 |
 |
|
|
Peace by Peaceful Means! NONVIOLENT PEACEFORCE Non-violence is not inaction. It is not discussion.
It is not for the timid or weak... Non-violence is hard work.
It is the willingness to sacrifice. It is the patience to win.
What is Nonviolent Peaceforce? Why the Nonviolent Peaceforce? Enter the Nonviolent Peaceforce A brief history of nonviolent peace teams
NP is a multinational, civilian "peace army" composed of dedicated personnel prepared to respond to appeals from people and communities threatened with violence. NP is sustained by a global network of supporters whose active involvement makes the peace army's non-violent tactics effective. At the invitation of local people working for
justice and peace, the Peaceforce enters conflict areas to help
deter violence and protect human rights. NP enables groups seeking
a just and peaceful resolution to the conflict to continue their
important work. NP's work is thus not only protective –
it is also transformative. Why the Nonviolent Peaceforce? Some people support armed interventions because they cannot imagine alternatives. Our militarised culture encourages us to think that oppression and violent force can only be met with violent force. But that is not the case. In many situations, power that does not rely on violence can outwit brute violence. The Nonviolent Peaceforce can help confront and
overcome violence in ways which maximize respect for human life
and well-being. It is an important addition to other ways of
achieving greater peace and justice.
In 1999, at the international gathering "the Hague Appeal for Peace", a number of people with years of experience in nonviolence issued a call for a global peace army. The call was soon endorsed by five Nobel peace laureates, as enthusiasm was channelled into effective action. NP differs from existing peace teams in several ways:
Nonviolent Peaceforce's work falls into four broad categories: accompaniment - this has been used to safeguard activists, leaders and returning refugees, as well as people in neutral zones; international presence – the presence of internationals in threatened communities can deter violence and sends a message of solidarity; monitoring - during elections, cease-fires, and other volatile situations, internationals can play an important role as observers and recorders; and inter-positioning
– sometimes opposing parties can be physically separated,
to prevent escalation and offer a 'cooling-off' period. In December 2002, seventy member organizations from Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East and North America elected a regionally representative International Governance Council (IGC) to oversee a head office and staff in different parts of the world. In addition to member organisations, NP has a
growing number of country groups, like Nonviolent Peaceforce
Canada, which bring together local affinity groups and individual
supporters. Nonviolent Peaceforce Canada's mandate is to
educate Canadians in the methods of non-violence and support
Nonviolent Peaceforce and similar organisations. NPC organises
public education and training sessions and mobilizes Canadian
involvement in Nonviolent Peaceforce. Nonviolent Peaceforce Canada www.npcanada.org
for local updates A brief history of nonviolent peace teams Nonviolence is a translation of ahimsa - the word Gandhi used to describe the type of resistance he advocated in the struggle to liberate India from British occupation. The direct translation is closer to "truthforce" and implies a strong allegiance to dialogue. Nonviolence has shaped struggles in the United States and Canada, the Philippines, Poland, South Africa, Chile and elsewhere. Gandhi was assassinated just days before a conference to found the shanti sena – the peace army. Since World War I, this idea of a standing peace army to protect lives and defend justice has been a recurrent theme. There have been numerous successful initiatives on a smaller scale:
Although approaches vary, in general, the presence
of peace teams is not only protective but also transformative,
since it allows people working for just and peaceful change
to continue their work.
In December 2002, NP member organisations selected Sri Lanka as the first site of NP's work. During a 19-year war, 64,000 Sri Lankans died and 1.6 million were displaced. While diplomatic peace is now being negotiated, the country could still return to armed conflict. NP will work with People's Action for Free and
Fair Elections (PAFREEL), a respected, non-partisan organization
that invited NP to Sri Lanka. NP will support local peacebuilders
as they carry out reconciliation work among conflicting parties.
NP will thus help build a sustainable peace and increase popular
participation in the political process. The 50-member NP team
will provide presence, monitoring, and accompaniment in 16 vulnerable
regions. Advance teams go in spring 2003, with full strength
reached by fall. NP plans to evaluate its pilot project and
exit Sri Lanka in 2006. |
|||||||||
|
Home | About us | Events | News and Alerts | NP Projects | Local Peace Team Participants | Participate | Resources 211 Bronson Avenue, Suite 309A, Ottawa, ON K1R 6H5 Phone: (613) 564-0999, Fax: (613) 564-0068, Email: info@npcanada.org Webmaster and designer: Elbagir Osman |
