Timeline

Reconciliation & Dialogue

QUNO supports a more holisitic approach to peacebuilding and prevention by the UN through the promotion of reconciliation and dialogue activities.
June 2012

Building Just Societies

 QUNO participated in an international workshop on the topic of Building Just Societies: Reconciliation in Transitional Settings held in Accra, Ghana. The workshop was organized by the UN Peacebuilding Support Office and QUNO played a key role in the design and implementation of this initiative. QUNO Director Andrew Tomlinson also facilitated one of the workshop sessions on the topic of Stakeholders and the Role of Civil Society in Reconciliation.

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June 2012

Peacebuilding in Burundi: A visit from Adrien Niyongabo

QUNO New York hosted a visited by a Burundian Quaker, Adrien Niyongabo, with the local grassroots organization Healing and Rebuilding Our Communities (HROC). At a meeting at Quaker House with experts from the UN and diplomats, Adrien shared his experiences in trauma healing and reconciliation in Burundi as well as his perspectives on the national truth and reconciliation process.

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February 2013

Workshop for New Members of the PBC

QUNO New York and the International Peace Institute co-organized a workshop for new and incoming members of the UN Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) in February 2013. The half-day workshop for expert level diplomats focused on a range of topics relating to the PBC including political accompaniment, reconciliation & peacebuilding, and defining the role of PBC membership.

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October 2013

In & Around the UN

The New York office is pleased to share our most recent Newsletter, featuring articles on the crisis in Syria, sustainable development, women building peace, and QUNO's recognition as one of the world's 100 most influential actors in armed violence reduction.

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December 2013

New York is hiring Programme Assistants for 2014-2015!

Our New York office is now hiring Programme Assistants for 2014-2015. These are entry-level positions for recent college graduates who are interested in international affairs and the UN, and who have a commitment to Friends (Quaker) principles of peace, non-violence, and equality.  The positions provide those individuals selected with an informal extension to their education in international issues. Additionally, PAs gain the practical experience of assisting QUNO New York staff with program and administrative tasks.

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March 2014

QUNO co-hosted lunch discussion on the topic of "Reconciliation and Inclusion" towards sustainable peace"

Quaker House was joined by two members of the Club de Madrid on 11 February for an engaging discussion with Member States and key UN actors. The Club is an international organization of former heads of state working together for democratic leadership and governance.

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June 2014

QUNO hosts photo exhibit This Light That Pushes Me: Stories of African Peacebuilders

QUNO hosted an evening reception for the photography exhibition, This Light That Pushes Me: Stories of African Peacebuilders at Quaker House in New York. This photography exhibition highlights African Quaker peacebuilders from nine sub-Saharan African countries who have all experienced some form of violence and are now working for peace in their local communities. The exhibition, and accompanying book, trace the journeys that have transformed that suffering into a force for social change.

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July 2014

Read the New York office's most recent Newsletter, In & Around the UN

The New York office is please to share our most recent Newsletter, featuring articles on Burundi, Somalia, Peacebuilding, the post-2015 Development Agenda and the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

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September 2014

"Rebuilding Iraq in the Nineveh Plain" - A Briefing with Jim and Deb Fine of Mennonites Central Committee

Together with the Mennonite Central Committee, QUNO hosted a briefing at Quaker House from Deborah and Jim Fine, both of whom recently returned from four years of service with the Mennonite Central Committee in Iraq. Based in Erbil, in the Kurdish Region, they administered MCC's relief, development, and peacebuilding work with Iraqi partner organizations throughout the country.

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December 2014

Facing the Limits of Reconciliation

QUNO New York director Andrew Tomlinson was interviewed by the Western Friend, the official publication of Quakers in Pacific, North Pacific, and Intermountain Yearly Meetings, to talk about the work and impact of the Quaker presence at the United Nations. In a wide-ranging dialogue, Andrew discussed the long history of QUNO, its working methods, and the current policy priorities at the United Nations.

