Our Special Guests are Marna Anderson and Kalaya'an Mendoza of the Nonviolent Peaceforce (NP).
Whether it's silencing the guns in Darfur or training emerging women leaders in the Philippines, the NP is on the job -- forging a new form of Peacekeeping without guns.
Mel Duncan and David Hartsough founded NP in 2002, launching it right into action -- deploying the first Peacekeeping team to Sri Lankaduring a civil war between the government and the rebel Tamal Tigers where they worked with mothers for the return of child soldiers, accompanied journalists who were under threat and provided a protective presence in vulnerable areas.
Marna joined NP after seeing firsthand the devastation of war and the suffering it brought to El Salvador, where billions in US military aid led to neither side "winning" and over 75,000 people killed, communities devastated, and families traumatized for generations.
When a Philippines village of 1000 people were panicking and fleeing, with two armed patrols about to converge on them, elders called in an NP team. They succeeded in getting the armed patrols to back off without danger.
Join us and hear how NP is protecting civilians and building a culture of peace around the world.
Marna Anderson is NP's "Director of USA" - bringing in her expertise in organizational effectiveness, fundraising, human rights as well as her focus in conservation and in protecting women and children from violence.
Kalaya'an Mendoza is Director of U.S. Programs and co-founder of Across Frontlines, an organization that works alongside frontline human rights defenders to keep their communities safe from state and non-state actor violence.
