What Nonviolent Peaceforce is doing.
Nonviolent Peaceforce is an international project, involving people from all continents and working to expand the range and scale of third party nonviolent intervention tools available.
The mission of Nonviolent Peaceforce is to facilitate the creation of a trained, international civilian nonviolent peace force. The Peace Force will be sent to conflict areas to prevent death and destruction and protect human rights, thus creating the space for local groups to struggle nonviolently, enter into dialogue, and seek peaceful resolution.
The goals of the Global Nonviolent Peace Force are
A)To work with others, including existing peace team and peace service organisations, to develop the theory and practice of third party nonviolent intervention, in order to significantly improve its effectiveness.
B) To significantly increase the pool of people worldwide who are trained and available for third party nonviolent intervention.
C) To build the support needed to create and maintain a standing force of at least 200 active members, 400 reserves and 500 supporters, building to a force of 2,000 active members, 4,000 reserves and 5,000 supporters.
D) To deploy large-scale third party nonviolent intervention teams in conflict situations.
There are a number of different ideas behind the Peaceforce, all working towards the goal of a 'peace army', a standing peace force of 2000 international, trained, staff. For some the aim is to continue the work of Gandhi, for some they want to create an alternative to military intervention and for others it is to build on the pioneering work already done in the last century to develop nonviolent tools. Nonviolent Peaceforce cannot encompass all our dreams and it is committed to remaining within a small niche of civilian peacekeeping and providing protective services to those already working in their countries for peace and human rights
Nonviolent Peaceforce project principles:
Nonviolent Peaceforce representatives will only use nonviolent means and strategies in all circumstances
Nonviolent Peaceforce will not take any side in the conflict nor make its services available to one party more than another
Nonviolent Peaceforce comes at the invitation of locals, and undertakes activities only under the guidance of locals. Nonviolent Peaceforce will not undertake to influence the outcomes of conflict resolution except to assure that they are not violent
Nonviolent Peaceforce strives not to undermine the reputation of any person or group, rather to understand and report causes and needs while opposing violence itself.
Nonviolent Peaceforce seeks goodwill and acceptance from all parties.
Our first pilot project where these principles will be put in place will be in Sri Lanka 2003-2006.
Federation of MOs
Nonviolent Peaceforce has as it's backbone a 'federation' of 75 MO's from across the world. It was these organisations who went to India and will meet every three years to guide the overall policy of Nonviolent Peaceforce and elect the Governing Council - the challenge of bringing such a huge and diverse group together and finding common ways of understanding and working has to be one of the greatest challenges for Nonviolent Peaceforce, and one which is not working smoothly yet. Nonviolent Peaceforce addresses this problem by trying to listen and remain open to comments and suggestions, to criticism and complaints, to be flexible where possible and to ask everyone to recognise the difficult path we are working on, but to stay on the path.
Although Nonviolent Peaceforce is not based on any political or religious belief, for many people there is a recognition of the importance of spirituality of some kind in our lives, and so building in time for reflection and sharing experiences is becoming one of our common working methods - but is by no means perfected yet!
'We make the road by walking' is one of the common phrases used throughout Nonviolent Peaceforce when discussing the many problems we are facing in our internal organisation.
Regionalisation.
Nonviolent Peaceforce has decided to try to work regionally in a fairly decentralised manner, thereby acknowledging the differences and specialisms across the world althoughthis doesn't solve all the problems, you only have to look at our Europe region to see the differences already existing, and within countries - not all organisations share common values and working methods. Nonviolent Peaceforce tries to work by having overall frameworks decided by the Triennial gatherings of MOs and the Governing Council, then involving regions in how these policies are implemented, through Regional Coordinators, and encouraging regional networks to share information with one. Any Country-based Working Groups which operate in a region are expected to be monitored and maintained regionally and able to call for help and advice from the wider network.
Here in Europe we have our own specialisms to offer to Nonviolent Peaceforce and I think we expect to have our concerns about the developments heard and understood, for example the languages, the focus on the EU conflict prevention instruments, our own differences and the need to reach out beyond the EU borders to other groups, equally pioneering and hard working as those of us who already work together. Internationally Nonviolent Peaceforce demands a basic level of support and shared understanding, but can then work within the specialisms and regional frameworks that are created, for example accepting that the European region will tie it's annual meeting with the EN.CPS for the moment, that we will have a regional working group and that we want staff and Governing Council representatives to report to the region.
International level work
Although regionalisation is important, several aspects have remained at the international level of policy and development, for example overall fundraising and strategic relations policy, and the website (although friends in Barcelona have now produced a Catalan version of the website which they maintain) and the project development. At the moment for Sri Lanka it includes the recruitment, training and project management - although I know some of you have been involved in aspects of the recruitment and fundraising.
MO's are linked together internationally though an email list to which any member can post messages about their work, needs or reports and through which Nonviolent Peaceforce communicates with all MOs (or will do more in the future)
Structure
Team based staff working methods
The old staff system was very linear, but having so many different areas to work on and working across so many different countries we have decided to change to team based working in order to make sure the different cultural inputs are taken on board and that those working alone have support from other team members, and that good co-ordination takes place. We hope that it will also lead to improved communication and development.
See diagram
Separate IGC and staff responsibilities
Overall policies, eg agree numbers and budgets for the project, and a Code of Conduct are done by IGC and staff do day to day work.
Our priorities and principles
Communication
This always needs improving!
We need better understanding of how we communicate in such a large and diverse group, including our languages, cultural differences, theoretical or experiential backgrounds, and different understanding of the role of Nonviolent Peaceforce and the organisations within it.
