaluable opportunity to strengthen our personal development. 

At the end of my previous journal letter I briefly mentioned my hopes to bring what I have learnt whilst working for QUNO to post-graduate study. In April I visited Washington DC partially as a holiday but also to visit several Universities I had applied to that offer Master’s courses that focus on the causes and consequences of conflict. I have now settled upon a course at George Mason University’s Institute of Conflict Analysis and Resolution, which I have since discovered was for a period under the directorship of ex-QUNO director Kevin Clements. Over the past 12 months I have discovered that Quakers are everywhere, both as organisational structures and as individuals, for which I am very grateful. However, I also wish that they would be a bit more vocal, and receive the praise and recognition that their commitment to peace and justice deserves. Currently I am frantically trying to finish a research paper for QUNO that seeks to examine the potential relationship between human adaptation to the impacts of climate change and the probability of armed violence. Not only do I hope that this document will be a consolidation of much of what I have learnt in Geneva, but also a first step as I begin to focus on my academic study and professional career.

As part of QUNO’s work on armed violence I was offered the opportunity to attend BMS4, which was held in New York. BMS4 stands for the Fourth Biennial Meeting of States to the United Nations Programme of Action to Eradicate the Illicit Transfer of Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Forms, otherwise known as BMS4 UNPoA SALW. Say it enough times and it (eventually) just slides of the tongue, but will still leave most people baffled. The difference between New York and Geneva was startling. Whilst Geneva’s grandiose Palais des Nations at times feels like a back-water for quiet diplomacy, New York’s UNHQ stands defiantly at the edge of the East River as a powerhouse on the world stage.  The juxtaposition is all the more remarkable considering that the two buildings were built only 14 years apart. Despite a chaotic final session, with much diplomatic wrangling over individual words, a final outcome document to the conference was agreed to by consensus. Personal highlights for me were seeing issues discussed at Geneva Forum events reaching the formal plenary sessions, and the presentation of a short film on armed violence that was produced by those who work closely with QUNO on this issue. The film can be found at http://www.vimeo.com/12091387.

July brought the perennial joy and stress of the Quaker United Nations Summer School, accompanied by 26 young people eager to learn more about the international community. The summer school, a QPSW project that is conducted by QUNO, offers young people the opportunity to engage with the various institutions and issues that inhabit Geneva. At times an exercise in herding cats, the participants travel across Geneva to attend sessions with QUNO staff, UN and WTO representatives, NGO employees, diplomats, academics, indigenous leaders and members of the local Quaker community. Although QUNO provides an overview of its own work the Summer School is an opportunity for participants to explore new topics, gain a deeper understanding in specific areas of interest, and observe how it is possible to turn personal beliefs into a professional career. This year’s participants came from a range of back grounds; including lawyers and a mathematician; Quakers and non-Quakers; with family ties and citizenship in Uzbekistan, Kenya, Australia, Iran, the US, Ireland, France, Germany, Algeria, Jamaica, Gambia, Ecuador and the UK. By the end of the two weeks a tightly knit group had formed and - in spite of the anxiety, the occasional nagging and minor emergencies - we were very sad to see them leave.

At the conclusion of the summer school we held Meeting for Worship, during which I was overwhelmed by a sense of both finality and achievement. After weeks of being principally focused on ensuring a smooth running programme of speakers and mitigating unforeseen dilemmas, the opportunity for self-reflection brought about a shocking revelation; after 11 months my time in Geneva has come to an end. In previous letters I have purposefully avoided waxing lyrically about the passage of time, but with my imminent departure this now feels necessary. The past year has been an invaluable opportunity that has allowed me to develop personally, emotionally and professionally. Working for QUNO has allowed me to explore my core beliefs and challenge my academic understanding; to observe effective and practical methods of addressing the scourge of violence; and to see the very horizons of the international commitment to building peace and security. Working through a Quaker institution has taught me a great deal about the importance of patience, modesty and integrity. Most importantly I have learnt, to paraphrase Sydney Bailey, that ‘peace is a process’: In a world ruled by objectivity too often we focus solely on where we want to be and pay little attention to the journey that will bring us to this point. Peace is never established in an instant, it is built slowly in co-operation through hard work and determination. Finally, through my work I have observed potential professional tracts and issues that previously had held no interest or simply had never crossed my mind. 

Cumulatively, I leave QUNO a more confident, grounded and inspired individual. I feel a strong sense of purpose and see a niche that will allow me to contribute incrementally to a more peaceful and equitable world. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the QUNO staff for their guidance, and the contributions of Friends who make these opportunities possible.

I bid you adieu, but do not say good bye.

In Friendship,

Tom Richardson

August 2010