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.

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.

WNITMOF CoverClick here

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.” These papers 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!

 

good practices phil


Manila: December 7-9, 2017

Link to full report.

Link to shortened version of report.



good practices middle east 
Beirut: June 18-20, 2018

Link to full report.

Link to shortened version of report.

 

Kenya Good Practice 2s

 

Nairobi: November 12-14, 2018

Link to full report.

Link to shortened version of report.

 

North America

 

Paynesville: October 21-23, 2019

Link to full report.

Link to shortened version of report.

 

bogota good practices

 

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)

 

europe good practices coming soon

 

Virtual Europe: February 19-21, 2021

 

 

 

 

Stage 3: Assemble the first UCP Good Practices conference (Tentative 2022)

Assemble the first UCP Good Practices conference gathering practitioners, field partners, beneficiaries, policy makers and academics to discuss the findings of the case studies and consultation groups, and validate UCP good practices that can be scaled up and replicated as well as improve upon existing practice. The organizations currently practicing UCP have never all met. The conference will also help to establish an international UCP network. It is currently scheduled to take place in 2022.

Stage 4: Publish, disseminate and evaluate findings

Publish, disseminate and evaluate findings. After the good practices are identified, analyzed and validated in stages 1-3, they will be disseminated to all of the organizations currently practicing UCP for integration into training materials. Findings will also be presented to potential new practitioners, policy makers and funders including the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, UN Department of Political Affairs, UN Friends of Protection of Civilians, regional organizations including ASEAN, the African Union and the European Union; the International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent and civil society networks like the West African Network for Peace Building, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, Frontline Defenders and War Resisters International. Findings will also be shared with groups working only on the local level.

Marker Yellow

 Countries included in Stage 1 Case Studies

 Marker OrangeCountries where Stage 2 Good Practices Workshops have been held 

Marker IndigoCountries 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