Webinar: Unarmed Civilian Protection: Direct Protection & Violence Prevention without the Use of Force
Help us celebrate the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, who was developing the Shanti Sena (Peace Army) when he was assassinated, by joining us in a dynamic conversation that will explore current applications of nonviolent civilian protection.
Tuesday, October 2, 2018, at 8:00 AM EST
Register Here!
The Need
Deaths in war, numbers of displaced populations, military spending, and terrorist incidents, among others, have all surged since the beginning of the century. – Pathways for Peace, World Bank and the UN
The world is less peaceful today than at any time in the last decade. – 2018 Global Peace Index
Every 2 seconds a person is forced to flee their home. There are now 68.5 million people who are forcibly displaced, a record high. – UN High Commission on Refugees 2017 Annual Report
Current approaches to protect civilians and prevent violence are insufficient to meet the needs and are often ineffective. And while military and unarmed resources, employed by multi-laterals, governments, and civil society organizations fall short of meeting the burgeoning need, effective and affordable ones must be documented and scaled up.
Unarmed Civilian Protection
Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) is an emerging resource to help address this need. The High-Level Independent Panel on United Nations Peace Operations (HIPPO) asserted “unarmed strategies must be at the forefront of UN efforts to protect civilians.” Since then, UCP has been recognized in UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions as well as in the UN Department of Peace Keeping Operations’ policy. Forty-two nongovernmental organizations are now practicing some form of UCP in 24 areas.
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The Webinar, Presenters from Nonviolent Peaceforce
Mel Duncan, Directory for Advocacy, will provide an overview of unarmed civilian protection, methodology, and good practices. His presentation will be followed by two current field applications. Click here to read Duncan’s full bio.
Tandiwe Ngwenya, Deputy Director of Nonviolent Peaceforce’s (NP) mission in South Sudan will share lessons learned by over 170 unarmed civilian protectors in 16 teams located throughout the country. Click here to read Ngwenya’s full bio.
Tanya Walmsley, Head of Mission for NP Iraq, will describe how unarmed civilian protection is presently being used in the Ninewa region, northern Iraq. Click here to read Walmsley’s full bio.
Webinar participants will have the opportunity to engage in a conversation on how and where Unarmed Civilian Protection could work and how it can be scaled up as well as other nonviolent approaches for the protection of civilians that can be effectively deployed.
Please note that registration will close on September 28 at 10:00 PM EST.