[1-6-05]

The Nonviolent Peaceforce is a voluntary organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and in Brussels, Belgium. Started a few years, they aim to train teams of people to work in areas of conflict, building on Ghandi's principles of nonviolence to bring peace between warring groups.

Their first team was sent to Sri Lanka over a year ago to help bring peace between the majority Sinhalese population and a rebel Tamil group. Here's a report of how this group is affected by the disaster and is working to bring aid and reconciliation at the same time. Mel Duncan, a Presbyterian who was among the founders of the organization, has sent this report.

6 January 0600 GMT

My Dear Friends:

Frank Mackay Anim-Appiah of Ghana suffered a heart attack on Thursday. He is part of the Matara team and was looking after Kathy Orovwigho who was injured when the tsunami hit. Both are now in hospital in Colombo and recovering. Kathy had veins and ligaments severed. She will require rehabilitation. She is currently learning to use crutches.

The other team members are hard at work in Jaffna, Mutur and Valaichchenai. They are facing situations that even the most graphic adjectives fail to describe. They are working with courage and compassion. Initially, they did what the immediate demands required. Throughout the past week we have adapted our mandate to deal with the disaster.

Our primary focus remains nonviolent peacekeeping. We will not lose sight of the peace and human rights dimensions of this tragedy. Our teams have lived and worked in conflicted areas for more than a year. In Mutur and Valaichchenai, they are the only international organizations living and working there.

Thus, they are now in a unique position to identify and advocate aid to unserved areas. They also are implementing a 'Do No Harm' approach that emphasizes depoliticization of aid distribution, Sri Lankan control of the relief and rebuilding process and local capacity building. They are monitoring and making regular reports on instances of cooperation as well as conflict.

We were overwhelmed by your generous response to my last letter. On Tuesday we wired $99,200 USD directly to Sarvodaya for their grass roots relief work. Amid the catastrophe, Sarvodaya founder and president Ari Ariyaratne sees possibilities, 'This is a very great opportunity we have where both sides should come together first for relief, then for rehabilitation, which can be followed by reconciliation.'

There are number of things that you can do including:

1. Friday Fast: The Nonviolent Peaceforce is totally nonreligious. Our staff and members practice many different religious and spiritual beliefs as well as none at all. All are welcome. We invite you to join some of our staff, volunteers, field team members, and me in fasting all or part of Fridays during the month of January in solidarity with the people of South Asia and the Nonviolent Peaceforce team in Sri Lanka. Please invite your friends, family, organizations, and faith community to join us. I know this does not fit for everyone but we welcome those who join us.

a. If you do fast, please e-mail your name and contact information. I will share your name with our team in Sri Lanka.

b. Consider donating the amount that you would have spent to:

And/or

2. Recruits needed for Team 2 to Sri Lanka: We are seeking candidates for a second team in Sri Lanka. Please find the application form as well as other relevant information on the website.

Minimum term of service is two years. English fluency is a requirement. Applications will be accepted until 16 January 2005.

3. Send short notes to Kathy, Frank and the rest of the Nonviolent Peaceforce team care of: Across@nonviolentpeaceforce.org

4. Please circulate this letter to your friends and associates and post on your web site.

Your response during the past week has truly demonstrated that we are part of a beloved community. We all deeply appreciate it.

Love, Mel

Nonviolent Peaceforce
425 Oak Grove St, Minneapolis, MN 55403, USA, +1-612-871-0005

Rue Van Elewyck 35, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium, +49-40-655-90-940

Website: http://NonviolentPeaceforce.org