The six months since our last newsletter have been extraordinary ones as COVID-19 hit New York in force in March. As the pandemic unfolded, QUNO staff members quickly adjusted to working from home, with staff reaching out to friends and colleagues throughout the UN system and to peacebuilding practitioners around the world, listening, supporting, and seeking to understand how these new conditions were impacting global efforts for peace. As our Director notes in his letter, “in these difficult times we find that Quaker approaches are appreciated more than ever in the UN community – approaches based on listening, dignity and reaching out across divides, firmly rooted in the experience, insights and testimonies of Friends around the world.”

The October 2020 newsletter shares highlights from the work carried out by our New York office during these turbulent times. Articles touch on the review of the United Nations Peacebuilding Architecture, QUNO’s efforts in the area of reconciliation, and recent activities focused on inclusive mediation and supporting UN country-level capacities for prevention.