As an emerging global power, the European Union is currently developing its foreign and security policy. It does so in the context of the 21st century, supported by a vibrant and active civil society. The EU therefore contains great potential for promoting new approaches to international conflict, and it has the chance to put the promotion of peace by nonviolent means at the heart of its external engagements.

The 'Europe, Vote for Peace!' campaign and the Peace Project Europe events drew together a large coalition of civil society organisations and active citizens. This coalition calls for the European Union to stay true to its founding values and to give priority both to violence prevention, and to civilian approaches to handling conflict. We are convinced that civilian alternatives, and a stronger involvement of civil society, will prove more effective, more sustainable and less cost-intensive than reactive crisis management and military endeavours.

Our main proposal is the creation of a European Civil Peace Service (ECPS) programme to mobilise European citizens to become actively involved in peace promotion and hands-on peace support in countries affected by violent conflict. An ECPS programme would provide a legal framework, public recognition and financial support for certified civil society organisations to recruit, train and deploy professional peace consultants and peace teams. These civil society peace experts would be placed in long-term projects in countries affected by violent conflict. Overall their task would be to support and protect local civil societies working for dialogue and reconciliation through nonviolent means.

Download here the full policy proposal "Towards a European Civil Peace Service" (coming soon!)

For further information you may also visit the webpages of the European Network for Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS) and the German Consortium Civil Peace Service.

Examples of NGOs working for peace in countries affected by violent conflict:

Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP)
Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD)
EPLO Member Organisations (European Peacebuilding Liaison Office)

Our two other proposals supported by the 'Europe, Vote for Peace!' coalition are:

• A peacebuilding directorate under the new European External Action Service.

The Lisbon Treaty has brought reforms in the fields of foreign policy and external relations, notably the creation of a European External Action Service. We suggest using this moment of reform to upgrade the topics of crisis prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding within the new institutional structures. An innovation in this direction should also include further staffing and resources for support programmes and cooperation with civil society organisations.

In a similar vein the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office has issued a policy statement. Download here the EPLO statement

• More structured dialogue with civil society.

Much of the dialogue between EU institutions and civil society actors concerned with peace and conflict issues currently takes place on an ad-hoc basis. To make better use of the expertise available within civil society (including experience from field projects), to better recognise the mutual benefit of such dialogue and to strengthen cooperation in a spirit of true partnership, more structured frameworks and institutional mechanisms are needed.

Download here our policy proposals for more structured dialogue