If I had known about how I would be treated along this journey, I might have never left my country. Better to die under the bombs in my home than to be treated like this in Europe. – Syrian refugee, Šid, Serbia, February 2016

n January 2016, Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) de-ployed a team to the Balkans to assess protec-tion needs of migrants and refugees, with a view

to inform possible NP program development in the region. In particular, the team sought to understand sources of violence against refugees and migrants in order to determine how unarmed civilian pro-tection could be used to reduce violence along the route.

Visiting key transit points in Greece, Mace-donia, and Serbia, the team arrived during a critical turning point in the so-called “refugee crisis.” We arrived to assess protection needs, stemming from the largest mass migration to Europe since World War II, just as borders were shutting. The team witnessed firsthand how states have been struggling to cope with the massive influx: a fine balancing act between guaranteeing the rights and basic humanitar-ian needs of arriving refugees and migrants, and addressing the needs of their own citizens, in-cluding national security and social welfare.

The team found that increasingly restrictive migra-tion policies have exacerbated protection concerns and contributed to a growing humanitarian crisis in

Greece, where nearly 50,000 refugees and migrants are currently stranded. In Greece, people stay in over-crowded transit accommodations and informal tem-porary shelters, some sleeping in tents or even out in the open at gas stations, abandoned buildings, and public squares and parks. In these locations, there is little or no security presence and refugees and mi-grants are vulnerable to multiple forms of violence including beatings and stabbings, sexual and gender-based violence, abuse and exploitation of children and other vulnerable groups, and harassment and threats against certain ethnic and religious minorities.

Refugees and migrants face additional threats while they are on the move. Along the route, the NP team met Syrian, Iraqi, Palestinian, and Afghan refu-gees who had been denied passage across borders—often on an arbitrary basis—and were, in some cases,

Nonviolent Peaceforce Conducts Assessment along Refugee Migration Route in Europe

Winter 2013

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transforming the world’s response to conflict

continued, p. 2

Adrianne Lapar and Lisa Fuller of the NP assessment team interview an Afghan woman and her teenage daughter in a park in Athens. The women reported fear for their security, especially at night, in their abandoned airport building shelter.

I FieldNotesSecond QuarterApril 2016

pushed backwards along the route. Some described violence by border police and other security personnel, including beatings, and a few alleged that their passports and registration documents had been confiscated or destroyed in front of them.

Denied access, some seek increasingly unsafe means to cross borders. These include a growing reliance on smugglers, which

puts refugees and mi-grants at an even greater risk of exploitation and abuse, and attempting passage across irregular and dangerous areas, such as rivers, mountains, and remote forests, where the risks include drowning, frostbite, death by freez-ing, robbery and violence by criminal groups.

Despite policy changes to stop the flow, includ-ing the official shutdown of the Balkan route and a deal between the EU and

Ankara to stem movement between Turkey and Greece, all in-dicators suggest that people will continue to seek ways to enter Europe. Arrivals to Greece have continued, and the number of peoople stranded in the country grows daily. What remains to be seen is how this affects protection, especially as refugees and migrants seek increasingly dangerous ways to reach their destina-tions in Europe.

The assessment team returned April 6 and submitted findings and recommendations for the Board of Directors to consider for approval of a new program in Greece. We’ll keep you informed of any new program development.

By Maria Mutautamahia, Nonviolent Peaceforce Communications Intern

wo years ago, the government of the Philippines signed an agreement allowing for an autonomous Muslim state in Mindanao, the Philippines’ southern-most is-land. This hard-won victory came after decades of civil

war and years of negotiations between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the group seeking autonomy for the Bangsamoro. This agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, raised the hopes and expectations of the Bangsamoro people who had grown so tired of war. The agree-ment was meant to be a stepping stone towards the creation of a new independent Muslim state and a historic step to finally bring to an end the political violence in Mindanao.

But the creation of the new state stalled in 2015. Without the es-tablishment of a new Bangsamoro government, no one could run in this year’s upcoming elections. The Bangsamoro Government was supposed to be asymmetrical to the central government and to include recognition of a separate Bangsamoro identity with their

“[T]he Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro raised the hopes and

expectations of the Bangsamoro people who had grown so tired of war.”

continued from p. 1

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TNP assessment team member Asil Sidahmed interviews a Syrian widow at the port in Athens, Greece. At the time of the interview, the woman and her four children were staying in a tent at the port alongside other mostly Syrian refugees.

The State of Peace in Mindanao

own justice institutions and comprehensive governing frame-work. This would have guaranteed basic rights including gov-ernment representation, the right of women to participate in the political process, and to protection from all forms of violence.

With the failure to establish the Bangsamoro State, frustration has surged in Mindanao and many people are fearful of another round of armed conflict. But one thing is different from before: women are increasingly taking matters into their own hands and actively working to prevent a renewed outbreak of violence. Nonviolent Peaceforce began working in Mindanao in 2007 promoting nonviolence and women’s participation. By raising aware-ness on gender-based violence and women’s rights, Nonviolent Peaceforce helped pave the way for women to get involved in the peace process. Because of this early work, a number of women are employed as local monitors for the Community-Based Peace and Protection Councils. They provide critical access to infor-mation on the ground about tensions in their communities and play a key role by reporting human rights violations.

Reflecting on women’s roles in the peace process, Xarifa Lao-Sanguila, one of Nonviolent Peaceforce’s National Civilian Pro-tection Monitors, spoke at Mariam College in Manila recently. In her presentation, she described working with community moni-

tors watching for signs of conflict within villages and respond-ing with unarmed strategies to prevent violence. She said, “To hold the peace together requires great effort, work and coordina-tion. I must stress that it takes a community working together to achieve that.”

Now, women’s groups on the ground are monitoring election related violence. They educate voters, facilitate peace agreements and dialogue with political leaders to promote peace, while trying to forge connections between national-level and grassroots orga-

nizations. The Moro Women Develop-ment and Cultural Center (MWDECC) works to deter violence by hosting sessions on the integration of Islamic teachings with principles of leader-ship, governance and human rights. Ms. Baina Samayatin of MWDECC, conducts community workshops that provide a safe venue for the expression

of anger and frustration about the delay of the creation of a new state. These community sessions focus on the peace process and the gains it has brought about. Prominent women now serve as chair of the government’s Peace Panel and as advisor to the Presi-dent on the Peace Process. Mindanao women have developed a strong determination to have peace in their communities, and to take a hand in creating it through nonviolent strategies.

“Mindanao women have developed a strong determination

to have peace in their communities, and to take a hand in creating it through nonviolent

strategies.”

Xarifa Lao-Sanguila, NP Civilian Protection Monitor, speaking at Mariam College in the Philippines.

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What is the impact that you see Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) having in the world?

On the morning of his assassination, almost fifty years ago, Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our next movement is to institutionalize and international-ize nonviolence.” Decades before King’s challenge, Rotary Founder Paul Harris said, “The road to war is well-paved, the road to peace is a wilderness.”

All over the world there are little paths being walked daily, even amidst violence, helping to build that road. Each is significant and vitally needed to create the world that King, Harris, and countless other individuals have inspired in humankind. NP’s path—provid-ing unarmed civilian protection in conflict zones—is validating King’s dream and transforming Harris’ statement into a reason for optimism, as is the United Nation’s support for unarmed civilian protec-tion. NP’s recent nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is also a credible indication that hope will increase in the next 50 years. Our Mid-land chapter is filled with purpose and excitement in our work together to increase awareness of, and support for, NP—our own little path to peace.

How did your chapter start and how did you get involved?

My first “involvement” with NP was an intellectual/heart connection. Just hearing about it inspired hope. At that exciting moment in history when the Millen-nium arrived, I wanted to take local action to make a positive difference, and in 1999 Marge Darger and I invited Rev. Kirk Havel to join us for initation of

the Midland Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice (MICPJ) that focused on the UN Decade for a Culture of Peace and Nonviolence for the Children of the World.

Around that same time I read in a Michigan Peace Team (now Meta Peace Team) newsletter

about Mel Duncan and David Hartsough meeting at the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace and about the upcoming initiation in India of an organization called the Nonviolent Peaceforce - an international effort that would train unarmed civilians to resolve conflicts nonviolently. Those were years of parenting four high school and college students, as well as continuing with local activities. I don’t remember when George and I made our first donation to NP. However, by 2006, I traveled to the Minneapolis office and volunteered for a few days to check out the organization. From that moment on I was sold on NP and initiated annual fundraisers through our local Helen M. Casey Center for Nonviolence. In 2009, I attended a United States Nonviolent Peaceforce Chapter Assocation (USNPCA) gathering, heard Mel and David share memories about NP’s history, and learned about chapter work. I also invited Mel to come to Michigan, which he did in 2011. The Midland NP Chapter was started that year.

How have you garnered interest in the chapter?

