Schutz vor Gewalt in gewaltförmigen Konflikten: Peacekeeping

Peacekeeping has the essential task of preventing or stopping violence. It complements political peacemaking and the various approaches to dealing with the causes and consequences of war and violence (peacebuilding). Today, military peacekeeping is carried out by the United Nations – referred to there as peace missions –, various other alliances of states and also individual states. Most are characterized by so-called robust mandates, i.e., they can also be enforced by force of arms. Its track record is mixed. Civilian peacekeeping is the work of trained unarmed civilians who use nonviolent methods to protect other civilians from violence and support local efforts to build peace. Civilian peacekeeping (Unarmed Civilian Protection) is carried out by non-governmental organizations as well as by unarmed international missions. They achieve their effectiveness through two interrelated mechanisms, (1) a form of nonviolent deterrence, including through the mechanism of "the world is watching", and (2) confidence-building with the various actors, who can thus be encouraged to respect human rights and the protection of civilians. The range of organizations doing this work is very wide, from citizens' groups working in their own countries to professional international non-governmental organizations such as Nonviolent Peaceforce or Peace Brigades International. Certain civilian missions, e.g., of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe [OSCE] and the European Union, could also be included. Civilian peacekeeping has many successes to its credit, which have been demonstrated in particular in case studies. Its limitations correspond in part to those of military peacekeeping, in part they result from the legally and resource-wise weaker position of civil society organizations.