Aiming to develop trust and cooperation, to build on the strengths that we have and to work together towards opportunities, even if they are not always our own priorities is keeping Nonviolent Peaceforce held together and providing the glue. Field staff will get some training in working on multicultural teams before starting in Sri Lanka in recognition of some of the difficulties.
Safety
Protecting our staff and locals in the project is a major consideration, so the confidentiality nd approving of documents (an information policy) is being agreed and implemented. Staff will also have a Code of Conduct and security regimes to follow.
Policy/research development
There has to be significant changes in policy and recognition of civilian peacekeeping by governments, agencies and the international donor community if Nonviolent Peaceforce is to reach it's goal of having a standing peace force by 2010, so it is important for Nonviolent Peaceforce to work with others to improve the profile, get the research done and convince funders that this work is an important tool in conflict prevention and transformation. There are many developments to be made in this field, in Oxfam's most recent review of it's aims and 'rights', under the 'right to life' it includes 'protection' as one of it's priorities.
Funding
This needs to remain diverse if we are to keep our independence and remain flexible, and although it is recognised the government and UN funding is going to be a vital component, we also need the foundations support and grassroots support by individuals and communities through initiatives such as 'Peace Bonds' or 'Sponsor a Peaceworker'. It is possible that funding may not only be conventional grant funding, but in a similar way to the UN contracting OXFAM to provide water in an area, they could, theoretically contract Nonviolent Peaceforce to provide 'protective services' or something like that.
Current projects
1) The Sri Lanka project the project in Sri Lanka, which is also the pilot project for Nonviolent Peaceforce. This project will be using the proven methodology identified in the research to enable the Sri Lankans to establish a basis for peace. More information and current status of team members and funding available in the outline.
2) Working Group on Israel/Palestine
3) Working Group on Korea
4) Working Group on Burma
5) The formation of Nonviolent Peaceforce has brought together and created an international network of NGOs experienced and committed to expanding and enlarging the scale of international nonviolent intervention. These NGOs include Witness for Peace with many years experience in sending teams of internationals to Central America, Women's International Peace Service which has kept up an international presence in Palestine, Christian Peacemaker Teams who have projects in the West Bank, Mexico and USA. European Network for Civil Peace Services whose members have trained and sent staff to join projects of Balkan Peace Team, Peace Brigades International and groups in Palestine. They work regionally and internationally together through discussion lists and regional conferences. These organisations are the bodies responsible for recruiting staff for Nonviolent Peaceforce, helping to raise funds and supporting the Nonviolent Peaceforce projects at a national, regional and governmental level. This network is the first of it's kind to be truly international and working towards projects in the field.
6) Governance. Nonviolent Peaceforce is an international NGO and it's governance structure reflects this. A Board of fourteen people has been elected for a period of three years. The co-chairs are Claudia Samayoa, former Director of the Rigoberta Menchu Tum Foundation, Guatemala and Tim Wallis, Director of Peaceworkers UK. Other members are Ramu Manivannan from Deptartment of Political Science of Delhi University, India; Akihiko Kimijima a Profesor of Law, Hokkai Gakwen University, Japan; Lyn Adamson from Canada who recently worked on Peace Brigades International Indonesia Project; Omar Diop an educator from Senegal; Donna Howard a US Ploughshares and Catholic Worker activist; Young Kim, Co-chair of Nonviolent Peaceforce Korea and member of Peace Active Artists International; Michael Pokawa, a refugee from the war in Sierra Leone, heads Peaceforce Youth initiative; Renard Qubbaj, Coordinator of GIPP (Grassroots International Protection for Palestine); Phil Ritter, Treasurer of Noviolent Peaceforce; Elizabeth Roberts from USA; John Stewart coordinator of Noviolent Action and Strategies for Social Change (NOVASC) in Zimbabwe; and Francesco Tullio president of the Centro Studi Difesa Civile in Italy.
7) International management. There is an international network of offices, staff and committees in ten countries. Nonviolent Peaceforce offices are in Brussels, Belgium; London, UK; St Paul and San Francisco, USA; Delhi, India; and Guayaquil, Ecuador. The paid staff comprise Executive Director - Mel Duncan, Strategic Relations - David Hartsough, Research Director - Christine Schweitzer, Regional Coordinators, Latin America - Alvaro Ramirez, Asia - Rajiv Vora, Europe - Rachel Julian, Programme Officers - David Grant and Jan Passion, Sri Lanka Consultant - Donna Howard, Sri Lanka Project Director - William Knox and Fundarising staff - Lenief Hemstead and Nora Murphy. Nonviolent Peaceforce also works through committees, engaging international experts and organisation members on matters of training (see below), recruitment of field staff, project development and fundraising.
8) Training. Nonviolent Peaceforce has worked closely with Training for Change and the Nonviolent Peaceforce Training Committee to develop a comprehensive curriculum designed especially for large scale, international nonviolent intervention. Good training was identified as essential from the Feasibility Study and Nonviolent Peaceforce has a requirement that all staff are trained before working in the field for Nonviolent Peaceforce.
9) Monitoring and Evaluation project of both the Sri Lanka project and the project progress reports, but also an organisational evaluation about how we are managing to meet our organisational aims.
Conclusion
There is a long way to go, even in Europe where we have one of the most developed regional networks and some of the most receptive government bodies…we need to improve our co-operation, communication, lobbying, and expertise.
Nonviolent Peaceforce is a new organisation but not a new idea, therefore listening and understanding and learning from others is an important aspect of the work.