Understanding Community-level Spontaneous Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP): A Comparative Study of Initiatives in South Sudan, Myanmar and Colombia

In recent years important research has explored how civilians engage in unarmed civilian protection (UCP) to protect other civilians from armed violence. Yet existing research has focused almost exclusively on UCP initiatives that are advanced by international non-government organisations (INGOs) that specialise in UCP.

Our project explores a less known aspect of UCP, what we term spontaneous UCP, referring to community-level UCP initiatives by local actors that are carried out ‘spontaneously’ in response to local conditions without any pre-emptive support from specialist INGOs. More specifically, we seek to understand the nature and character of local nonviolent actors engaging in spontaneous UCP; how the contexts shape, support and constrain spontaneous UCP activities; the evolution relationships, networks and coalitions these local actors form in order to protect others; exploring these factors across Myanmar, Colombia and South Sudan.

The project design is fully participatory, with researchers from the Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (CRRP) at the University of Winchester working closely with in-country co-investigators (Co-Is) in Myanmar, Colombia and South Sudan. As a team we will conduct semi-structured interviews and focus groups to collect new data on spontaneous UCP. The project will produce two academic articles on the nature and emergence of spontaneous UCP, four policy briefs and develop arts-based approaches with in-country Co-Is to disseminate our findings to a broader audience .

The project offers important contributions to the emerging UCP literature by moving beyond the current focus on INGO led UCP initiatives, to provide new understandings about spontaneous UCP, and by offering a comparative analysis of spontaneous UCP across three cases of three different continents. The project also contributes to the Safer Space Network; highlighting new opportunities to develop local civilian capabilities, local protection infrastructures, as well providing new understanding about the vulnerabilities of locally led UCP initiatives.

Research Team

The project team consists of researchers from the Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace (CRRP), which will be working 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 will be leading 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 will lead the overall project and lead fieldwork in Myanmar. Prof. Owen is an expert on religious peacebuilding has extensive experience in engaging in fieldwork in conflict zones and conducting project evaluations, including in Myanmar. Dr. Gomez-Suarez as Co-I will manage 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 will manage fieldwork in South Sudan. As an expert on the use of nonviolent resistance during armed conflict, Dr. Abbs will be academic lead and supporting academic dissemination and interpreting findings across all three cases.

Our in-country Co-Is will play 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.

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