4u2 - For you too - Roland Brunner

June 11, 2001

Dear Friends,

We continue to make amazing progress on the construction of the Global Nonviolent Peace Force (GNPF). Today, as we write this letter, people are working on six continents to make this a reality.

During the last six months we have been learning from people in conflict areas what nonviolent strategies work and what, if any, assistance they might need from an international group of trained, unarmed civilians. Members of our team have visited Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala, the Balkans, the Philippines, Indonesia, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.

David Grant is currently in Nigeria and will spend the rest of the month in Central and Southern Africa. The lessons we learn on these trips continue to shape the GNPF proposal.

Tim Wallis, our European coordinator, has been meeting with European civil peace services as well as starting to build relationships with friendly governments.

Global Nonviolent Peace Force-Canada is amidst a six-week nonviolent training session. They are also in the midst of hiring a coordinator.

The Japanese-GNPF group held their first organizing meeting at the end of April. 150 people showed up!

We are nearing the completion of the first phase of our research. Christine Schweitzer and the rest of the research team will present their findings to an expert review panel in July. The results will then go to our steering committee later that month.

A volunteer team of public relations specialists are conducting a naming process and constructing a marketing strategy.

We are also excited that veteran nonviolent activist and trainer, George Lakey, has just received a grant from the United States Institute of Peace to develop the training for a large-scale nonviolent peace force. George has been a close friend and advisor of this project since the beginning.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! If you have e-mail addresses of people you know would like to receive our newsletter, “Rumors of Peace,” please forward them to us.

We appreciate your faith and commitment.

Sincerely,

David Hartsough Mel Duncan Executive Director Project Director

4your questions and contacts: rbr(at)4u2.ch