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Friends United Meeting |
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October 2003
Quaker House at Fifty
By Tony Bing
Walking down East 48th Street in the historic Turtle Bay district of New York City, it is easy to miss the small plaque at number 247 that marks the location of Quaker House. Indeed, for many Friends, not only the location, but the very existence of Quaker House is unknown to them. The quiet, behind-the-scenes diplomatic work of the Quaker United Nations Office (QUNO), and its important use of Quaker House as a place where U.N. diplomats can meet among themselves or with Quaker and other non-governmental organizations, takes place so inconspicuously that the work has not been widely known among Friends. This off-the-record activity has undoubtedly contributed to the success of the conversations in moving the work of the United Nations forward, but has worked against Friends' proper appreciation for the work of Quaker House and its fifty years of service to the Society of Friends and the international community.
Soon after the founding of the United Nations, Quakers (through the Friends World Committee for Consultation) were granted non-governmental consultative status. QUNO was greatly aided in its early work through a 1953 gift of a four-story brownstone just a few blocks from the U.N. I made my way to this brownstone this winter and was greeted warmly by Lori Heninger and Jack Patterson, current QUNO directors who live on the top two floors of Quaker House along with their daughter, two dogs and a bird. I thought of the distinguished list of Quakers who have served as directors of the house and of the countless visitors, some well-known, some much less so, who have passed through its doors.
These visitors have found a spot where adversaries could meet informally and discuss topics that did not lend themselves to the more formal U.N. diplomatic venue. Thus after the Rwandan genocide, Hutu and Tutsi leaders met for a day-long meeting at which one of the Hutu leaders remarked: "You know, this is the first time in four years we've talked face to face. I can see your eyes and you can see mine and we have been talking to each other as human beings." What better example of Quaker values put into practice as we see that meeting the Other as a human being can truly work to take away the occasion of war!
The fifty years of dialogues and informal conversation have allowed other adversaries to meet each other as human beings, most notably Black and White South Africans, Palestinians and Israelis and North and South Koreans. From 1988-94, talks of Quakers with North and South Koreans, though held separately, have paved the way for Quakers to be of potential use in the current crisis in Korea. Barry Hollister, who with his wife Kay were directors of Quaker House and QUNO for nine years, reports on a meeting with the New Zealand ambassador to the U.N. who told the QUNO staff, "I want to make a personal statement just before my report to you. I am a specialist at arguing, maneuvering the self-interest of New Zealand and the New Zealand government. ThatŐs what all the national ambassadors are here for. But when you people bring us into Quaker House for one of your weekend meetings, I don't know exactly what it is you do. But, you get us actually conferring with each other about working together more effectively. That's an extremely important reality and symbol in the U.N. Headquarters community. Be sure to keep it up."
The welcoming and relaxed atmosphere of Quaker House has also aided in discussion of transnational issues like the Law of the Sea, The World Conference against Racism, the Earth Summit, Disarmament and Arms control, the use of girl child soldiers and international human rights. These discussions have fed into the decision-making process of the U.N.
In a time when the world needs to see a stronger international community and nonviolent resolution of the innumerable conflicts that seem to spring up everywhere, there is a need to make sure that Quaker House has a sound financial base from which to offer its great service to global understanding. We have to insure that informal luncheons continue, like the one held for delegates to the World Youth Assembly in 1970 when a young Cuban and a young U.S.A. delegate sat at the same lunch table and confided they were each under instructions not to talk to each other, but rejoiced that they were there, sharing sandwiches and talking with one another.
I left my first QUNO meeting full of admiration for how the discussions of the committee were carried forth in a deeply worshipful way, but also I felt the weight of informing Friends about the importance of Quaker House and of our need to help it meet future needs, to keep it up, with the knowledge that an adequate endowment had been built up to sustain the maintenance of the house.
In working to inform Friends of the importance of Quaker House, QUNO is hoping to elicit contributions from individuals, monthly meetings and yearly meetings in order to build an endowment to sustain the maintenance of and improvements to Quaker House. Thus a campaign, "Free at Fifty," is entering its final stages. To learn more about QUNO and its vital work or support the Fund, write to: Quaker U.N. Office at 777 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017.
Tony Bing is a member of Swannanoa Valley Monthly Meeting and Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies and English at Earlham College. He currently serves on the AFSC Board as well as QUNO.
Copyright (c) 2003 Friends United Meeting
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