We take raising awareness about NP’s work as seriously as we do fundraising. Through MICPJ we developed a very good relationship with our local newspaper editor, and we continue inviting the Midland Daily News to cover our activities. Marna Anderson came to speak at our Tea for NP that drew well over 200 attendees this past February, many who for the first time heard about this work to “Transform the World’s Response to Conflict.”

continued, p. 5

Leveraging Support for Peace in Your CommunityAn Interview with Jeanne Lound Schaller Midland, Michigan

Nan Spence, Paula Liveris, Marna Anderson (NP Director of Development & Communications), and Jeanne Schaller (NP Midland Chapter President) at Midland Tea Event generously hosted by Paula.

Between Mel’s first visit and Marna’s recent one, Tim Wallis, Doris Mariani and Tiffany Easthom have all blessed us with their presence and while here have spoken to attendees at a luncheon, high school students, faith communi-ties, a college Global Peace Studies class and the general public. National Public Radio did interviews that were aired through a nearby uni-versity. In addition, our chapter members have spoken about NP to local organizations, written letters to the editor and forum pieces such as:

“Conflict prevention equals human protection,” “Nonviolent conflict resolution: A sustainable practice.”

We send out yearly fundraising letters and write personal thank yous to donors, including those throughout Michigan who are not mem-bers of our chapter. We let them know that we share their enthusiasm for NP’s work. Some of them accept our invitation to get periodic emails about our activities.

We have asked several faith communities to consider a yearly donation to NP with some success.

What are some of your chapter activities?

We have co-sponsored activities such as “A Conversation with Muslims”, and “Responding to Bullying”—a program that related challenges in the schools, workplace and social media to NP’s international work. In 2014, our chap-

ter initiated “Lessons in Leadership-Students Crafting Solutions” and we since have worked in six area elementary, middle and high schools teaching conflict resolution skills. We meet with teachers before setting up each program, so we know the skills that might be most help-ful in their classrooms and schools. We have also brought in a Peer Mediation trainer as well as trainers for adults. We recently received a second grant from the Dow Chemical Company

Foundation to support this work. When we speak with middle and high school

students we mention NP’s work and even with the younger students our message is that what they are doing in the classroom to make things more peaceful, makes a difference in the world. We have had a couple “pennies for peace” col-lections. One of them was for South Sudan. We spoke to elementary students/teachers and told them about NP’s work there to help protect children and their families. After Mel first came and spoke to Dow High School students, some of them organized two fundraising events for NP.

Any advice for other chapters that want to become more active?

Seek out people in your faith community/workplace etc. and invite them to join and invite the younger ones (meaning those in their 60s or lower) to take leadership rolls. Someone who is in her late 80s who attends faithfully and who has, along with her husband, been very active in our group suggested this. They both still offer leadership at a lower level, and realize there needs to be younger energy taking the front lead. Our members range between late 80s to 50s. After participating in the Tea for NP in February, we have had six people say they are interested in joining our chapter. We already have 12+ active members.

We meet only four times a year for an hour and a half each time as we know how full people’s lives are.

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FieldNotes

Spring 2016(Second Quarter)

Dear Friends, We are so pleased to announce that Nonviolent Peaceforce has been nominated for the 2016 Nobel

Peace Prize by the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). We are especially honored to receive the nomination from the AFSC who won the award in 1947 and have worked for decades to promote peace and social justice. In the nomination letter, the AFSC stated, “Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Nonviolent Peaceforce would highlight and strengthen their work and the work of other similar

organizations at a time when worldwide tensions seem to be at a boiling point, and their work is vital and relevant.”

As a generous donor to NP, you helped make this happen by supporting our explorations to new countries, work at the United Nations, and ensuring our staff are well-trained and prepared to provide protection everyday in complex and dangerous situations.

With tremendous gratitude,

Doris Mariani, CEO Mel Duncan, co-founder and Director of Advocacy and Outreach

Thank you, DorisDoris Mariani, who led NP for the past three years, is stepping down from her role as CEO effective June 1, 2016. During her tenure, Doris set the organization on a new path with an ambitious 5-year strategic plan, secured EU funds to open a new office in Beirut, Lebanon, and oversaw the growth of the South Sudan project, where NP now has over 200 peacekeepers. Tiffany Easthom will serve as an Interim Executive Director until the Board hires a permanent replacement. Doris is leaving NP in good hands and states that she feels “confident that NP will continue its courageous, innovative and effective work for peace.” All of the staff and board are grateful to Doris for her leadership and wish her the best.

To read more about the nomination, please go to: http://nonviolentpeaceforce.org/nobelpeaceprize