|
A
Global Nonviolent Peace Force - Draft
A
project of Peaceworkers
David
Hartsough
Peaceworkers 721 Shrader St.
San Francisco, CA 94117, U.S.A
Phone +1 (415) 751-0302 peaceworkers@igc.org
www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org
Mel Duncan
Peaceworkers
801 Front Ave.
St. Paul, MN 55103, U.S.A
Phone +1 (651) 487-0800
mel@nonviolentpeaceforce.org
August 16, 2000
Mission
To mobilize and train an
international nonviolent, standing 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.
Endorsed
by:
His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate)
Oscar Arias (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and Former
President of Costa Rica)
Mairead Maguire (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Northern
Ireland)
Jose Ramos Horta (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from East
Timor)
Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury (Ambassador to the UN
from Bangladesh)
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
Hague Appeal for Peace
Recommended by the Peoples Millennium Forum at the United
Nations, May 2000
"There is an important need
to pursue this ideal on a truly global basis, from our
deep commitment to inter-dependence and universal
responsibility. I wish your efforts every success.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama
"This is an idea that is long
overdue and needed. The way of violence is obsolete as a
tool of solving problems."
John Lewis, U.S. Congressman and civil rights pioneer
"I'm with you
100%."
Elise Boulding, former Secretary General of the
International Peace Research Association
"The UNV is, therefore, in
principle ready to contribute to the efforts geared at
developing a global peace force as outlined in your
proposal."
Dirk Boberg, United Nations Volunteer Agency
"The world needs all the
tools we can to keep the peace. It would be the cheapest
way to avoid conflict. This is a very good proposal. I
think it is timely."
Colonel Kent Edberg, Military Advisor to
Swedish Mission to the U.N.
"It's obvious that we have to
do it now. We've got the resources. The costliness of not
doing it has grown."
Joanna Macy, author and Buddhist activist
"In a conference on the
European Civil Peace Corps last week in Brussels your
name and project were mentioned repeatedly in a
supporting spirit."
Ernst Gulcher, Peace and Disarmament Advisor, Green
Party, European Parliament
"With reference to the
subject above, we wish to join your organization as
nonviolent peace keeping force."
Abu Bakarr Kamara, National Forum for Peace and
Reconciliation,, Sierra Leone
CONTENTS
Introduction - Background
Why the Global Nonviolent Peace Force is needed
Concept
Current thinking on what the Peace Force would look like
and how it would work: engagement, recruitment, training,
deployment, dis-engagement, media/communications,
evaluation
Underlying Philosophy / Challenges
Important underlying principles and key challenges to be
met
Workplan
How the Peace Force will be built: anticipated outcomes
and timeline
Fundraising
What financial resources are needed, and where we plan to
get them
Project Status / Interim Governance Structure
Current status and plans for the evolution of the Peace
Force organizational structure
Conclusion
Appendix A
Research Agenda/Detailed Planning Questions
Appendix B
Global Nonviolent Peace Force Endorsers
INTRODUCTION -
BACKGROUND
As we venture into the new millennium, we stand at a
significant crossroad. Will the next century bring an
incessant stream of devastating armed conflicts and
brutal violence, like the horrors we have seen in Kosovo,
Rwanda, Iraq and East Timor? Or are there alternatives to
the endless repetition of such catastrophes?
There is an alternative, one that builds upon the
recent experiences of many organizations that have
successfully experimented with the application of
„Third Party Nonviolent Interventio" techniques in
areas of advanced conflict. Out of these experiences has
grown a new wave of deliberate nonviolent intervention
carried out by some twenty or so organizations around the
world: Peace Brigades International (PBI), Witness for
Peace, Christian Peacemaker Teams, Balkan Peace Teams,
International Fellowship of Reconciliation, Helsinki
Citizens Assembly, International Alert, SIPAZ (Servicio
Internacional para la Paz) and others took their
permanent place along side ad hoc projects (like Cry for
Justice in Haiti). Peace teams are presently
working in Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala, the Balkans,
Israel/Palestine and Nicaragua.
The 1980s were an important decade for the development
of peace teams. During this period, a number of NGOs
(non-governmental organizations) like the religious-based
Witness for Peace and the nominally secular Peace
Brigades International, saw action in Guatemala,
Nicaragua, El Salvador, Sri Lanka and Quebec. A small PBI
presence in Guatemala, whose „protective
accompaniment" deterred the assassination of key human
rights workers and supported the creation of a small
„space for peace" in that embattled society,
contributing greatly to the subsequent re-emerging of a
democratic society and the peace process:
In 1985, Guatemalan women from Grupo de Apoyo Mutuo
(GAM) requested that PBI provide 24 hour nonviolent
accompaniment for their leaders after two of its members
had been assassinated. Much of Guatemalan civil society
had been wiped out by the military at that time, leaving
most of the citizens too terrified to act. For the next
four years, PBI provided „unarmed bodyguards" around
the clock for GAM‚s leadership. No more group
leaders were killed, and the courageous women were able
to carry out their work. This encouraged other citizen
groups to emerge and begin rebuilding a democratic
society. GAM leader, Nineth de Garcia told the New York
Times: „Thanks to their presence, I am alive. That
is an indisputable truth."
This one episode --- and there are many like it ----
gives a glimpse of the potential for nonviolent
intervention.
Yet, when war erupted in the Balkans, the world lacked
a credible, coherent, and comprehensive response. While
some international activists bravely carried out
nonviolent strategies with people of the Balkans (and are
still doing so), many others could think of nothing
better than to go along reluctantly with the NATO
response. The situation epitomized the increasing dilemma
of the international community when the only widely known
alternatives are to do nothing or drop bombs.
Kosovo highlighted the need for substantial,
well-organized, international support of the local
nonviolent movement. Kosovar Albanian President Ibrahim
Rugova was asking for international support of the
nonviolent movement in Kosovo as early as 1991. There was
no substantial response. Alberto L'Abate, Italian
activist and a Balkan veteran, believes that 1,000
international peace workers in Kosovo by 1995 could have
played a significant role in averting the violence that
exploded in 1998. Their activities could have included
protective accompaniment, active support of local
nonviolent actions, and training and capacity building of
nonviolent and democratic institutions. Nonviolent
activists could have also organized international support
and media attention for the local nonviolent movement,
making visible the possibilities for peaceful
resolution.
What has yet to happen is the creation of a standing,
trained, nonviolent „peace force" (presumably under
some global auspices.) Such a peace force
would deploy to regions of serious conflict and
demonstrate that there is an entirely different way to
respond to such human tragedies than by ignoring them (as
in Rwanda) or bombing one or the other combatant into
uneasy submission (as in Iraq and Kosovo), both leading
to untold and seemingly endless human suffering.
The Global Nonviolent Peace Force represents an
alternative to massive military intervention that many
people hope for, but does not yet exist. Building on
important peacemaking work throughout the world, this
Peace Force will bring peacemaking to a dramatic, new
level. It will be a key component in the development of a
strategic, cohesive, efficient, and effective nonviolent
response to brutality and threats of genocidal
violence.
As the international peace community gained experience
and delivered success with third party nonviolent
intervention on a small scale (teams of 3-10 members),
the vision of a global nonviolent peace force that could
perform larger scale interventions began to emerge. Two
international consultations, held in 1994 and 1995, were
convened to further develop the idea. In May 1999, at the
Hague Appeal for Peace, the Peace Force concept took a
dramatic step forward when 9,000 activists from 100
countries drafted a proposal stating among other things
that „peace is a human right" and „it is time
to abolish war." At this meeting, two North American
activists, Mel Duncan and David Hartsough, agreed to
commit their organization and personal efforts to
building the broad-based support and organizational
structures necessary for the realization of this
vision.
In barely a year this proposal has caught the
imagination and enlisted the energies of thousands of
people around the world, many of them with considerable
experience in cross-border nonviolent intervention. The
Hague proposal has been reviewed, discussed, and
critiqued by hundreds of nonviolent activists, scholars,
military veterans and government leaders from various
parts of the world. These discussions lay the groundwork
for the present proposal:
To mobilize and train an international nonviolent,
standing 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.
CONCEPT (CURRENT
THINKING)
The goals of the Global
Nonviolent Peace Force project are
twofold:
a) To build the organization needed to create and
maintain a standing Global Nonviolent Peace Force of 200
active members, 400 reserves, and 500 supporters
(building up to 2,000 active members, 4,000 reserves, and
5,000 supporters over 10 years)
b) To develop the theory and practice of third party
nonviolent intervention, in order to significantly
increase that tool‚s effectiveness. (The
understanding starts with the experience of existing
peace teams, human rights, international, and military
organizations)
As the vision of the Global Nonviolent Peace Force has
unfolded, key thinking and input on various aspects of
the vision have been gathered and incorporated. This
current thinking is summarized below. As formal research
results become available, the design of the Peace Force
will be changed accordingly.
Engagement / Intervention
Criteria / Role of Peace Force
The Peace Force will be deployed at the invitation of
local organizations or nonviolent movements working for
peaceful change/resolution. Attempts will be made to gain
approval from all sides involved in the conflict. (It is
recognized that in some extreme situations, the
International Governing Board (see p. 17) could choose to
authorize an intervention without a specific invitation).
Strong preference will be given to early intervention. As
one woman from Kosovo said at the Hague Conference,
„Peace workers need to be at the right place at the
right time before violence escalates. Otherwise, we are
just counting our mistakes."
The Governing Board will make deployment
decisions. Make up of the particular teams
deployed will depend upon the needs of the given
situation. Criteria considered for involvement would
include:
1. Invitation by a local organization working for
peaceful change and resolution.
2. Clear role and contribution that the Peace Force
could make.
3. Reasonable chance of success.
4. Organizational and logistical backup.
5. Media backup.
6. Evidence that combatants and/or governments are
sensitive to international pressure.
7. Sufficient funding and commitment for duration.
8. Analysis that deployment would enhance local
efforts for peaceful resolution.
9. Clearly defined plan for disengagement.
A family support network will be developed to provide
physical, logistical, emotional and financial support to
family and friends of active members while they are
deployed. Post action counseling and support services
will be made available to members and their loved ones
upon return.
Recruitment
Beginning with 200 active members, 400 reserves, and
500 supporters, the Peace Force will be built to a
level
of 2,000 active members, 4,000 reserves, and 5,000
supporters over a six-year period. Members will be
multiethnic, international, and intergenerational and
have various orientations to faith and spiritual
practices. All members will be committed to nonviolence
and disciplined, effective action while participating in
a Peace Force mission. Through a screening process,
they will need to demonstrate a great capacity for
teamwork, listening, communication, multicultural
interaction and bearing dangers and frustrations.
All active members will be compensated. A provision
for college scholarships and contributions to retirement
funds will also be developed. Highly visible participants
such as Nobel Peace Prize laureates, religious leaders
and former government leaders will also be recruited for
specific situations.
Members could be recruited from a variety of walks of
life, including:
1. Former peace team members from a variety of
organizations.
2. Members of veterans for peace organizations.
3. Women‚s activist groups.
4. People with military and law enforcement
experience.
5. Members of religious and spiritual communities.
6. Veterans of other nonviolent movements: civil
rights, national freedom, labor, anti-war, women,
environmental
7. Retirees.
8. Former Peace Corps volunteers and other veterans of
international service.
9. "Ordinary" people willing to devote a couple of
years working with the Peace Force.
10. Community mediators.
11. YWCA, YMCA, Scouts, etc.
12. Persons who work with children in a variety of
roles (teachers, etc.)
13. Mothers and grandmothers.
(We are aware that traditionally, strong interest in
peace teamwork is found among young people and elders,
and they will be welcomed into the work.)
Training
Complex conflict situations require highly qualified
competencies. Active members of the Peace Force will take
part in a two month general training that focuses on
history and theory of nonviolence, nonviolent
peacemaking, cultural sensitivity, listening, mediation
skills and conflict transformation. In addition, military
training models that focus on preparation for entering
conflict situations will be utilized.
A more specific training of up to two months duration
will follow focusing on the local area of deployment
including language, culture, analysis of the conflict and
discussion of appropriate means of peaceful engagement.
All or part of this training phase will be done in the
deployment area in conjunction with local
peacemakers.
Advance training will also be offered in various
specialty methods including protective accompaniment,
conflict transformation, and mediation. Continuing
education will be required for all members.
Deployment
A clear mandate with a specific strategy and precise
objectives tailored to the conflict area will be
established before deployment. Strategies and tactics
will be designed to lessen violence or its potential,
create space for peaceful and just resolution, and
empower local peace and human rights activists. The
strategies will be flexible and focus on these outcomes,
not only on providing witnesses or documenting human
rights abuses. Make up of the teams sent to the conflict
area will be determined by the needs of the particular
situation.
While in the area, the Peace Force will also serve as
international eyes, ears, and conscience. The tactics,
developed and carried out in conjunction with local
nonviolent activists, will be decided upon by the Peace
Force Field Leadership team in the area, in consultation
with the Governing Board.
Methods of intervention could
include:
1. Accompanying (activists, leaders, returning
refugees, people in peace zones).
2. Facilitating communication among conflicting
parties.
3. Monitoring (elections, cease fires, treaties).
4. Training and training trainers in conflict
transformation.
5. Interpositioning between conflicting sides.
6. Providing an international emergency response
network to support local peacemaking efforts, and to
prevent violence and human rights abuses.
7. Investigating and controlling rumors.
8. Promoting unbiased information, internally and
internationally.
9. Instantaneous video witnessing to the Internet.
10. Creating safe zones for civilian populations.
Each engagement as well as the overall operation of
the Peace Force will require considerable logistical
support including business managers, public relations
specialists, medical workers, conflict resolution
specialists, team builders, travel coordinators, cooks,
drivers, pilots, fundraisers, regional experts and
governmental and organizational liaisons. In some
situations, translators may also be needed. (Note: The
military employs ten support staff for every soldier in
the field.)
Disengagement
In all cases, Peace Force missions will turn over
their work to local groups as soon as feasible, and leave
the area as soon as the reduction of tensions permits,
unless invited to remain and help with additional
reconciliation and/or rebuilding.
Media and
Communications
Good media and public relations will be vital. The
Global Nonviolent Peace Force will need to document and
communicate the hope and promise of nonviolent
peacemaking to a world that can be cynical and skeptical
even though it hungers for new approaches to dealing with
violence. We will need to create a transcendent image
that communicates integrity, strength, hope and
effectiveness to the general public in meaningful symbols
as well as concrete action. Credible media
relationships will have to be forged. They could prove to
be the lifeline to Peace Force missions once they are
deployed. We will need to explore creative uses of
technology to aid in documenting, with the intent of
deterring violent behavior.
Our communications plan will need to include an
outreach strategy that invites people in a variety of
countries to participate at all three levels: active,
reserve, and supporter.
A Web page will be further
developed and maintained to:
1. Communicate the mission and the work of the Global
Nonviolent Peace Force.
2. Recruit members.
3. Raise money.
4. Broadcast live reports from the field.
5. Inform members of support activities that they can
do.
6. Discuss new developments in nonviolent strategies
and interventions.
7. Provide the opportunity for discussion of relevant
issues.
8. Promote and support local Peace Force support
groups.
9. Link to other peace team organizations.
A major contribution of the Global Nonviolent Peace
Force will be to build international interest and support
for nonviolent movements around the world that present
the hope and reality of alternatives to armed
intervention.
Debrief and Evaluation
Process
There will be a carefully designed evaluation process
that is applied at the end of each Peace Force mission. A
feedback mechanism into the operations of the Peace Force
will be established to insure that the science of third
party nonviolent intervention is moved forward with each
experience.
Government
Interaction
Building and maintaining relationships with a variety
of national and multilateral governmental organizations
will be crucial to the success of the Peace Force.
Interactions could include: funding, granting visas and
applying diplomatic pressure. While important, such
involvements will have to be isolated from the
decision-making process of the Peace Force. The Peace
Force will be independent of all governments.
UNDERLYING
PHILOSOPHY - CHALLENGES
We believe there are a core set of underlying
principles which are vital for carrying out the vision of
the Global Nonviolent Peace Force with integrity. These
principles are:
1. Commitment to active nonviolence while
participating in the Peace Force.
2. Democratic decision-making processes built into the
leadership structure.
3. Multicultural (diverse) perspectives built into all
aspects of Peace Force development, deployment,
personnel, and governance.
4. Leadership drawn from men and women committed to
nonviolence and the peaceful resolution of conflict and
actively committed to living by the values of nonviolence
and compassion.
5. Commitment to working in partnership and friendship
with local groups (no „we know better"
attitudes!).
6. Locally-driven decisions wherever
possible.
There are a number of key
challenges that need to be addressed:
- How do we efficiently and effectively leverage the
combined experience of the 20+ groups, which are
currently fielding peace teams?
- How do we work cooperatively and in a mutually
supportive way with other peace organizations around the
world?
- How do we best utilize the expertise of current
military operations, and use that expertise to expedite
the development of the Peace Force?
- What is the most effective way to build and run an
international organization that needs to be quick, yet
thorough in its decision making?
- How do we avoid the pitfall of committing
„peace imperialism"? How do we insure that this
effort does not remain „U.S. and Euro
centric"?
- How can we best recruit strong women as leaders into
the Peace Force leadership structure?
- What is the relationship of the Peace Force
organization to Governments? Military organizations?
Global institutions?
WORKPLAN - OUTCOMES
AND TIMELINE
In order to achieve the goals of the Global Nonviolent
Peace Force, namely:
- 200 active members, 400 reserves, and 500 supporters
by 2003, building to ·
- 2,000 active members, 4,000 reserves, and 5,000
supporters by 2010
There are many activities that need to be carried out
in a coordinated fashion. Our current approach is to
divide the activities across 4 „development phases":
Research and Planning, Pilot, Evaluation, and Deployment.
The actual development of the Peace Force is contingent
on the results of the research conducted during the first
phase. At the end of the first phase, a decision to
proceed or not with the next three phases will be made,
based upon the research findings. In addition, the
use of a „Pilot" project is still under discussion,
and remains unresolved.
Each of these phases (IF we were to proceed with them
all) is described below.
Research and Planning
For a period of two years, the primary focus of the
Peace Force project will be to conduct extensive research
into the feasibility of organized, larger scale
nonviolent intervention. Two key questions will be
pursued at this stage, among many others: 1) What have
been the best practices of successful nonviolent
interventions (and what can be learned from
less-than-successful endeavors)? and 2) What is the best
organizational model for a standing „peace
army"?
Research will draw heavily on the experiences of
participants in relevant types of third-party
intervention, as well as the historical record, and will
focus on at least four areas:
1. Typology of conflict situations and conditions
under which large-scale third party nonviolent
intervention would be appropriate and helpful.
2. Identification of the specific functions that can
be best served by peacemaking teams, rather than military
interventions, or humanitarian assistance.
3. Best practices for successful engagement, and for
supporting strategies (recruitment, governmental
interaction, media relations, logistics, etc.).
4. Current training methodologies, and available
trainers and training programs.
Research findings will be used to shape the design of
the Peace Force organization, including roles, processes,
decision-making, and governance processes.
See Appendix B for a detailed list of questions and
planning challenges to be tackled during this phase.
Pilot
Once the Peace Force is „designed", and its role
clearly understood, a pilot project may be conducted to
start experimenting with this approach to larger-scale
intervention. In order to conduct this pilot, many if not
all of the final Peace Force processes must be in place
(in „Pilot" form). The purpose of this phase is not
only to demonstrate the effectiveness of large-scale
nonviolent intervention, but also to put all of the
supporting processes through a „trial." It is
important that at this time there are „quick react"
mechanisms in place to respond to unforeseen problems, so
as to minimize the risk to all involved.
Evaluation
Following the Pilot intervention, there will be an
extensive evaluation period. Feedback from the pilot will
be used to improve the Peace Force design. If necessary,
another pilot could take place before full
deployment.
Deployment
During this phase, the Peace Force will be fully
operational. The emphasis during this phase is to conduct
missions effectively, learn continuously, and continue to
advance the „science" of third party nonviolent
intervention. It is also expected to be a period of
growth within the Peace Force organization.
Outlined below are the specific expected outcomes to
be realized at the completion of each phase.
Phase - Expected Outcomes:
Research and Planning
All research
completed
Specific plans completed
(what/how/who):
1) organizational structure
2) intervention criteria and protocol for
decision-making
3) recruiting process
4) training program
5) deployment process
6) „disengagement" process
7) evaluation process
8) media strategy
9) long term fundraising plan and process
10) communications process (web site, etc.)
11) systems and tools specifications
12) best practices handbook
International Governing Board
established
Key decisions finalized:
1) GO/NO GO
2) Organizational "home"
3) Pilot region
Physical office and systems established
Pilot implementation plan completed
All Pilot processes established
Governance structure for Pilot/Evaluation phases in
place
Key staff hired for pilot phase
Awareness campaign „complete"
Pilot
Pilot Peace Force recruited
Pilot intervention implemented
Key Peace Force processes and systems "tested"
Evaluation
Evaluation completed and published
Peace Force processes changed based on evaluation
findings
Peace Force in place:
200 active members
400 reserves
500 supporters
Ongoing research/evaluation process in place
Plan completed for growth (how to „scale up" to
final size)
Deployment
Peace Force grows:
2,000 active members
4,000 reserves
5,000 supporters
Multiple missions completed with ongoing
evaluation
Final organizational „home" and governance
established
Throughout all phases of the
project, there will be ongoing work in the following
areas:
Organizational Development
Financial Planning/Budgeting
Fundraising
Media
Maintain liaison with government officials, global
institutions, and other NGOs
Evaluation, feedback and improvement
Recruitment and Training
FUNDRAISING
An operation of 2,000 active members with a full
complement of reserves and supporters would cost
approximately $70-80 million a year to maintain (less
than what the world spends on military expenditures every
hour) a small price to pay for a viable alternative
to military intervention and war.
Exploratory and developmental costs are estimated to
be approximately $350,000/year for the 2 year-Research
and Planning Phase. An initial investment of
approximately $8 million will be required to establish a
Peace Force of 200 active members, 400 reserves, and 500
supporters.
Initial fundraising is expected to come from
foundations, religious institutions, individuals, and
some governments. During this phase, groundwork
will be laid for larger and long-term financial
support.
PROJECT STATUS -
INTERIM GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE
The Global Nonviolent Peace Force is currently a
project of Peaceworkers (a non-profit organization based
in San Francisco committed to the support of nonviolent
movements worldwide.) Since the Hague meeting in
May of 1999, there have been two staff people fully
dedicated to the Global Nonviolent Peace Force project:
David Hartsough, Executive Director of Peaceworkers, and
Mel Duncan, project Director of the Peace Force
project.
David Hartsough and Mel Duncan spent six months
traveling and gathering input from over 1,000 activists,
scholars, military personnel, and government officials.
In January of 2000, they started recruiting volunteers
and affinity group members to provide them with the
support they needed to build broad-based support for the
concept of a standing nonviolent Peace Force. There are
currently 100 volunteers and affinity group members
„clustered‚ around three major geographic
locations (Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco Bay Area,
and Ottawa, Canada).
In April of 2000, a seven-person Steering Committee
was formed to carry out interim governance
responsibilities for the project. The primary tasks of
the Steering Committee are: 1) To continue to refine the
conceptual guidelines and underlying principles of the
Peace Force, 2) to oversee the work of the Research and
Planning phase of the project, 3) to lay the groundwork
for the organization of the Global Nonviolent Peace
Force, and 4) to raise money.
Of utmost importance, immediately, is to identify and
recruit an appropriate core group of international
co-creators, with the intent of transitioning governance
from the interim steering committee to an internationally
representative Governing Board, that will assume
responsibility for the long-term governance of the Peace
Force. It will be the responsibility of the Governing
Board to develop a Field Leadership structure with
clearly defined authority over operations and tactics
prior to deployment of Peace Force missions.
During the Research and Planning phase, an Advisory
Board made up of prominent world citizens including Nobel
Peace Prize laureates, former governmental leaders and
religious leaders will be developed to advise on major
questions, increase visibility of the Peace Force, and
assist with fundraising.
To date, $170,000 has been raised. Applications
for a planning grant are being prepared and submitted to
fund the next two years of work.
Endorsements have been received from more than 100
organizations and leaders (see Appendix B), and continue
to come in.
CONCLUSION
The use of active nonviolence is on the rise
throughout the world. We can build on the experiences of
nonviolent peace teams and others to bring this activity
to a dramatic new level, a level required to respond
adequately to conflicts around the globe.
Since Gandhi first dreamt of „peace armies," the
vision has slowly grown: there are many veterans of
nonviolent movements, thousands of citizens have
demonstrated their willingness to courageously stop
violence and oppression, hard lessons have been learned,
our organizational abilities have increased, highly
qualified trainers are available, and the World Wide Web
has shown its usefulness in the campaigns to ban land
mines and to establish an International Criminal
Court. Most importantly, the people of the world
are demanding an alternative to punitive, militarized,
and costly responses to conflict.
Profound questions remain about the use of nonviolence
in large-scale advanced conflicts ------ but even
more disturbing questions plague the reliance on using
military force „for peace." Surely it is time
to devote our energies to a way of preventing and ending
violence and wars that honors all life and leaves hope
for the peaceful development of human destiny.
Together we can make the Global Nonviolent Peace Force
a reality. There will be no better way to honor the
United Nations Decade of the Culture of Peace and
Nonviolence for the Children of the World.
Appendix
A
Research Agenda -
Detailed Planning Questions
ENGAGEMENT /
INTERVENTION CRITERIA / ROLE OF PEACE
FORCE
What are the criteria for intervention? How is it
done, by whom, when?
What different models/scenarios illustrate the
potential role of the Peace Force?
What are examples of conflict situations where larger
scale third party nonviolent intervention would be or
would have been appropriate and helpful?
What models of intervention should be used, under what
circumstances, to accomplish what goals?
Should teams enter conflict areas where one or more
conflicting parties have not invited them?
How can a position of non-alignment be maintained in
an unbalanced conflict where one party can clearly be
seen as an aggressor?
When is physical interposition appropriate as opposed
to mediation and „good offices"?
Under what conditions is the Peace Force likely to be
successful?
What are the „best practices" for engagement?
What are the responsibilities of local groups in
conflict areas vis a vis the Peace Force?
What is the role of the Peace Force relative to local
groups? Relative to armed peacekeepers? Relative to
humanitarian aid teams? To other peacemaking
organizations?
What role should the Peace Force play in the
development of „early warning" systems?
How can the Peace Force best respond to early warning
signals?
What should be the Peace Force‚s relationship vis
a vis governments, global institutions, military
organizations, media organizations?
What „best practices", if any, exist upon which
we can model the Peace Force‚s relationships to
other organizations?
How are intervention decisions made?
Who has ultimate decision making authority?
How quick does the decision making process need to be
in order for the Peace Force to be successful?
How are the specific strategy, objectives, and
tactical plan developed for each mission, tailored to the
specific conflict?
RECRUITMENT /
TRAINING
What are the recruitment criteria for Peace Force
members, reserves, supporters?
What level of risk shall be expected of Peace Force
participants?
What is the outreach strategy for recruiting Peace
Force members, reserves, supporters? What are the
„best practices" for recruitment?
What training programs are available?
What training programs need to be created?
What is the „best" training process for effective
participation in Peace Force missions?
What language training is needed?
How do we know that a member is „prepared" to be
deployed (completing the training may not be enough to
"certify" that a member is ready)? And who makes this
decision?
What systems are needed to track and manage human
resources during all phases of involvement (candidate,
member, past member)?
DEPLOYMENT
What are all the resources and logistics that are
required to support deployment of a Peace Force mission
(people, supplies, etc.)?
What supports would the interventions need (financial,
logistical, personnel, political, emergency response
systems)?
What kind of logistics system is needed (to move
people)?
What kind of inventory management system is needed to
move material (purchasing, inventory control, shipping,
etc.)?
What kind of communication process is needed during a
mission(who, how frequently, what topics, etc.)?
What kind of communication system is needed during a
mission?
What kinds of support should be provided for Peace
Force members and their families (counseling, insurance,
personal support) while in conflict areas, and
afterwards?
DISENGAGEMENT
What are the criteria for disengagement?
What is the disengagement process? How, by whom,
when?
MEDIA /
COMMUNICATIONS
(includes public education and outreach)
What media support will the Peace Force missions
require?
Who are the potential audiences (government, media,
general public, NGOs, etc.)
How will success stories of third party nonviolent
interventions be documented and shared with the
world?
What media strategy will be pursued in order to
elevate nonviolent alternatives onto the list of possible
solutions in future conflicts?
What are the alternative media that we can
utilize?
ORGANIZATIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
What is the best way to broaden the Peace Force
organizing to include leaders from all regions of the
world? How can this best be done to accomplish the
balance between establishing an efficient working team,
and at the same time being inclusive and welcoming of
input from all?
What are the criteria for an effective
„International Co-Creator"?
What is the process for identifying and recruiting
strong „International Co-Creators"?
Does the Peace Force require a new organization? For
what purpose?
What are the criteria for an effective organization
within which the Peace Force could reside?
Are there existing organizations within which the
Peace Force could reside?
How is the Peace Force structured (roles,
responsibilities, reporting relationships, processes,
measures)?
What organizational and decision-making structure
would be most appropriate? How can the effort be broadly
inclusive?
Should there be a loosely affiliated regional
(decentralized) organization, or a centralized structure,
based in one place?
What degree of autonomy should field operations be
granted, realistically?
What physical facilities are required?
TECHNOLOGY SUPPORT
/ SYSTEMS
What are all the systems and tools that are needed to
support all phases and aspects of the Peace Force?
What type of technical skills are needed to support
those systems and tools?
DEBRIEF &
EVALUATION PROCESS
What are the criteria for „success"? What
indicators of success will be used to judge the
outcomes?
What is the debrief/evaluation process after each
mission, and how does this support an „evolving
concept of success"?
What is the „report back" process, and how do we
distill competent interpretation from this
information?
How do we best learn from each experience, and build
the lessons into the ongoing operation of the Peace Force
(training, engagement, deployment)?
How do we build in an ongoing „research" process
to further the understanding of how to defuse large-scale
conflict or potential violence by nonviolent means? And
how do we further develop what we mean by „large
scale" conflict?
PILOT PHASE
IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
What is the situation and where will the pilot be
carried out?
What is the intervention/deployment/disengagement plan
for the pilot?
What outcomes are expected? What are the Pilot‚s
objectives?
What resources are needed (financial, personnel,
logistics, political)?
How will these resources be obtained?
What processes in the „Peace Force Design" will
be tested during the pilot?
What will be the evaluation process for the Pilot?
What are the criteria for full deployment of the Peace
Force?
What criteria will be used to indicate that a further
pilot/experimenting is needed?
Appendix
B
Global Nonviolent
Peace Force Endorsers
(as of May 16,
2000)
International
His Holiness, The Dalai Lama, Tibet, Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate
Oscar Arias, Former President, Costa Rica, Nobel Peace
Prize Laureate
International Fellowship of Reconciliation
Hague Appeal for Peace
Pierre Marchand, chairman of the Appeal of the Nobel
Peace Laureates for the Children
Charles Radcliffe, Vice-President, International Crisis
Group,* Belgium
Hans Sinn, Co-Founder, Peace Brigades International
International Peace Bureau, Geneva
Nonviolence International
Muslim Peace Fellowship
Shalom
School Sisters of Notre Dame
International Network for Justice, Peace, Integrity of
Creation
Tim Wallis, former International Secretary, Peace
Brigades International
Howard Wilson, Curative/Preventive Development
Specialist, UN Volunteers*
Jane Higgins, International Youth Parliament 2000*
Rosalie Bertell, President, International Institute of
Concern for Public Health
World Movement for Nonviolence, New York (Bawa Jain)
Africa
National Forum for Peace and Reconciliation, Sierra
Leone
Hague Appeal for Peace National Secretariat in Sierra
Leone
Ade Adenekan, Pan-African Reconciliation Council, Lagos,
Nigeria
Humanitas Fellowship of Reconciliation, Tanzania
Asia
UN Ambassador Anwarul Karim Chowdhury, Bangladesh
Dr. A.T. Ariyaratne, Sarvodaya Movement, Sri
Lanka
Rolf Carriere, UNICEF* Representative, Indonesia
Youth Approach for Development and Cooperation,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh Campaign to Ban Landmines
Dr. Vithal Rajan, India, Chair, Governing Body,
Confederation of Voluntary Organizations
Cultural Academy for Peace, India
Yeshua Moser-Puangsuwan, SE Asia Regional Coordinator,
Nonviolence International, Siam
Santikaro Bhikkhu, International Network of Engaged
Buddhists* (Thailand)*
Americas (outside USA)
Centre de Ressources Sur La Non-Violence, Montreal,
Canada
Women for Women in Afghanistan, Canada
SERPAJ, Servicio, Paz y Justicia, Mexico
Maria Delgado, SIPAZ International Outreach Coordinator.
Uruguay
Freedom Quest International, Alberta, Canada
Phil McManus, Chair, SIPAZ* (Servicio Internacional para
la Paz), Chiapas, Mexico
Carl Stieren, Former Coordinator, Canadian Friends
Service Committee*
Australia
The Conflict Resolution Network
Europe
Heide Schuetz, Chair, Women‚s Network for Peace,
Germany
Arno Truger, Austrian Center for Study of Peace and
Conflict Resolution,
Janne Poort - van Eeden, coordinator, European Network
for Civil Peace Services*
Alberto l'Abate, Berretti Bionchi,* Italy
Helga Tempel, chairwoman of the Forum Civil Peace
Services,* Germany
Konrad Tempel, chairman of the Federation for Social
Defense,* Germany
Johan Galtung, Transcend
Civilian Peace Teams The Netherlands (BVTN)
Jon McCourt, member, Management Committee, Peace and
Reconciliation Commission,* Derry, Northern Ireland
Ernst Guelcher, Disarmament Advisor to the European
Parliament for Green Party
Ueli Wildberger, Forum fuer Friedenserziehung,
Switzerland*
Friedensbuero, Salzburg, Austria
Gajo Sekulic, Alternative Peace Initiative, Sarajevo,
Bosni
Alain Richard, O.F.M., Pace Bene, Franc
Gender Project for Bulgaria Foundation
Dirk Boberg, UN Volunteers*
Jan Oberg, director, Transnational Foundation for Peace
and Future Research, Sweden *
USA
Elise Boulding, Former Secretary General,
International Peace Research Association
Cora Weiss, Hague Appeal for Peace
Jim Wallis, Sojourners
Mindy Reiser, co-founder, Global Peace Service USA
John Lewis, Member of Congress
Bill Price, World Peacemakers
The Rev. Canon Charles P. Gibbs, Exec. Dir., United
Religions Initiative, San Francisco
Michael Nagler, Chair, Peace Studies Program, University
of California, Berkeley*
Stephen Zunes, University of San Francisco*
Glen Paige, Center for Global Nonviolence, Honolulu
George Lakey, Training for Change*
Fellowship of Reconciliation USA
Buddhist Peace Fellowship
Gene Stolzfus, Christian Peacemaker Teams*
Yes Youth for Environmental Sanity
Karuna Center for Peace Building, Massachusetts
PEACEWORKERS, San Francisco
Resource Center for Nonviolence, Santa Cruz, CA
CONTACT
Conflict Transformation across Borders (School for
International Training, Vermont)
L'Alianze de Abuelas Y Madres para el Futura
(Grand/mothers Alliance for the Future), Texas
Molly Rush, Thomas Merton Center*, Pittsburgh, PA
Phil Esmonde, Director, Quaker House, Fayetteville, NC
*
George Willoughby, Friends Peace Team Project*
Global Exchange, San Francisco
Joanna Macy, Buddhist activist, scholar and writer
Phyllis and Richard K. Taylor, co-founders, Witness for
Peace
Dick Barnett, Institute for Policy Studies*
Kathleen Kern, Christian Peace Teams*
Mary B. Anderson, The Collaborative for Development
Action, Inc.*Cambridge, MA
Saints Francis and Therese Catholic Worker Community,
Worchester, MA
Dietrich Fischer, Co-director, TRANSCEND*
Don Mosley, Jubilee Partners* Georgia
Patch Adams,Gezundheit Institute
Carl Kline, Nonviolent Alternatives,South Dakota
Kay Lilndahl, President, Alliance for Spiritual
Community
Pax Christi, U.S.A.
State Representative Mike Jaros, Minnesota
Association for Global New Thought
* organizations for identification purposes only
Copyright © 2001 the
authors
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