What is UCP in Palestine?
The UCP in Palestine Project provides a nonviolent, practical, and proven approach to deliver immediate protection to both Palestinian and Israeli civilians at this critical juncture. A recent assessment team consistently heard from interviews across the Occupied Territories that the need for civilian protection has never been more urgent. Unarmed Civilian Protection (UCP) is an established and effective method for protecting civilians and de-escalating and preventing violence in conflict zones worldwide. The UCP in Palestine project was created to enter into partnerships with local communities to create effective, community centered, nonviolent ways for civilians to prevent violence in their communities.
Based on the assessment, the project team is:
recruiting a team of 100 experienced, well trained unarmed civilian protectors to deploy to Palestine for at least a year.
working with the 22 (or more) existing smaller groups already providing protective presence in Palestine to enhance cooperation and collaboration.
partnering with Ras al-Auja to launch a pilot to better understand how to deliver UCP on the West Bank.
Recovering from a settler attack
Project Time Line
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An expert team conducted a 12-week assessment of civilian protection needs in Palestine and recommended two primary goals for the project.
Deploy at least one hundred experienced, highly trained UCP personnel who can commit to at least one year of service as soon as possible on the West Bank and, when possible, in Gaza.
Enhance existing protection work of the many civil society organizations currently providing protection in the West Bank by providing requested training, coordination, conflict coaching and psychosocial and trauma services.
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Experienced UCP practitioners working in the West Bank began the process of establishing needed relationships with like-minded organizations and hiring local staff who could provide direction and leadership. The Advance Team invited 12 organizations engaged in unarmed civilian protection to a Day of Reflection to better understand what UCP support the project could develop and deliver to those currently engaged in unarmed civilian protection activities.
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In order to test UCP in Palestine’s approach for delivering increased unarmed civilian protection in Palestine, funding was secured to deploy six trained, experienced UCP practitioners to a community in the Jordan Valley for at least 6 months. A participatory evaluation will be conducted to assess the success of the UCP techniques used during the pilot. The pilot community will also be supported by a Solidarity Network composed of concerned citizens around the world who are willing to advocate for the pilot communities and share their stories within their circle of influence.
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The recommendations from the assessment team included the deployment of at least one hundred UCP protectors. Volunteer teams are actively pursuing the following goals:
Identify at least one hundred experienced, trained UCP practitioners who are willing to commit at least 1 year to the project.
Raise funding needed to deploy 100 UCP protectors.
Build a world-wide Solidarity Network of concerned individuals willing to partner with communities in the West Bank and Gaza to provide advocacy and virtual presence.