In March 2026, team members of the project “Exploring unarmed civilian self-protection in Cameroon’s Anglophone conflict” organised an online panel and practitioner dialogue for Africa Week at King’s College London under the title “Operationalizing Agency Through Unarmed Civilian Protection: Community-Led Pathways to Safety and Peace”, attended by c.100 online participants.
The event examined Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) as a concrete framework through which agency is operationalized in contexts of conflict and insecurity. Drawing on the African case of Cameroon and wider insights, it explored how communities, local civil society actors, and international partners mobilise nonviolent strategies, social legitimacy, and relational resources to prevent violence, protect civilians, and contribute to sustainable peace, without reliance on armed force.
The discussion reflected on the human, social, and institutional foundations that enable community-led protection. Panelists considered how local actors exercise protective agency, the normative and organisational conditions that allow UCP initiatives to function and scale, and the ideational dimensions of agency, particularly local understandings of security, protection, and legitimacy. The dialogue also addressed the opportunities and challenges of integrating community-based protection into broader peace and security architectures.
Watch a recording of the event HERE.