Global Networking on using nonviolence to protect civilians: activist academics - #RKEFest23

For four days in October, 80 people from every part of the world met in France for the first ever global gathering of the Unarmed Civilian Protection/Accompaniment (UCP/A) Community of Practice (CoP). And I was one of them!

The event was the culmination of years of work on case studies, regional meetings, working groups and driven forward by the determined belief that our world needs courageous nonviolent protection from violence. Everyone there had years of experience in tackling violence, building peace and maintaining human rights in some of the longest running violent conflicts and sites of violence. The CoP will enable this work to grow and be widely understood across the world through sharing ideas, inspiration and advocacy.

UCP/A is a community-led mechanism that uses nonviolence and building strong relationships to protect civilians from direct violence. It works across the world and the people attending the Global CoP told stories from Burundi, Lebanon, Colombia, USA, South Sudan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Philippines, and many more. People’s lives are saved and communities safer because they have created ‘early warning early response’, ‘proactive presence’, and ‘accompaniment’ mechanisms that are run by, and include local people who are affected by the violence, so it is contextually designed and depends on local knowledge and constant review and adaptation.

My main role was as a leading researcher on UCP. I’ve been working on UCP for over 20 years, supporting projects, networking and visiting sites to help build the evidence and theory on UCP. For the last 10 years I have been developing research projects, supporting researchers and international networks, and publishing papers about UCP. In this time the number of researchers studying UCP has grown and in an AHRC Funded Network+ there are another 21 research projects due to report their findings in early 2024. Myself, the Principal Investigator of Creating Safer Space, and other researchers were all reflecting, learning and sharing insights at the gathering, some of whom I recorded for my podcast ‘Peace Wanted: Keep the Unarmed Unharmed’.

It is critical work, building resilient communities using nonviolence in sites of armed conflict, and within those groups are people reflecting and working on understanding more about the significance of the work. The research has three main areas of focus. Firstly, by looking at what happens in communities to understand threats, capacities and practices. Secondly by looking at contexts and approaches to be able to compare and learn lessons, and thirdly by considering how the fact that UCP works influences other international civilian protection mechanisms. All of this research and learning is developed through collaboration and partnership, building strong research communities and disseminating the knowledge and ideas to those who need it most.

In 2024 the Creating Safer Space exhibition will come to Leeds Beckett along with access to videos, talks and podcasts on how local people are creating ways we keep civilians safer.

For more information please contact Professor Rachel Julian and visit the Creating Safer Space website.