Broader research on nonviolent action points to the spontaneous and diverse nature of nonviolent actors and the nonviolent action they deploy. As noted by many UCP scholars and practitioners, community-level UCP initiatives often emerge from local actors simply trying to adapt and reduce violence in their communities without any pre-emptive support from specialist NGOs. We refer to such local action as “spontaneous UCP”: community-level protection activities carried out by local actors spontaneously in response to local conditions, and not necessarily with support of specialist NGOs. Consequently, the project explored the emergence of spontaneous UCP by local actors and documented and analysed their attempts to create “safe spaces” in Colombia, Myanmar, and South Sudan. Working collaboratively between University of Winchester researchers, and in-country co-investigators (Co-Is), comparative data collection and analysis were carried out in an attempt to better understand how spontaneous instances of UCP occur in the three chosen contexts; what strategies/ networks these actors have developed to broaden their UCP activities; and how the context shapes the emergence of UCP activities.
RESEARCH TEAM
The project team consisted of researchers from the Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (CRRP), which worked closely with researchers from in-country Co-investigators; Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD) in South Sudan, Religions for Peace Myanmar (RfP-M) and Rodeemos el Diálogo – Embrace Dialogue (ReD) in Colombia (see below):
The CRRP led the project with Prof. Mark Owen as Principal Investigator (PI) and Dr. Andrei Gomez-Suarez and Dr. Luke Abbs as Co-Investigators (Co-Is).
Prof. Owen as principal investigator led the overall project and led fieldwork in Myanmar. Prof. Owen is an expert on religious peacebuilding and has extensive experience in engaging in fieldwork in conflict zones and conducting project evaluations, including in Myanmar. Dr. Gomez-Suarez as Co-I managed field work in Colombia where he has explored reconciliation and peacebuilding and has extensive experience in conducting fieldwork, and engaging in arts-based research dissemination. Dr. Abbs has regional expertise of Sub-Saharan Africa and as Co-I managed fieldwork in South Sudan. As an expert on the use of nonviolent resistance during armed conflict, Dr. Abbs was the academic lead and supported academic dissemination and interpretation of findings across all three cases.
Our in-country Co-Is played a vital role in data collection; helping us to identify nonviolent actors that engage in spontaneous UCP outside of intensive fieldwork conducted by investigators from the CRRP, and in logistics; setting up meetings, focus groups and interviews, facilitating access to researchers, and supporting arts-based initiatives by organising research dissemination events.
The Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD) has been working in South Sudan for over two decades and has extensive experience in collaborating with NGOs and research initiatives. The CRRG recently collaborated with ONAD, assessing and conducting fieldwork on the impact of United States Institute of Peace initiatives in South Sudan.
Religions for Peace Myanmar (RfP-M) have significant experience of carrying out peacebuilding and reconciliation work across Myanmar, have previously collaborated with the CRRP and have worked extensively in Rakhine, Central Myanmar, Kachin, Chin state, and Kayin.
Rodeemos el Diálogo (ReD) have extensive experience of conducting and supporting peacebuilding initiatives, and have previously worked in the Catatumbo region (supporting the work of Mesa Humanitaria del Catatumbo in opening up political space) and Nariño.
- Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (University of Winchester)
- Organisation for Nonviolence and Development (ONAD)
- Religions for Peace Myanmar (RfP-M)
- Rodeemos el Diálogo – Embrace Dialogue (ReD)
PROJECT OUTPUTS
Civilians Protecting Civilians
Civiles Protegiendo Civiles
PROJECT PHOTOS
