THE NEED: Unarmed civilians have become the preferred victims of the wars and violent conflicts that plague so many parts of the world today. In fact, 90% of current war casualties are civilians – the majority of whom are women and children. It is estimated that 1.5 billion people currently live in countries with repeated violence.

THE SOLUTION: It takes unarmed civilians to break that cycle of violence and demonstrate other ways of handling conflict. Nonviolent Peaceforce prevents violence, protects civilians and promotes peace through the unique tool of Unarmed Civilian Peacekeeping. At the invitation of local organizations and governments, NP trains Unarmed Civilian Peacekeepers from around the world and sends them into conflict zones where they prevent violence by:

• Conducting rumor control
• Providing child protection and family reunification
• Offering unarmed accompaniment to vulnerable citizens
• Creating safe space for dialogue between conflicting parties
• Monitoring for local humanitarian aid providers
• Training local human rights defenders
• Encouraging problem solving, peace building and reconciliation

THE RESULTS: In Kandako, a small town or payam of South Sudan, a woman approached Nonviolent Peaceforce about the frequent incidents of conflict related sexual violence against women when they go out to pump water, gather firewood or tend the community garden. Nonviolent Peaceforce called meetings to strategize about the violence. 80 women showed up. The violence was investigated, a phone tree was set up and daily patrols were established. Today, the women of Kandako report that the incidents of conflict related sexual violence at the well have been eliminated – a dramatic results from simple efforts.