In my late 20s I studied a Masters in Peace and Conflict Studies. I learnt about Johan Galton’s definition of “positive peace” – the integration of human society, as opposed to negative peace – the absence of war, and realised that this was what George Fox and so many Quakers were also saying. We need positive, active peace – with justice! I was also taken with Ghandi’s principles of nonviolent direct action and the salt march as a concrete example of active nonviolence in the pursuit of peace and justice. I wanted to offer examples of active nonviolence in response to criticisms that pacifists are passive, cowards. I was in awe of those who went as Human Shields to Iraq, and began to explore examples of nonviolent direct action in Afghanistan in response to the occupation there.

I also became involved in civilian peacekeeping and was fascinated by the different models being trialed by different organisations. The idea of protective accompaniment put forward by Peace Brigades International talks about three areas of influence:

• The presence of international volunteers protects threatened activists by raising the stakes for potential attackers.
• It provides moral support and international solidarity for civil society activism by opening space for threatened organisations thereby giving them the confidence to carry out their work.
• In addition it strengthens the international movement for peace and human rights by giving accompaniment volunteers a powerful first-hand experience that becomes a sustained source of inspiration to themselves and others upon their return to their home countries.

I served in a similar role through the World Council of Churches’ Ecumenical Accompaniment Programme in Palestine and Israel and was able to witness first-hand the everyday challenges of living under military occupation. I was able to offer support to both Palestinians and Israelis working nonviolently to end the occupation and achieve justice.

After completing my Masters, I was offered a Programme Assistant position at the Quaker United Nations Office in Geneva, focussing on Peace and Disarmament. This was an opportunity to see how Quakers put our convictions about peace into practice at the international level. In 1947 Quakers won the Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts following World War II, and in 1948 the Friends World Committee for Consultation (FWCC) became an accredited NGO at the United Nations, allowing Quaker United Nations Offices to open in New York and Geneva. These offices have been active for 75 years, seeking to convene quiet, diplomatic conversations, and living out the belief that countries should resolve disputes through dialogue. I like the quote by Duncan Woods, who was a Representative in the 1990s: