Publications Library
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July 2026
Gender norms and protection: navigating agency, risk and backlash
Research Report
This report identifies six critical takeaways for humanitarian, protection and gender actors to strengthen the intersection of gender norms with protection action in the current hostile geopolitical context. It draws from research in Iraq, Myanmar, South Sudan and Ukraine, with a diverse spectrum of gendered protection actors and responses in support of communities. It identifies critical ways forward for humanitarian actors to strengthen gender-sensitive protection.
May 2026
Protecting Those Who Stay: Rethinking Duty of Care
Issue Brief
At NP, a holistic Duty of Care framework embeds physical, technical, psychosocial, and operational safety measures into the design and delivery of our work. NP’s Duty of Care approach has been shaped most clearly through experience in high-intensity conflict settings such as Ukraine. Yet, we're finding that the principles underpinning the approach are transferable across diverse operational environments. Our latest briefing explores how we are adapting the Duty of Care package across varying conflict landscapes, from Ukraine, DRC, Iraq, Myanmar, to South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, and within the United States.
2025
Protection Trends Report 2025
Programme Brief
New report documents how contemporary conflicts are increasingly fought in civilian spaces, exposing communities to sustained violence, dangerous and cyclical displacement, widespread hunger, climate-related insecurity, conflict-related sexual violence, misinformation, and shrinking humanitarian access. Drawing on frontline reporting and close engagement with affected communities, the report highlights both the erosion of formal protection systems and the growing sense of abandonment felt by civilians. At the same time, it underscores that, even under extreme constraint, civilians continue to act with agency to protect themselves and one another — reinforcing the urgent need for preventive, civilian-led, and nonviolent protection approaches grounded in long-term presence and trust.
November 2025
Peacebuilding is Possible in Emergency Contexts: Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) as a Peacebuilding Approach
Issue Brief
Peacebuilding is often assumed to begin after violence ends. Yet many of the drivers of conflict- such as distrust, fractured institutions, and exclusion - are most visible and most urgent during moments of emergency or crisis. Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) is a form of peacebuilding which bridges this gap: it allows local actors to begin or sustain peacebuilding efforts in the midst of insecurity, through protective presence, relationship-building, and inclusive engagement.
2024
Community is the Answer | Unarmed Civilian Protection in Practice 2024
Extended Annual Report
Amidst escalating violence against civilians, it is critical that we recognise examples of possibility and hope. This publication contains testimonies of fortitude, of lives saved, of relationships repaired—always amidst difficulty and violence, but pursued nevertheless. We hope these actions and insights remind us that prevention, protection, and repair are possible, of the importance of investing in peace and protection to save lives, and as inspiration for future action.
July 2025
Enhancing Food Security through Unarmed Civilian Protection in Ulang
Case Study
In Greater Ulang, an area with fertile land and accessible river water, folks avoid engaging in agricultural practices out of fear for their safety. Consequently, the protection issues arising from generalized insecurity perpetuate a chronic cycle of food insecurity that can extend beyond years and generations. NP has been working alongside communities to address these challenges in Greater Ulang.
July 2025
Enhancing Food Security through Unarmed Civilian Protection in Akobo
Case Study
In Akobo County, the outbreak of conflict at a central food distribution site resulted in the complete suspension of the distribution site. Individuals, families, and communities uninvolved did not receive their food assistance as expected. Our staff facilitated a community security meeting in Diror to understand the status of the relationship between the Kaikuiny and Diror communities and identify if any strategies needed to be implemented to mitigate any potential violence during future planned food distributions.
July 2025
Spotlighting Unsung Community Heroes: Violence Reduction through Community-led UCP Initiatives in Kuernyuon, Jonglei
Case Study
Through the leadership of local actors and the support of NP, the community of Kuernyuon in Buong Payam, Jonglei State, once plagued by child and women abductions and frequent cattle raids from neighboring communities, has begun a new chapter. Here's how they're using grassroots peacebuilding efforts to redefine safety and community protection.
July 2025
Steps Towards Ending Age Set Fighting and Advancing Peaceful Co-Existence in Pibor Town
Case Study
Learn how NP is supporting Pibor Town as the town takes steps towards ending age set fighting and advancing peaceful co-existence.
May 2025
A Long Day at Juba’s IDP Camp: A Case study of Violence Prevention Through Proactive Engagement with Youth Gangs
Case Study
Youth in Juba’s IDP camp helped prevent violence against civilians amid rising tensions. Members of the camp’s Youth Protection Teams, trained in nonviolence, drew on long-standing relationships to directly intervene and de-escalate the situation. Their actions prevented further violence and highlighted the impact of community-led protection and unarmed civilian strategies.