Human rights and Peace Brigades International

Jeroen

At the suggestion of a voice this morning while waking up, I have been looking into human rights and I found an organisation called Peace Brigades International (see here). They send out trained volunteers with the brief to accompany but not get involved with human rights defenders in countries where these people are at risk.

So you might get sent out to Venezuela to accompany a local leader who has received death threats, not as a bodyguard but to observe and report, and if something happens to him a political response is called for, from the international community. They’re a kind of sign, the international community is watching these people. It seems a good organisation… I find it fascinating that people get involved and go out and do these things. I think Thich Nhat Hanh would be proud.

Here in the Netherlands they have a program called Shelter City, where they invite key human rights defenders to come to Europe for a while, destress, recharge the batteries and build a network of contacts. Here is someone who stayed with the program…

marcitko

Seems like a worthwile cause and respect to those that do it. It reminds me of my questioning of what I would do if there was a war. My answer is that I would - or would like/hope to - dress up in white clothes with a big red cross painted on them and at dusk go between enemy lines and play guitar and sing. This too would take massive amounts of courage, courage that I hope I would have.