Taking active nonviolence to the next level
PJALS Peacekeepers
Are you ready to take active nonviolence to the next level?
We believe that trained community peacekeepers are one of our greatest contributions to effective nonviolent action for peace and justice. We host Peacekeeper Trainings where participants learn nonviolent de-escalation techniques for successful demonstrations. After successfully completing the training, volunteers are eligible to join our Peacekeeper Team. Learn more about our Nonviolence Guidelines that we use at PJALS to put peace into action.
Who are peacekeepers?
Peacekeepers are trained demonstrators who accept responsibility for the flow and tone of a demonstration. PJALS trains Peacekeeper Teams in the following roles and responsibilities:
- Facilitate the group achievement of the goals of the demonstration in a nonviolent way.
- Set the tone for action.
- Maintain nonviolent spirit and discipline.
- Provide information about the action and logistics.
- Communicate with demonstrators, organizers, and others.
- Defuse and deescalate conflicts.
- Act as buffer between demonstrators and police, counter-demonstrators, hecklers, etc.
- Help maintain the energy of the action by constructively participating in songs, chants, or moments of silence as indicated by the demonstration leaders.
- Facilitate movement of people where appropriate, including safe movement of marchers through traffic.
- Assist the demonstrators, not police them.
- Direct media to appropriate spokespeople.
- Help people handle their emotions; providing support and empathy.
- Distribute demonstration props to participants such as candles, flags, and signs.
- Anticipate potential conflict situations and taking preemptive action.
- Limit harm.
- Call for emergency medical or legal aid or support.
Learn more about the role of PJALS Peackeepers here.
Request the PJALS Peacekeeper Team to support the safety of your event
We request and appreciate a minimum of 3-weeks advanced notice when requesting peacekeepers for your event. If your event will be held sooner than 3 weeks, that does not mean we automatically will decline your request. Another great option is to send members of your team to one of our peacekeeper trainings! Nonviolent deescalation skills are great tools for you team to have when it comes to planning for event safety in the future.The best way to learn about these trainings is to follow us on Instagram and Facebook.
Before requesting peacekeepers for your event, it is important to note that:
- This is a volunteer cohort so our capacity is limited.
- Though our peacekeepers are trained in nonviolent deescalation, we do not deploy peacekeepers as a rapid response team.
- We only commit to peacekeeping for an event if we have critical mass (enough peacekeepers to ensure adequate support for the event).
Peacekeeper Training
We can train you and members of your group to act as a Peacekeeper Team for your demonstration. The process of scheduling and organizing a training event for new Peacekeepers takes about two to three weeks. If you would like to request a PJALS team, please reach out two to three weeks before your demonstration is scheduled to occur.
Ready to learn nonviolent de-escalation for successful demonstrations? Follow the link below to request a PJALS Peacekeeper training for your organization.