The Creating Safer Space network has published a new working paper, “Exploring Unarmed Civilian Self-Protection in Cameroon’s Anglophone Conflict”. The Working Paper is written by Gordon Crawford, Nancy Annan, James Kiven Kewir, Atim Evenye Niger-Thomas, Bernard Nsaidzedze Sakah and Zonziwoh Mbondgulo-Wondieh.

The working paper presents the findings of the Creating Safer Space project, “Exploring unarmed civilian self-protection in Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict”.

It explores the unarmed civilian self-protection measures taken by individuals and communities who live in the midst of ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon’s two English-speaking regions. This conflict has received limited attention and support from regional and international actors, and civilians have found their own ways to protect themselves from violence. The researchers have uncovered a wide array of informal and innovative grassroots measures of community self-protection. The team used participatory art-based methods of data collection, and many of the poems and drawings produced by the research participants illustrate the wider findings in the working paper.

We welcome proposals for the Creating Safer Space Working Paper Series. Please contact creating-safer-space@aber.ac.uk if you are interested in publishing a working paper with us.

The Creating Safer Space exhibition was on display inside the United Nations Headquarters in New York from 29 April – 3 May, at the Delegates’ Entrance.

The exhibition includes objects, images, and voices from Creating Safer Space research projects, and explores the unexpected power of nonviolence in the protection of civilians living in the midst of violence.

Prof. Berit Bliesemann de Guevara, Prof. Rachel Julian and Prof. Nerve Macaspac accompanied the exhibition, and informed UN delegates, UN staff, and other interested stakeholders about Creating Safer Space research. They shared the Creating Safer Space policy briefs on the potential role of Unarmed Civilian Protection in the Protection of Civilians (PoC) and other publications from Creating Safer Space projects.

Visitors described the exhibition as timely and important, and some raised personal reflections on the artwork. A member of a UN mission from a country in Africa remarked that the use of whistles as a method of early warning and early response, as illustrated by our exhibition material from Cameroon and South Sudan, was also used in their own country – and this practice had once saved their life.

An exhibition event was held on Tuesday 30 April for members of UN missions and other interested parties, with drinks, food and introductory speeches. Prof. Arlene Tickner, Ambassador of the Colombian Mission to the UN in New York, highlighted that, “[o]ne of the most fascinating things about this project, I think, is not only its work with communities affected by violence, but also the insistence on nonviolent mechanisms of protection and self protection to accompany civilians in contexts of violence and conflict”. Prof. Berit Bliesemann de Guevara highlighted how Creating Safer Space research across 11 countries has shown that we can find community-level unarmed civilian protection everywhere. Civilians are not just victims waiting to be saved by strangers – they are protectors in their own right – and these nonviolent protection strategies work in making people safer across a range of different violent contexts.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations, for being our official sponsor, for all their help in making the week a success, and for enabling us to bring community voices from around the world to this global centre of power.