Nonviolence International South East Asia

Nonviolence International Southeast Asia (NISEA) is a part of Nonviolence_International and was established in Bangkok in 1992 with the cooperation of regional partners with the aim of creating a community of peace activists. It is a member of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA) targeting armed violence and weapon reduction in Thailand and Cambodia respectively.^[1] In the year 2004, NISEA maintained a strong financial position of an income of 3.5 million Thai Baht through various grants and contributions, whereby 900,000 Baht was spent on Southeast Asia Small Arms Reduction Program.^[2] In 2005, NISEA was granted NGO in Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations.

Mission

NISEA strives to shape South East Asian societies to make them choose nonviolent methods as a neutral response to conflicts. NISEA’s mission includes:^[3] (1) Increasing understanding and appreciation of nonviolent vision, strategy and methods; (2) Empowering people by enhancing capacities to protect rights and to ensure ownership of and participation in various processes affecting people's lives; and (3) Building and supporting a peace constituency that aims to change unjust structures, institutions, policies and laws through long-term nonviolent means.

Activities

NISEA aims to fulfill its mission through three core programs that focus on education, empowerment and structural change.

Ending Armed Violence Program.^[4]

This program focuses on making communities safer through an in depth understanding of why armed violence occurs, as well as strengthening a peace community that advocates an end to armed violence. NISEA has participated actively in various peace advocacies aiming to ban landmines, render the misuse and proliferation of arms and its impact on communities, change people's perception and behavior toward violence, engage non-state armed groups in the areas of human rights and international humanitarian law, seek assistance for victims and survivors of armed violence, and propagate a culture of peace. In relation to stopping the use and proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Thailand, NISEA had:

(1) Worked closely with other NGOs and civil societies of countries to unravel and identify the presence and/or use of small arms during disappearance incidences.^[5]

(2) Coordinated the Million Faces Campaign and took the lead in gathering photos and signatures to support an Arms Trade Treaty.

(3) Worked with Amnesty International Thailand and the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace of Thailand on the Million Faces Campaign

Despite efforts made to tackle the issues of armed violence in Thailand, it was reported in 2010 that death due to armed conflicts remained prevalent of about a loss of 4000 lives.^[6]

Reclaiming Rights Program

It seeks to empower the marginalized through campaigning, networking, and solidarity work. Currently, NISEA is concerned with the conflict in Southern Thailand and is involved in creating spaces for civil society actors to have greater participation in promoting peaceful means to end violence. It also facilitates discussion and encourages suggestions with regular reports on national security issues published on its website.

Nonviolence in Action Program

It seeks to draw lessons and best practices to enhance capacities through education, training, and multi-media resource material development, as it believes that every individual and community has an inherent capacity to handle and prevent armed conflicts nonviolently.

References

1. ^ "Nonviolence International Southeast Asia Financial Summary 2004". http://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/seasia/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=47. 
2. ^ "International Network on Small Arms". http://www.iansa.org/member/nonviolence-international-south-east-asia. 
3. ^ "Nonviolence International Southeast Asia Missions". http://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/seasia/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=37&Itemid=47. 
4. ^ "Nonviolence International Southeast Asia Core Programs". http://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/seasia/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1. 
5. ^ "Nonviolence Justice Disappeared, Exploring the Links of Arms Trade, Impunity. Nonviolence International Southeast Asia, 2007". http://www.nonviolenceinternational.net/images/stories/Justice%20Disappeared%20Final%20layout-s.pdf. 
6. ^ "Amnesty international 2010 Annual Report". http://report2010.amnesty.org/sites/default/files/AIR2010_EN.pdf. 

Useful Links

Nonviolence_International

International_Action_Network_on_Small_Arms