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ff . a AMERICAN FRIENDS SERVICE COMMITTEE WINTER 1957 ° QUAKER VISITORS RENEW CONTACTS IN POLAND by Eartr Enwarps toe 5 ok J ry = : : . 4A. oF . as t% * ¢. 3 \ an bedi Members of the Quater International Mission to Poland were, feft to iyaght; William B. Edasston, associate professor of Slavic languages, Toiumbia University, Wiliam Barton, general secretary, Friends Service Council, London: Finn Friis, Denmoth, AFSC and FSC representative in Vienna: Flso Cectergron, clerk, Sweden Yearly Meeting; Sydney Bailey, director of Quoker UN Program; Polish interpreter: Geratd Boley, vice choliman, Friends Eost-West Reiotrons Cammintce, London: karle Ed- words, Gssocinte erxacculive secretary, AFSC; and William Huntingten, choirmen, AFSC foreign service committee, Awe a week in Paland our delegation of eight Quakers apolom7ed te our guie-interpreter tor schedule adjust- ments required te meet unerpected opportuimities. She re- minded us that usually schudules far such delegation. are rother carelulty observed once they fave been warked out. Then she added. “With you people it’s just as if you were hon. t if a : ™ > : i} AFSC OBSERVERS REPCRT ON YOUTH FESTIVAL a by Giorkar Monit sore é Through fuce-to-fuce contact in ARSC seminars and’ ather small groups Friends were urcecd ‘ by eastern Europeans ta take purtin the Maoaxcow Youth bestival thes ueeseier. 7 hirtyv-tive thousand deleguirs were expected, in response tne Board concheded tht @ few prrattere observers siouid be present for at least part ef tie reme, This is a report from Grorce Modlenhoft, director of the ARSC Natloncl Collece Program. Others were Kuth Simkin / t > re ‘ é Warm welcomes from old and new acquaintances made it easy to feel at home. Friends had reluctantly left Polind in £949 when all for- eign organizations were told they could turn their atention to other countries. Success of the new government's own post-war tchabihtation was given as the cause of the order. Yhe joint Anglo-American Quaker (eam Jeft after three years of relief and resonstruction work. After the death of Stalin, Friends cto-established contact with people in Polend. Since JYSS Polish students have at- tended seminars in Kurepe. For two veurs members of me Giplomette staff have been parucipents in Conferences for Diplomats in Switzerland. This summer an International Seminar was held in War- saw. It was attended by students from ER countries, and for the first thme Polish tand Yuvostay) students were able to join the seminar program in the United! States, Riardy this vear anansitavion was received to send an inter- national Quiker goodwill mission to Potund, The AFSC and the Rast-West Relitions Commitice of Loudon Year Ing were delighted to accept. Vhree persons fiom: the United States, three fram the United Kingdom, one tram Sweden und one from Denmark spent the first two wecks of September in Warsaw, Cracow, Wroclaw and Poznan. Five of these in the group had previ- Ous experience in Poland. The Polish Institute of International AtYairs was host to the mission. It arranged informal meetings with journalists, university faculiv and administrstion members and eaverna- ment oliciily. Our contacts also included visits With pepons whose associunions with Friends grew ont of services alier the first und sccond World Wars. Far-teaching changes of economic, social and political continued on payee 2 Cans and Bric Johnsen, prembers of the Board, and Robert Osburn, representative of the North Amiworcan Youngs Friends, Amiri drughha’ was the official slogan af the Moscow Youth Postisat Per Peace and Frendstup! We heard the words used arin and again... as the ringing end fora dele- cadon statement, as Ure saderan plete ob a vast siiahum of youth, as a Slogan placed on every decorehon, ‘Che Festival seas net poumurity a political one. Por many of the 34.000 topemners the preatest pttraction was the end- less number of afinehe events Which bled much ot the P58. Pose precram. Por others it woo the mshtty perlormonees Of opera, Paves. bebot and puppets is the faniwus Maoxsow theaters where all troupes had been especiativ retained for the fostaal bvtiations dotted the city. attractor throngs of delevates and Russnins Co louk at photography or stamp eiicouoens of madern att) Prequenth politics entered inte the rosponses of the efowds as hey viewed the art We beard young Russians reject Picasso, despite bis Communism, and brand non-objeetive art as meaninuless and rrdiculons. Phis was the hind of discussion Shih, utoebedutod im the Festival, arose spontanceusly around the scheduled events thesniselves, The nearest approach to a progeaminicd eachanpe of ideas Wasim events crrobeeusiy called “seminars” which were ends less sesuians of prepared statements on teaching conditious OF student couperetion made by delegates and transhated sup Ullancousty nto five lonewaves. Hist What was lacking in scheduled discussions wis sup: plied by the intormal boow of people who gathered every- where--in their dormitories, in streets, in Red Square. Phe Moment 4 mutual duoguage was found, questions and ia- COMMMEL ON Page \ VN BULLETIN