QCEA's Study Tour: Europe at a crossroads

2022 will go down in history as a year of compounding crises. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought the threat of war ever closer to the EU, while a new Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report revealed that the window of opportunity to avoid irreversible and devastating harm caused by global heating is rapidly closing.

Events in Afghanistan, and Ukraine, and protracted armed conflict in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Ethiopia and Somalia have caused an increase in refugee flows, while the pandemic lingers on, exacerbating inequalities and impacting the most vulnerable. The policies that are approved in this crucial time will define the direction of the EU for years to come, with the potential of changing its very nature as a political project.

The Study Tour will provide a space for participants to learn and reflect on key policy areas that shape the future of Europe and the context for Quaker advocacy. Particularly, it will focus on three thematic areas:

• Militarisation
• Climate
• Asylum and Migration

QCEA's Autumn 2022 Study Tour will provide a unique opportunity to learn about the EU, its policy-making mechanisms, as well as ways in which NGOs, civil society and common citizens can make a difference. The tour will include visits to EU institutions, workshops and discussions to dive deep into the issues.

The Study Tour costs between £101-£643, depending on your preferred choice of accommodation. The price includes accommodation as well as certain meals. QCEA itself does not charge anything for the Study Tour. Travel and public transport costs, meals during free time and personal spending are to be met by each participant or by those who sponsor them. We would also like to encourage Yearly and Local Meeting to consider sponsoring, so that young Friends can be subsidised.

If you are not able to cover the costs of the Study Tour, QCEA offer a limited number of bursaries. Please reach out to us at studytour@qcea.org.

Grants for Quakers in Britain can be found at www.quaker.org.uk/grants.

Click HERE to register.