Peaceworkers UK : former les futurs volontaires de paix

Peaceworkers UK is working to get the right people to the right place at the right time - where they can make a real difference to the lives of those living with the threat or consequences of violent conflict. It does this through a carefully-integrated programme of recruitment, training and assessment that is steadily building up the pool of people worldwide who can do this work, while at the same time ensuring that only the most qualified and well-prepared are actually sent into sensitive and dangerous situations.

Origins:

Peaceworkers UK began as an independent research project in 2000 to explore the phenomenon of ‘civilian peace services’ being set up in at least six other European countries. In 2001 it functioned as the secretariat for a Steering Group of other UK-based organisations exploring the feasibility of a UK Civilian Peace Service. The Steering Group, consisting of the organisations listed above, decided in 2002 to set up Peaceworkers UK as an independent entity to pursue these objectives.

Activities:

• The PeaceworkersRegister : an international database of people suitably qualified and potentially available for a wide range of roles needed in conflict prevention, crisis management and peacebuilding. Its primary purpose is to help both local and international organisations to find and deploy the best people meeting the highest standards of professional competence in their particular field. As a professional development tool, it also helps those who join it to identify and improve their own skills and qualifications.

• The PeaceworkersTraining : practical, field-based training to prepare people for the many different roles they may play in this field (introductory and core skill courses as well as specialised courses in human rights, conflict transformation, human security, civil society capacity-building and so on). Some of the more specialist courses are run under the auspices of the EU Training Project in Civilian Crisis Management.

• PeaceworkersSimulations : provide a means to assess people against commonly agreed minimum standards of professional competence. Observing people’s responses under simulated field conditions provides the basis for assessments at five levels of competency across a wide range of fieldwork categories.

• PeaceworkersResearch : establish a body of knowledge about what has or has not ‘worked’ in different situations of violent conflict. Research activities include field-based personnel assessments and surveys as well as in-house data analysis, tapping into a comprehensive network of individuals and organisations in the field.

Organisational structure:

Peaceworkers UK is a registered UK charity managed by a Board of Directors and supported by an advisory board, both of which are primarily populated by staff or board members of other organisations working in this general field. We have a small staff based in London led by a Director who has a PhD in Peace Studies and over 20 years management experience in this field.

Contact :

• Peaceworkers UK, 18a Victoria Park Square, London E2 9PB

• Main contact: Aurelien Tobie, Project Officer (parle francais)

• Tel: + 44 (0)20 8981 7112 Fax: + 44 (0)20 8981 7080

• E-mail: atobie@peaceworkers.org.uk

Site web

www.peaceworkers.org.uk