Towards: A World in Which All Children Can Play

THEMES

Peace SOS works on: peace and politics, the empowerment of other peace organizations, and public advocacy. Our themes are continuously evolving. They are adapted to current situations and informed by our partners’ insights.

PEACE AND POLITICS

Although Dutch national politics fortunately pays attention to diplomacy, there is still much progress to be made in the area of nonviolent solutions for preventing and ending violent conflicts.

Peace SOS is active in several areas:

a) Contributing ideas to political discussions on nonviolent solutions for the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts. This includes: – Highlighting UN reports on human rights violations in times of war – Emphasizing the importance of allocating budgets for conflict prevention

b) Engaging in political dialogue by promoting diplomatic and nonviolent solutions within various forums (such as conferences, party councils, and foreign affairs committees) of political parties and among policymakers. Additionally, Peace SOS staff members who are active in political parties advocate for the work of local peace organizations. These staff members are members of their respective political parties based on substantive conviction.

c) Drawing politicians’ attention to peaceful declarations and treaties such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, UN Resolution 1325 (which emphasizes, among other things, the importance of including women in peace negotiations), and Article 1 of the NATO treaty (which calls for resolving international conflicts through peaceful means).

a) Peace SOS writes opinion pieces and provides information to the public and the press to promote peace (see the section ‘Media and Blogs’).

b) By drawing journalists’ attention to, or engaging with them in discussions about:

• The importance of balanced media coverage when reporting on rising tensions between countries and armed conflicts

• The need for media attention on nonviolent peace initiatives aimed at ending armed conflicts. Media often focuses on violence, which can inadvertently fuel further calls for violence

• The value of offering glimpses into ‘closed’ societies, allowing people to connect with those who live there

Peace SOS gladly collaborates with other peace organizations based in the Netherlands, as well as with local and diaspora peace organizations. This can include drawing political attention to the calls of partner organizations, contributing substantively to their initiatives, and helping to implement peace efforts.

Peace SOS believes that local stakeholders should play a central role in preventing and/or resolving armed conflict. They are familiar with the local culture—and ultimately, it is their country.

Peace SOS believes it is important that everyone has a voice in preserving and achieving peace. Women and children are often among the primary victims of armed conflict. At the same time, women play a crucial role in preventing and resolving such conflicts (UN Resolution 1325). Yet they remain significantly underrepresented in peace negotiations. That’s why Peace SOS works to amplify the voices of women in efforts to prevent armed conflict.