Nonviolent Peaceforce
Good Practices
Global review of good practices in the field of unarmed civilian protection
Unarmed civilian protection (UCP) has gained recognition as a valuable method for protecting civilians and contributing to sustainable peace. As a relatively new practice, there is an urgent need to research and document the experiences of organizations on the ground in the last decades, in order to articulate proven, effective strategies methods. There are now more than 50 known groups who practice UCP. However, this does not account for the vast range of community-level UCP initiatives, of which there are countless examples
In service of this goal, Nonviolent Peaceforce is spearheading a comprehensive global review of good practices in the field of unarmed civilian protection. The purpose of the good practices process is to strengthen and grow the field of UCP by bringing practitioners, academics, and affected beneficiaries together to reflect on the needs, successes and failure of UCP in these areas.
The process is being carried out in four stages
See case studies and reports below
Stage 1: Case Studies (Book Completed May 2016)
Conducted case studies in four areas of the world where UCP is being practiced: South Sudan, Colombia, the Philippines (Mindanao) and Israel/Palestine. The researchers reviewed the work of more than twenty local and international organizations, and identified and described 77 UCP good practices. Their findings were published in the book "Wielding Nonviolence in the Midst of Violence", edited by Ellen Furnari, who also conducted two of the field studies herself.
Stage 2: Regional Workshops (See reports here, from 2017 - 2021)
Convene six facilitated consultation groups convened on a regional basis and made up of UCP practitioners, field partners, beneficiaries and academics for three-day sessions to review their work, analyze findings of stage one and validate good practices and emerging themes as well as identify dilemmas or challenges raised but not answered by the cases.
Nonviolent Peaceforce organized regional workshops with the title “Good Practices in Nonviolent, Unarmed, Civilian to Civilian Protection.”
See here for the summary of Good Practices Workshops: English, French, Spanish, Arabic
See below for papers that summarize the important discussions, issues and findings of each workshop.
Nonviolent Peaceforce thanks all those who facilitated and/or took notes, all participants, and all donors!
Manila: December 7-9, 2017
Link to shortened version of report.
Beirut: June 18-20, 2018
Link to shortened version of report.
Nairobi: November 12-14, 2018
Link to shortened version of report.
Paynesville: October 21-23, 2019
Link to shortened version of report.
Bogotá: January 13-15, 2020
Link to full report (English) | Link to full report (Spanish)
Link to shortened version of report (English) | Link to shortened version of report (Spanish)
Virtual Europe: February 19-21, 2021
Link to shortened version of report.
Stage 3: Assemble the first UCP Good Practices conference (2021 & 2022)
Stage 4: Publish, disseminate and evaluate findings
Countries included in Stage 1 Case Studies
Countries where Stage 2 Good Practices Workshops have been held
Countries where attendees of workshops have worked in with a UCP organization (Note: only one marker per country, with the exception of one additional marker placed on US/Mexico borderlands)
See also: Mir Centre for Peace's UCP Database (Selkirk College) map on UCP practicioners here: Link