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AMERICAN FRIENDS R | | | |. E T | N : SERVICE COMMITTEE WINTER 1957 . QUAKER VISITORS RENEW CONTACTS IN POLAND by Earn Epwarps SS ee ng Warm welcomes from old and new acquaintances made it ree rest p easy to Feel athome. Hl a — pongtrt aes : Friends had reluctantly left Poking in 1949 when all for- { aa : ~~ cign organizations were told they could turn their attention to other countries. Success of the new goverament’s own “ Post-war tchabihitation was given as the cause of the order. : a Yhe joint Anglo-American Quaker team left aiter three : aa years of relief and reconstruction work. cob After the death of Stalin, Friends re-established contact ‘ag with people in Poland. Since 19SS Polish students have at- ; V y tended seminars in Lurope. For two sears members of the ohare * iplomutic staff have heen participants in Conferences for : ; ayn Diplomits in Switzeriand. . . phe toy ay, This summer an International Seminar was held in V te ao EES 4 saw. Tt Was attended by students trom 18 countries, and lor : jew hearb. Tenaga L 4 the first time Polish Cand Yugoslav) students were able to cates eke ¢ c A ; ~ join the seminar progiany in the Unites! States. Karly this vear an isitation was received to send an inter- national Quaker goodwill mission to Potund, The AFSC and the East-West Relations Committee of London Yearly Meet Members of the Quoter International Mission to Poland were, feft to <i / 69h; Wiliam B. Fdacrten, associate professor of Slavic languages, Columbia University, Wilkam Barton, generat secretary, Friends Service Council, London: Finn Friis, Denmork, AFSC and FSC representonve in ing were delighted to accept. Venna. Flo Cecteryron, clerk, Sweden Yearly Meeting; Sydney Bailey, Three persons fiom the United States, three fram the divector of Quote: UN Progam: Polish interpreter: Geratd Boley, view United Kingdom, one tram Sweden and one from Denmark choiman, Friends tot-West Reiotions Commitive, London: bare Ed= spent the first two weeks of September in Warsaw, Cracow, words, essocinte executive secretary, AFSC; and Williom Huntington, Wroclaw and Poznan. Five ef those in the group had pievi- eheirmen, AFSC foreign servi ous experience in Poland. . The Polish Insutute of International Atlitirs was host to At ka week in Poland our delegation of eight Quakers. the mission. It arranged informal mectings with journalists, sologized te our cutde-interpreter tor schedule adjust- university faculty and administration members and gover as ments required fy meet unexpected oppertuities. She ree ment ollicialy. Our contacts alyo included visits with persony minded us that uxuly schedules far such delegations are whoye associations with Friends grew out of services ater rather carelutty observed once they have been worked out. the first und second World Wars. Then she aided, “With you people it’s just as if you were Far-teaching changes of economic, social and political hems.” continued on paye 2 i AFSC OBSERVERS REPORT ON YOUTH FESTIVAL / by Giorer Monte snore it Through face-to-face contact in AUSC seniinars ane other small groups Friends were urced wtf by eastern Europeans te take part in the Moxemw Youth Festival this uemmer, Thirty tive thousand delexais were expected. In response the Buard concluded that a@ few tnalire observers stud be present far at least part ef tin tine. This iva report from Georce / Mohlenhofi, director of the AFSC Natione! Colleve Proxram, Others were Ruth Simkin and Eric Johnsen, members af the Buurd, and Robert Osburn, representative of the North Amonoun Yours Friends Amir i drushha" was the offigial slogan af the Moscow young Russians reject Picasso, despite bis Communism, and Youth Bestival, ber Pesce and Pricndstup! We heard the brand nen-objective art as meaningless and ridiculous. words used again and again. s the singing end fora dele- “This was the bind of discussion which, wmocPeduled inthe gabon stdement, as the seleran plows of a vast sbaliuo of Festival, arose spontancousty around the scheduled events youth, 2s a slogan placed on every decoration themselve the Festival wan fot puimarily a pobtical onc. Por many The nearest approach to a programmed exchange of ich of the 34.000 topemners the preatest :ttraction was the end- was in events crrobconsiy called “seminars” Which we less number of aldebes events which Aled much ot the FSX. less sessions of prepared statements on teaching ce pase progam. For others it so the nishtly performances of or student cooperation made by delegates and translated sian opera, plavs, bauer and puppets in the Laniwus Mescow Ullancously into five lensnages. theaters where al Goupes bad been especially retuned for What way lackin in scheduled discussions was sup the Festal. bvtuntieny dotted the city, attractiny chrengs plied by the intorma! koots of people who gathered every- of delegates and Rassans to took at photograrhy on stamp. where--in their dormitories, in streets, in Red Square. “Phe oMficcdens or moder ott Prequenth: politics entered inte, moment 4 mutual language was found, questions and ia the responses of He cfowds as they viewed the art, We beard continued on pase?