Under the leadership of two non-governmental organisations, Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD) and Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP), civil society organisations and active citizens from all over Europe have united to promote civilian alternatives for the European Union's future foreign and security policy.
We are convinced that prevention of future conflict and civilian approaches to handling ongoing conflict are more effective, more sustainable and less cost-intensive than reactive crisis management and military endeavours. Many non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have valuable experience and expertise with nonviolent peace interventions, peacebuilding and similar forms of support for constructive social change.
In order to reinvigorate the Peace Project Europe, to actively involve European citizens, and to foster debate around the EU's future role in global affairs, our coalition has created a set of joint proposals. To support these proposals, which include the call for a European Civil Peace Service programme, two series of events have been arranged. These are open to all those who are interested in the proposals and who wish to work for their realisation.
8-9 May 2010 – Join the Europe day events in Lyon (France)
This year Europe Day was celebrated in a special manner. Under the title of Peace Project Europe - civil society dimensions, Mouvement pour une Alternative Non-violente (MAN) invited NGOs and active citizens from all over Europe to an event in Lyon. It was organised to coincide with a European NGO network meeting and, over the course of the weekend of the 8th and 9th May, several public events were organised. These events saw the presentation and discussion of proposals intended to ensure that the European Union reinforces its founding principles and continues to promote peace and democracy as its core values.
For more information on these events, please visit the Europe Day events page.
14 Oct 2009 - European Civil Peace Service at the European Parliament
From 12th to 15th October 2009 NGO representatives and active citizens from across the whole continent gathered in Brussels to discuss their policy strategy. On 14th October peacebuilders took the floor of the European Parliament. During a seminar, practitioners presented case studies that demonstrated the ways in which international presence can support local peace initiatives around the world. In the evening a civil society delegation then handed over a list detailing the campaign's supporters to members of European Parliament. Both prominent politicians, such as Elmar Brok, Graham Watson, Corina Cretu and Ulrike Lunacek, as well as a representative from the European Commission, had joined the panel convened to discuss the issue.
Read more and view the photo gallery on the 14th October events page.