Nonviolent Peaceforce at work

The Nonviolent Peaceforce has just put out this great video introduction to their work of nonviolent civilian peacekeeping. It is in two parts, so make sure to watch the whole thing.

As Jean Lound Schaller explains in a recent op-ed for the Midland Daily News:

The Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), convened in India in 2002, is a global effort that offers us something to say yes to when we say no to war. The first unarmed, paid, professionally trained, civilian, international “army” offers a concrete, on-the-ground, two-year experience to help build a more peaceful world through peaceful means.

NP, with its international office in Brussels, and its executive office formerly in Minneapolis, has teams in Sri Lanka and the Philippines and is currently developing a project in South Sudan. It serves at the invitation of local civil society organizations. Due to its strict non-partisan stance, it is gaining the trust of governments, armed groups and individuals living in conflict zones. Civilian peacekeepers live among the people, thus building cultural sensitivity and gaining the trust of all stakeholders in a conflict. NP also supports families seeking the return of their children who have been abducted or forcibly recruited into an armed group. International protective presence and accompaniment offer hope and build people’s confidence to claim their human rights and to build peace in their communities.

To learn more about the organization, visit their website: www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org.