FWCC participated in a consultation between organizations interested in Bolivia, convened by the Bolivian Quaker Education Fund (BQEF). Goals of this consultation were to 1) Gain a more thorough understanding of the work of Quaker or Quaker-affiliated organizations located in the Global North working in solidarity with Bolivian partners 2) Explore our responses to the evolving landscapes of solidarity work in Bolivia and reflect on deepening our faithful accompaniment with Bolivian Communities and Friends 3) Discover possibilities for further support and collaborations. We are very thankful to Rebecca Day Cutter of BQEF and Consultation and Intervisitation Program Group Clerk Milena Villca for their leadership in this initiative
Representatives from BQEF, United 4 Change (which has taken on the work of Quaker Bolivia Link), Waljok, Quaker Earthcare Witness, the American Friends Service Committee, Thee Quaker Podcast (through a videomaking project in partnership with Waljok), Friends Journal shared about their work and FWCC shared about our relationships with Friends and Yearly Meetings in Bolivia.
Outcomes of this meeting include multiple opportunities to engage and learn more about Bolivia, including an in person study tour lead by BQEF to Bolivia in January and a virtual tour organized by Waljok.
BQEF has just a few spots left for its Quaker Study Tour, January 7-20 2025, which will visit several of the projects described in the consultation. BQEF staff say that despite the fact that deadlines and information sessions listed on the tour page have past, you are still welcome to express interest.
Waljok is organizing a virtual study tour and released a preview of that opportunity, produced by Thee Quaker filmmaker Michael Candelori (who has also produced media for FWCC). Learn more about that tour at this link, and enjoy the preview below:
