The New Way of War
War has changed over the years in ways that favor this kind of grassroots intervention. According to a new study by Michael Renner of the Worldwatch Institute, modern-day conflicts tend to erupt between populations within the same country over complex, deep-seated social, cultural, environmental and economic disputes.
     “What is seen as ‘ethnic’ violence in the Balkans,” says Paul Hoeffel, who works for the United Nations as a liaison for nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), “is really people wanting land and homes and resources.”
     Internal conflicts are more likely to respond to grassroots initiatives. Pete Stanga, co-director of the California branch of Peace Brigades International, says his firsthand experience in Bosnia convinced him of the effectiveness of grassroots vs. government-led action.
     “When you talk to the people you realize that often they don’t have the same beefs with different groups that they’re supposed to have,” says Stanga. “We found that the people were much more willing to go along with [anti-conflict] programs than the government gave them credit for.”
     Members of the London-based Peace Brigades also try to protect peace activists around the world by accompanying the activists as they live and work in their own countries. The presence of Brigades monitors actually helped save the life of a Colombian activist. Two armed men broke into his home, but when the would-be assailants saw the Brigades monitors, they left.

Forces to Be Reckoned With
Governments around the world are recognizing the value of NGOs, whose missions range from humanitarian aid, active war resistance and human rights promotion to peace education and research.
     “Governments have less funds to carry out these programs themselves,” says Hoeffel. “They need partners to do the work.”
     Civilians tend to take more notice, too, when the peacemaker is someone they can relate to. Barbara Wiedner leads an international anti-nuke movement called Grandmothers for Peace. She says her group always attracts attention, particularly when they’re arrested for protesting.
     “Grandmas have a really tremendous image,” says Wiedner. “Most people remember their grandmothers fondly. So who better to save the world?”
     Another goal of peace organizations, and one that was promoted at the recent Hague Appeal, is teaching the concept of nonviolence, particularly to young people (see sidebar).
     PeaceBuilders, a commercial violence-prevention program, is taught at more than 650 schools worldwide. Students and teachers are taught to respond to each other with constant positive reinforcement, both orally and in writing. Schools that use the program report big decreases in student suspensions and playground fights.
     Peace Action is the nation’s largest grassroots peace group. Its global goals include an effort to stop weapons trafficking, but the group still runs education outreach programs through its 100 local chapters across the United States. According to acting director Sheila Dormody, these programs help right a glaring imbalance.
     “Military spending takes money out of education and policing,” she says. The diversion of funds “actually increases local problems.”