Practical Peacekeeping

Peacekeepers are a group of people used in nonviolent action, with skills at
diffusing potential violence or aggression.  Their role is to keep harmony
within the action and to create positive feelings out of conflicts that may
arise out of an action.  Many people are naturally peacekeepers and generally
women seem to have good skills in this area as they are encouraged not to use
violence as a resolution to conflict in western society.  I have written this
article so that nonviolent groups can use these methods, as I think they are
crucial to the smooth running of a nonviolent action.

Planning stages of a nonviolent action.
1. Make sure the action has a definite ending so that people that the
organizers have ended the action and any further activity is taken on by
someone else's initiative.
2. Decide when you wish to have a peacekeeping meeting
* at the planning meeting if most people are present
* at a separate meeting a few days prior to the meeting and advertise this to
as many people as possible
* at a time before the action (eg. 1 hour before) and advertise this to
interested people.
3. Make sure there will be songs at the action that people can use instead of
relying on chants.  Besides being more fun, songs tend to calm people whereas
chants tend to build up energy which can lead to frustration when that energy
is not released, or alternatively released in a fashion that may not be
desirable.  Encouraging musicians to show off their talents can be a positive
move.
4. Designing a leaflet that explains to people at the action that the action
will be nonviolent and respect all third parties (eg. police, media,
opponents, and so on) will encourage good feeling with all parties.

At the peacekeeping meeting
1. With a large group you may need to divide into small groups with at least
one person in each group with experience at peacekeeping for some of the
activities.
2. Getting people to role play possible situations can make them feel more
confident in using peacekeeping methods.  A good one to use is a hassle line,
where people line up in 2 lines facing each other and one line is an aggressor
(eg. timber worker) and one a peacekeeper and you engage in dialogue for say 3
minutes, and then swap roles.  Then rejoin as a group and discuss what worked
and what didn't.
3. After role playing talk about body language - open body language, such as
listening, hands beside side, smiling, etc., and closed body language, not
listening, crossed arms, frowning, etc.
4. Talk about undermining a police officer's role by bringing out the person
in them rather than their role as a police officer.  Introduce yourself and
break down any stereotypes of protesters the officer may have.  Ask their
name, how they feel about the action.
5. Simply listening to someone who wants to create conflict at an action will
have immediate effects.  They will probably lower their voice as they are now
talking to one person and not a crowd, it may stop them initiating further
action, it may stop others in the action from abusing the person and you may
be able to clear up misunderstandings with the person and learn something
about your opponents.
6. Having a presence between two arguing parties may be enough to create a
less threatening environment.
7. Forming a humming circle (i.e. hum and hold hands in a circle leaving a gap
for the aggressors to leave), as one women's group did when some men turned up
to annoy them, can be quite effective.  (Good role play, this one.)
8. Physically forming a blockade between particularly obnoxious groups and
people in the action can be effective.  For example, on a women's march in
Melbourne, when four or five men wanted to join in and chant provoking chants,
they were immediately surrounded by peacekeepers while the rest of the rally
went by.
9. In a situation of potential violence, doing something absurd, yet not
threatening, may disperse this feeling.  For example, at an anti-nuclear ships
demonstration I saw a man being hassled somewhat by police for some reason, so
he just started jumping up and down on the spot saying, "Jump for Peace!", and
the police could not help but smile.
10. Decide as a group whether to be identifiable, or not, as peacekeepers (eg.
arm bands), so that people know who you are, and whether to be in pairs for
support, or not (you may need to prepare for this).

At the action
1. Make it clear at the beginning of the action, what the action will be, as
fully as possible, so that everyone knows what is going to happen.  This will
mean people will know other actions are another groups initiative and
eliminate a lot of confusion.
2. If peacekeepers are to be identifiable, then this should be explained so
that people know who they are.
3. Hand out leaflets explaining the nature of the action.

After the action
Evaluate how people felt about being a peacemaker and how effective they
thought it was.  Perhaps a brainstorm on what was good, to be improved, and
how to improve it.  Quick and easy.

I hope this will be of use to groups wishing to use nonviolent actions and
help them to be as effective as possible.

Karen Adams
Nonviolent Teacher Collective, Melbourne