Network Perceptions

Recently I attended two overseas gatherings about nonviolence and I
encountered a number of people and groups that I had no idea existed.  Many
of us in the network in Melbourne have had little contact with the
international nonviolence networks so I thought I'd share my perceptions of
what other people are getting up to.

International Networks
The Transnational Trainers gathering was organised by four networks: The
International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), War Resisters
International (WRI), The International Network of Engaged Buddhists (INEB),
and Peace Brigades International (PBI).

WRI is an international umbrella group of a number of anti-militarist groups
and networks in various countries.  The bulk of its membership is European
and American, though they are trying to involve more people especially people
from the the South.  It has an office in London with two or three full-time
staff who coordinate and give support to its member groups and affiliates. 
Most of its European groups seem to be conscientious objection groups, though
this is not always the case, and WRI seems to be ever broadening its
perspective.  They publish a newsletter monthly the Broken Rifle as well as
share the publication of Peace news.

WRI itself is not only a networking centre or coordination point but has a
life of its own through its council and executive which are voted in at each
Triennial.  It also has a Women's Working Group that is researching the
effect of militarisation on women and which organises occasional women's
conferences.  The organisation uses majority voting to make decisions.

IFOR was started during World War 1 by the same person who set up WRI but its
basic difference is that it was for people and groups that have a spiritual
basis (originally Christian) for their nonviolence.  Now it is a world wide
network of "women and men committed to active nonviolence as a way of life
and as a means of personal, social and political change", covering five
continents with over fifty branches.  It does conscientious objector work,
conflict resolution, peace and justice work as well as organising nonviolence
training.  IFOR's main office is in Holland but they also employ field
workers who do training around the world.  Richard Steele and Anita Kromberg,
for example, are field workers in South Africa.  IFOR publishes a quarterly
magazine called Reconciliation International each edition focussing on a
particular theme.

IFOR's structure, I think is similar to WRI's in that it is an international
network of organisations that may themselves be national networks (eg USA
Fellowship of Reconciliation).  They make decisions by consensus at a
four-yearly conference.

INEB is a relatively new network of groups promoting socially engaged
Buddhism.  Engaged Buddhism was a term coined by Vietnamese nonviolent
activist Thich Nhat Hanh and the network is involved in promoting
understandings between Buddhist countries and various Buddhist sects, in
facilitating and solving problems in various countries and in helping bring
the perspective of engaged Buddhists to bear in working on these problems. 
Engaged Buddhists are working in a range of peace, social justice and ecology
issues and the heart of the network seems to be in Thailand at the Santi
Pracha Dhamma Institute.  This organisation facilitates trainings in western
conflict resolution skills, and carries out a lot of reconciliation work
between monks of different sects.  They also fund projects for grassroots
'development' (i.e. not western-styled development) workers to organise and
teach in refugee camps and villages along the borders.

I was surprised to find that there is a role for westerners in Asia and that
they are embracing western activists to help in the struggle.  The role is
created by the westerners ability to do a different sort of valuable
networking especially in the English language.

INEB has a network in the USA as well as in the strongly Buddhist countries
of Asia including Japan.  They have published many books on Engaged Buddhism
and together with the Thai Inter-religious Commission for Development publish
Seeds of Peace.

PBI has one of the most decentralised networks in the movement.  There has
been recently a lot of information in Nonviolence Today about PBI so I won't
expand on that.  It also has a very specific mandate.

Continental Network
SERPAJ is the South and Central American branch of IFOR.  It operates in
eleven countries in South and Central America promoting peace education and
helping organise people's struggles there.

GALUPKA (Russian for dove) is a Russian people's network working for peace. 
It publishes material on nonviolence and runs workshops.  Its primary focus
has been on strengthening grassroots Soviet-American connections.

Neve Shalom/Wahat al Salam is a village/peace centre in Israel where Jews and
Palestinians live and work together.  It has been operating since 1980 and
one main activity has been reconciliation by bringing young Jews and
Palestinians together.

OMEGA is a centre for nonviolence research and training and activism in
Angered, Sweden.

The Palestinian Center for the Study of Nonviolence is based in Jerusalem -
the name speaks for itself. 

Network Needs
As part of a sharing of the countries of the South, we each spoke of the
particular needs of each country/group.
Brazil: Ricardo Wangen working in indigenous land struggles felt they needed
solidarity. 
Sri Lanka: Chandra Sena needs more information and trainers.
Palestine: Samy felt they need everything especially information and
materials and trainers. It is very difficult for them to get hold of any
support especially as they have little money.
South Africa (Ish) and Chile (Fernando Aliarga): The experience of the people
must be exchanged. Furthermore they need money to do this so that they don't
have to go through New York.
Thailand: They want to know what resources are available.
Margaret Pestorius