Unarmed civilian peacekeeping or protection (UCP) is a generic term that gives recognition to a wide range of activities by unarmed civilians to reduce violence and protect civilians in situations of violent conflict. There are many non-governmental as well as governmental organisations that engage in UCP, using a variety of methods and approaches. This study examines UCP in four conflict-affected regions: Colombia, Mindanao (Philippines), Palestine/Israel, and South Sudan. It focuses on what is emerging as good practice in these varied contexts and whether any commonalities can inform the expanded use of UCP.

Autorentext
Ellen Furnari, Ph.D. worked with the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP) in Sri Lanka, and has consulted with NP on several other projects. She is an adjunct faculty at Webster University in International Studies and a research associate at the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Otago, New Zealand. Ellen Furnari is the author of several articles and chapters regarding unarmed civilian peacekeeping and the centrality of relationships for effective peacekeeping. She is a co-author of the UNITAR course on unarmed civilian protection and a member of the International Peace Research Association. Recent publications include: "Creating knowledge in and about conflicted contexts: How peacekeepers know what works," Thammasat Review, 2015; and "Securing Space for Local Peacebuilding: The Role of International and National Civilian Peacekeepers," Peacebuilding Journal, 2015. The Institute for Peace Work and Nonviolent Conflict Transformation is a private German peace research institute focusing on nonviolent conflict transformation. More information under: www.ifgk.de