Attacks on high-profile peacemakers are nothing new; witness the assassinations of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Anwar Sadat, and Yitzak Rabin. But attacks on low-profile humanitarian aid workers are happening more frequently as well — for instance, the kidnapping and murder of Margaret Hassan, who ran the Baghdad office of Care International; or Tom Fox, a member of the Christian Peacemaker Teams who was also in Iraq. These attacks, along with many others, have caused most peaceworkers and humanitarian assistance organizations to leave Iraq and far too many other places — a tragedy for the local citizenry. In the past, the answer to such attacks has been external scrutiny and pressure, amplified at times by international witnesses. But now, international witnesses are being targeted, making the environment an exceptionally perilous one for peacework. The following articles were written before Iraq got as bad as it currently is, and discusses what is possible in less extreme situations. We now need to figure out what can be done in extreme situations.

William Ury and colleagues have been advocating an approach to difficult conflicts that Ury calls "the third side." The third side is made up of people from all walks of life who are able to see not just one side or the other, but a "third," more peaceful side. The third side is made up of people in 10 different roles; one of those roles is "the witness." The following articles discuss the role of the witness both in relatively constrained situations and in more extreme situations.

• Witnesses   In Bloomington, Indiana, a group called "Moms on Patrol" walks the streets with cell phones, looking out for dangerous gang activity, and reporting it to the police. By watching carefully, witnesses like Moms on Patrol can prevent escalation of conflict and even save lives. This essay describes what witnesses can do and how they can do it.
• Protective Accompaniment   After prolonged conflict, the fabric of society begins to wear thin. Media, social services, police, and court systems may become biased, overly partisan, or cease serving the needs of the populace. When this happens, outsiders can step in to help.

Book Summaries:

• Peace-Building: A Field Guide
  Peace-Building draws on lessons learned from some of the most troubled regions of the world. It offers practical advice for practitioners on how to prepare for, work in, and survive peacebuilding missions.
• Spoiler Problems in Peace Processes
  Stephen John Stedman
  Spoilers are individuals and groups who believe the emerging peace threatens them and who use violence to undermine the peace. This article attempts to improve our understanding of spoilers and to aid "custodians of peace" in managing them.

Other Resources of Interest:

• Schulz, Markus. 1998. Collective Action Across Borders: Opportunity Structures, Network Capacities, and Communicative Praxis in the Age of Advanced Globalization. Sociological Perspectives; 1998, Vol. 41 Issue 3, p587-616.
  Author's Description
• O'Hanlon, Michael and Stephen Solarz. "Deciding When To Go." The Washington Post, Outlook, 7 Feb 1999. Available from: The Brookings Institution, http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/OHanlon/19990207.htm.
  Consortium Abstract

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• Humanitarian protection
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