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AFSC - Middle East Region

Middle East Quaker International Affairs Program
(ME QIAR)

Background

ME Quaker International representatives have been based in the Middle East since 1968, variously in Lebanon, Cyprus, Jerusalem and Jordan. Through meetings with people from different social arenas, diplomats and politicians as well as grassroots organizations and individuals, and research, ME QIARs seek to identify and understand the key issues in the Middle East. Through written reports and public speaking, the views of the ME QIARs aim to inform others working on the same issues in the Middle East and to reach important audiences in Europe and North America.

For more than thirty-five years the ME QIARs have directed most of their attention on facilitating dialogue and peace between Israelis and Arabs. While this continues to be the focus of the ME QIARs work, today, in collaboration with UN Quaker office, ME QIARs also try to promote an understanding of the impact of economic restructuring on societies in the region.

The ME QIARs work closely with the Quaker United Nations Offices in Geneva and New York to organize meetings among government planners, experts and non-governmental organizations. These gatherings explore ways in which arms control and other international conventions and agreements can be implemented in the Middle East.

The Middle East Regional Quaker International Affairs Representatives Program (ME QIAR) works from principles of conflict prevention and mitigation. The Program covers a region that includes North Africa, the Fertile Crescent and the Arabian Peninsula. ME QIAR works primarily with local communities through a number of NGO networks but we also seek to develop relationships with government representatives who have shown they will be allies in this work.

The ME QIAR program seeks to cultivate local capacity to mitigate the impact of violent conflicts. This is done by fostering efforts of local partners to help communities themselves from the effects of violence and develop participatory practices among local communities through confidence building measures with governments and other decision-makers.

A major aspect of ME QIAR work in the past three years has been the concept of human security. It is recognition that state security is often best served when the security needs of individuals are met. It seeks to put people and their protection, including protection of rights, at the center of security thinking and policies. The two main strategies of the Middle East QIAR work are:

1) Community Security Analysis - a methodology that combines surveys, focus groups and public discussions, through partners in the region to create safe space for community dialogue on human security issues. Results of these projects are shared with community members and decision makers to identify themes and future strategies for use by all stakeholders, aimed to directly benefit communities at risk of human insecurity.

2) Track II Diplomacy - through the meetings with key people in the region, AFSC can begin to develop a key people "constituency" that may provide opportunities for track-two diplomacy efforts geared towards developing security policies that better serve people. These analyses along with information gained through individual meetings with key people, can also be effectively used for advocacy in the US that seeks to challenge the current administration's militaristic approach to security.

Jerusalem QIARs are entirely focused on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict with particular emphasis on educating on and promoting the ideas of non-violent direct action as a strategy to end the Israeli occupation and bring just peace to the region. Other issues of focus include:

• Regional dialogue on a comprehensive Israeli-Palestinian peace settlement.
• Forming a people's movement dedicated to non-violent direct action as a strategy to end the Israeli occupation
• Building a global movement for a just peace between Israel and Palestine.
• Supporting conscientious objection in Israel and standing together with other groups and individuals who refuse to serve in the Palestinian Occupied Territories.

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