Quaker work with ex-ambassador leads to peace prize
A new video has been released that tells the story of how a Dutch former ambassador and diplomat converted to being an advocate for peace and has now been recognised for his efforts.
Edy Korthals Altes worked for the Dutch government for many years but became increasingly aware during the “Cold War” years of the 1970s and 1980s that the arms race was wrong. During the 1980s he participated in Quaker “quiet diplomacy” events in Brussels. In 1984 he wrote an article giving his perspective and later resigned from his employment with the Dutch government.
Since then Edy has spent many years campaigning and working for peace culminating this year in the award of a peace prize, which was presented in a special ceremony in The Hague. The Prize was awarded by a coalition of peace movements called Coalition of Peace Missions Without Weapons and the Working Group on Inclusive Security and this prize is awarded bi-annually.
Kees Nieuwerth, FWCC-EMES representative from Netherlands Yearly Meeting says that Edy has longstanding connections to Quakers as he took part in dialogues “behind the scenes” at Quaker House in Brussels with representatives from west and east Europe in the 1980s when such meetings needed to be held behind closed doors.
The work in the 1980s has evolved to continue today through several coalitions and partnerships, in which Edy is an active supporter, explains Kees. “He is a supporter of an initiative started by Quakers called ‘Working group on Inclusive Security’ which is now reworking the scenario 2040 of the Protestant Church in Baden to transform military- into civil peace- and security-policies,” says Kees. “This work is widely supported by non-government organisations and peace movements in Germany and has support from peace movements in the Netherlands as well as Netherlands Yearly Meeting.”
Kees also points to the Rethinking Security initiative in the UK that retains the support of Quaker organisations such as Northern Friends Peace Board and Quaker Peace & Social Witness.
In his acceptance of the peace medal, Edy Korthals Altes remarked that if you want peace, you cannot also be preparing for war. “Whoever wants peace must really focus on peace,” he said.
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