QCEA undertakes policy research, political advocacy and “quiet diplomacy” on peacebuilding and human rights issues in the context of European politics. Its efforts currently focus on building support for nonviolent conflict resolution, shared security, and the human rights of refugees in Europe. In general, QCEA’s advocacy efforts focus on the European Union and the Council of Europe, where many of the political decisions relevant to its work are made. More generally, QCEA argues in favour of peaceful cooperation between European countries, and in defence of the European human rights framework established after the Second World War. It hosts conferences and tours for Quakers from across Europe which explore these themes further. Prior to 2016, QCEA was also responsible for EU-level Quaker advocacy on matters such as economic justice and sustainability.
QCEA is established as a non-profit association under Belgian law. Its ultimate decision-making body is its General Assembly, with a smaller Executive Committee empowered to make decisions. Support groups, which fundraise for QCEA and also participate in its governance, have been established in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Ireland.
History
A small, informal Quaker presence in Brussels was already in existence in the 1970s, consisting of both locals and foreign bureaucrats living in the city. Motivated by both the increasing international profile of Brussels and the :fr:Question communautaire en Belgique|linguistic schism taking place in Belgium at the time, steps were taken to formalise this presence from 1975 onwards. The newly-established Brussels Monthly Meeting began issuing a regular newsletter, Around Europe, still published today, which rapidly became a source of updates on European political developments for Quakers around the world. This galvanised support for a “Quaker International Affairs Representative” to be posted in Brussels, as well as for an associated body to oversee their work. To that end, QCEA was established in September 1979.
QCEA’s offices are located in the European Quarter in Brussels, close to the EU institutions and Schuman metro station. They occupy a townhouse on Square Ambiorix which was acquired shortly after QCEA’s foundation; it also serves as the main Meeting House for Quakers in Belgium and Luxembourg. The building itself, built in the 1890s by the architect :fr:Georges Hobé|Georges Hobé, is a well-preserved example of art nouveau architecture and has protected heritage status.
