Where We Work > United States
United States
Protecting civic space, reducing polarization, and strengthening community-led safety — especially for the communities most at risk. See more of our strategy here.
a clear imperative:
The need for protection in the United States
Communities across the United States are facing significant restrictions on civic space, militarized approaches to public safety, increasing identity-based violence, violent racist rhetoric from political leadership, and record levels of detention.
Simultaneously, funding cuts for violence prevention programs, public health, and social services at state and federal levels are constraining the resources available to communities to keep themselves safe.
See more about protection needs in the U.S. here.
Our response
- NP has partnered with 70+ community-based organizations to help over 10,000 people through trainings on nonviolent protection tools and strategies.
- Across the U.S., NP has helped safeguard more than 70,000+ people at marches, demonstrations, and civic events through protective presence and community safety teams that help prevent escalation.
- In San Diego, NP has trained over 200 community members across several organizations in nonviolent protection strategies, mapping vulnerabilities and strengthening safety teams.
Together in community
NP began programming in the U.S. in 2020. Our Head of Mission for the U.S. is Roz Lee.
Our team strengthens safety before, during, and after crisis.
Over the last five years, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) has worked alongside local communities in the U.S. to keep people safe. Responsive to community needs, this work has spanned organizing safety teams in high-risk settings like immigration courts and food pantries, providing direct protection to people at risk of violence, and creating long-term safety ecosystems tailored to the violent threats faced by each community by training local groups in nonviolent responses to conflict.
The future of NP’s work in the United States
As NP continues to expand our reach and impact, we aim to advance scalable models that help communities sustain safety and ensure that civic space is expansive, accessible, and safe, especially for people historically pushed to the margins.
We work towards a future where safety no longer comes down the barrel of a gun, rather it is cultivated and strengthened through profound connection, generative conflict, and expansive community building. Toward a future where communities are safer and able to respond to risk, where community safety ecosystems are coordinated and resilient, and where civic spaces are expansive and less polarized.
Protecting Civic Space in the United States
Ahead of high-risk election cycles and increased protest activity, a key part of our work includes equipping organizers and coalitions with skills like risk assessment and scenario planning, safety team coordination, conflict de-escalation and street medicine fundamentals.
The latest
News & Stories
An Evidence-based Approach
What’s Happening, What We’re Saying
Want stories of peace in your inbox?
Discover the latest updates, upcoming events, and new opportunities to take action.