Witness for Peace
Encyclopedia
Witness for Peace is an United States
-based activist organization founded in 1983 that opposed the Reagan
administration's support of the Nicaragua
n Contras
, alleging widespread atrocities by these counterrevolutionary groups. Witness for Peace brought U.S. citizens to Nicaragua to see the effects of their government's military policy firsthand. Since the end of the Contra war, they have broadened their focus to other Latin America
n and Caribbean
countries, including Colombia
and Mexico
. Within Latin America, the organization is known by the Spanish name Accion Permanente por la Paz.
n country and sent U.S. citizens to accompany the Nicaraguan people in war zones and to document the “human face” of the Reagan administration’s military policy. It is widely credited with pioneering this tactic of international protective accompaniment. WFP was a leading organization working to bring human rights
impact of those policies home to the U.S. public through grassroots education and media outreach. During this initial period, WFP established its organizational model of merging the powerful forces of on-the-ground documentation, assertive media strategies, a dynamic delegations program, and stateside grassroots mobilization.
n and Caribbean
countries, answering calls from local partners to accompany people affected by U.S. policies and corporate practices. WFP currently has international offices in Nicaragua, Mexico
, Colombia
and also operates in Venezuela
and Bolivia
.
WFP maintains a nationwide base of over 20,000 members, and has sent more than 13,000 people to Latin American and the Caribbean on short-term transformative delegations.
. The organization currently seeks to end U.S. military aid and training for the Colombian military. WFP also seeks to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
(WHINSEC), formerly the School of the Americas (SOA), and end all U.S. military training for Latin American militaries as the organization claims this training has been turned against Latin American civilians.
Since 1990, the organization has sought to influence regional U.S. economic policy, aiming to end free trade
and structural adjustment conditions placed on loans from multilateral banks such as the World Bank
and the International Monetary Fund
. The organization supports fair trade
policies and unconditioned economic aid.
Witness for Peace's guiding principles are laid out in the form of a "Covenant", and include commitments to nonviolence
, political independence, and respect for the communities in which the organization is active.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based activist organization founded in 1983 that opposed the Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
administration's support of the Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
n Contras
Contras
The contras is a label given to the various rebel groups opposing Nicaragua's FSLN Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction government following the July 1979 overthrow of Anastasio Somoza Debayle's dictatorship...
, alleging widespread atrocities by these counterrevolutionary groups. Witness for Peace brought U.S. citizens to Nicaragua to see the effects of their government's military policy firsthand. Since the end of the Contra war, they have broadened their focus to other Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
countries, including Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Within Latin America, the organization is known by the Spanish name Accion Permanente por la Paz.
History
WFP was founded in 1983, as the Contra War raged in Nicaragua. The organization established an ongoing presence in this Central AmericaCentral America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
n country and sent U.S. citizens to accompany the Nicaraguan people in war zones and to document the “human face” of the Reagan administration’s military policy. It is widely credited with pioneering this tactic of international protective accompaniment. WFP was a leading organization working to bring human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
impact of those policies home to the U.S. public through grassroots education and media outreach. During this initial period, WFP established its organizational model of merging the powerful forces of on-the-ground documentation, assertive media strategies, a dynamic delegations program, and stateside grassroots mobilization.
Current operations
WFP has expanded its work beyond Nicaragua to other Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n and Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
countries, answering calls from local partners to accompany people affected by U.S. policies and corporate practices. WFP currently has international offices in Nicaragua, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and also operates in Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
and Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
.
WFP maintains a nationwide base of over 20,000 members, and has sent more than 13,000 people to Latin American and the Caribbean on short-term transformative delegations.
Policy focus
Since its inception, WFP has opposed U.S. military intervention and meddling in Latin AmericaLatin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. The organization currently seeks to end U.S. military aid and training for the Colombian military. WFP also seeks to close the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation
The Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation , formerly the United States Army School of the Americas is a United States Department of Defense educational and training facility at Fort Benning near Columbus, Georgia in the United States...
(WHINSEC), formerly the School of the Americas (SOA), and end all U.S. military training for Latin American militaries as the organization claims this training has been turned against Latin American civilians.
Since 1990, the organization has sought to influence regional U.S. economic policy, aiming to end free trade
Free trade
Under a free trade policy, prices emerge from supply and demand, and are the sole determinant of resource allocation. 'Free' trade differs from other forms of trade policy where the allocation of goods and services among trading countries are determined by price strategies that may differ from...
and structural adjustment conditions placed on loans from multilateral banks such as the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
and the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
. The organization supports fair trade
Fair trade
Fair trade is an organized social movement and market-based approach that aims to help producers in developing countries make better trading conditions and promote sustainability. The movement advocates the payment of a higher price to producers as well as higher social and environmental standards...
policies and unconditioned economic aid.
Mission and principles
According to the organization's website:
"Witness for Peace (WFP) is a politically independent, nationwide grassroots organization of people committed to nonviolence and led by faith and conscience. WFP’s mission is to support peace, justice and sustainable economies in the Americas by changing U.S. policies and corporate practices which contribute to poverty and oppression in Latin America and the Caribbean."
Witness for Peace's guiding principles are laid out in the form of a "Covenant", and include commitments to nonviolence
Nonviolence
Nonviolence has two meanings. It can refer, first, to a general philosophy of abstention from violence because of moral or religious principle It can refer to the behaviour of people using nonviolent action Nonviolence has two (closely related) meanings. (1) It can refer, first, to a general...
, political independence, and respect for the communities in which the organization is active.
External links
- www.witnessforpeace.org Official website