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February 2015

"Tilting the UN Toward Peace & Justice" - Northern Spirit Radio Interview

In February, QUNO New York Director and UN Representative, Andrew Tomlinson, was interviewed by the Northern Spirit Radio, to talk about the work of the Quaker United Nations Office and share some insights on current UN processes and focus. Titled: "Tilting the UN Toward Peace & Justice" - the full interview can be found here

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May 2015

QUNO supports peace and reconciliation in Burundi

QUNO New York, along with nine other Quaker organisations, have jointly issued a statement on Burundi entitled "Standing for Peace and Reconciliation." This statement draws attention to the current crisis in the country, highlights the important work of Friends in Burundi on trauma healing, reconciliation, and violence prevention, and lifts up the views of Burundian Friends on the need for a political resolution to the crisis, on the importance of dialogue, and that true peacebuilding is a process that needs support in the long-term. 

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May 2015

UNITAR Seminar: "The Nexus of Reconciliation and Peacebuilding"

In May, QUNO New York Director, Andrew Tomlinson, spoke during a UNITAR Seminar for mid-level UN Diplomats, on the subject of "The Nexus of Reconciliation and Peacebuilding." The Seminar which aimed to familiarize the participants with the principles of reconciliation as a process for peacebuilding, was well attended by representatives from many member state missions. 

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June 2015

UNRWA at 65: Overcoming Hardship and Sustaining Hope

Following a High Level UN Conference to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Quaker House hosted an Israel Palestine NGO Working Group meeting with UNRWA titled "Overcoming Hardship and Sustaining Hope.” The meeting featured five Palestine refugees from the West Bank, Gaza, and Syria who traveled to New York City to share their stories with the UN community. 

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October 2015

In & Around the UN

Take a look at what's going on in our New York office: QUNO's quarterly Newsletter highlights our work on the new Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda; the first Arria-Formula meeting focusing on the issue of Palestine since 1997; a workshop in Beijing entitled "Emerging Views on Global Peace Practice;" our Review of the UN Peacebuilding architecture; and new staff in New York.

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November 2015

"Making Peace in Their Own Words": Myanmar's Peace Process

QUNO hosted a book launch and discussion at Quaker House in New York on "Making Peace in Their Own Words: People of Myanmar's Peace Process," a publication recently issued by the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies. Member States, UN personnel and NGOs came together to discuss the challenges and successes of the peace process, which is nationally-led and has taken place between the government and ethnic armed groups. 

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February 2016

QUNO speaks at Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organisations in International Affairs

QUNO New York director, Andrew Tomlinson, spoke at the Second Annual Symposium on the Role of Religion and Faith-Based Organisations in International Affairs, which had a thematic focus on the links between religion, violence and extremism. He was invited to speak as a panelist on the intersections of religion and violence, alongside Professor Dr. John L. Esposito from Georgetown University.

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June 2016

In & Around the UN: New Newsletter from our New York office

QUNO New York is excited to share our most recent Newsletter, "In & Around the UN," featuring the following articles by our staff:

  • What's Next in Peacebuilding?
  • Letter from the New York Director
  • Pastor Elie's Visit to New York
  • Putting Prevention Back on the UN's Agenda
  • ​Updates from the Geneva Office
  • Closer Cooperation between the UN and Regional and Sub-regional Organizations
  • QUNO-AFSC Bring the Perspectives of Chinese Scholars to the UN
  • Celebrating the Work of Quakers at the UN

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July 2016

QUNO engages with religious peacebuilders at UN event on violent extremism

The role of religion in violent conflict has received new attention in the context of recent terrorist attacks - but religiously motivated actors have long been involved in community and national level peacebuilding. In July, QUNO New York Director Andrew Tomlinson spoke at a UN event organised by the Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding entitled "Turning the Tide: Engaging Religiously-Motivated Peacebuilders in Conflict Zones",  alongside peacebuilders from Sri Lanka, Colombia and Afghanistan.

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October 2016

"Making peace with the past: transforming broken relationships" publication launch

The Quaker United Nations Office, together with Conciliation Resources and the Delegation of the European Union to the UN, hosted a successful launch of the third Accord publication, "Making peace with the past: transforming broken relationships." The event involved representatives from the UN, Member States and civil society. 

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