On 1 April 2023, QCEA's General Assembly approved QCEA's new strategy "Justice and Peace in a time of climate crisis".

Over the next three years Quaker Council for European Affairs will focus on three themes:

1. Migration and peace
2. Climate justice and peace
3. Dialogues for transformation

The Quaker peace testimony underpins all our work and our areas of work are connected, particularly with regards to their root causes in cultural and structural violence and economic and racial injustice. QCEA will therefore prioritise working collaboratively as a team, actively seeking synergies both within our work and with
the work of others.

People migrating from one place to another are affected by structural and physical violence. QCEA will bring peacebuilding approaches to the issue of migration, showing what needs to change so that migration can be safe and the rights of people who migrate can be upheld.

It is vital that European responses to the climate crisis are underpinned by a respect for human rights, a commitment to equality and in a way that minimises the potential for conflict. QCEA will bring a peace lens to Europe’s transition to sustainability, identifying potential conflicts and showing how these can be addressed. We will seek to make evident the complex links between the climate crisis, conflict and responses to conflict, militarism and migration.

QCEA believes that transformative change is needed if we are to address the challenges of our times. This is only possible if people across political, social and geographic divides can listen and understand each other and seek common ground. We will build on our experience of quiet diplomacy and creating safe spaces for sensitive conversations to convene and facilitate dialogues on contentious and crucial issues between people with differing views and experiences, enabling them to deeply listen to each other and together consider ways
forward. This work will need to be discreet and not tied to specific outcomes. It is long-term and risky but it is necessary and QCEA is one of the few organisations able to do this.

QCEA as an organisation seeks to be the change it is trying to bring about. We seek to be an anti-racist organisation that does not mirror the inequalities and discrimination of the patriarchal and racist societies in which we live. We commit to looking honestly at ourselves, our policies and practices, identifying where and how we need to change and making those changes. We recognise this work is ongoing and needs to be a collective effort.

We know we cannot achieve change alone. We strive to work in collaboration with other Quaker organisations, faith-based and civil society organisations where our goals are aligned. We are open to working with those we disagree with where they are willing to work with us towards positive transformative change.