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BSV is an independent non-governmental organisation based in Germany. It was founded in 1989 to develop concepts and projects of non-violence defence and peacebuilding. The federation unites people and organisations of different ideological, religious and political convictions and affiliations who consider non-violence the only answer to the threats and dangers human kind faces. BSV works in three areas:
1. Nonviolent Intervention
Including Capacity building and lobbying for international non-violent peacebuilding efforts and the development of non-violence BSV has developed and promotes a concept to organise a civilian Peace Service. Since 1997, a coalition of five organizations has provided a four- month course to prepare "peace experts" for such work. BSV has been involved in the international coalition project Balkan Peace Team and is currently supporting a civilian peace project in Israel. Besides this we offer support to a Belarusian grassrootmovement (www.nash-dom.info) and are an active member in the nonviolent peaceforce (www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org) and the european network of civil peace services (www.en-cps.org)
2. Protest and lobbywork to replace armed forces by non-violent means
BSV is actively supporting several coalitions and campapigns of the German Peacemovement and is active in the publishing of the newspapers: "Friedensforum" and "Forum Pazifismus". We are organising exhibitions and tours of international peace-activists to inform the German public about alternatives to the military.
3. Training and Education for a culture of non violence in Germany/Europe
BSV is constantly working with four smaller training-organisations to provide Training and education oin the fields of:” Empowerment to fight racism/violence”, “constructive conflict resolution in schools with children, teachers, parents and youth leaders”, “mediation in conflicts”,” trainings for trainers in conflict transformation”, “Anti-Mobbing/Bullying”.
Other major actions in the field of peace-education are the organisation of a yearly congress on peer-mediation (www.streitschlichtungskongress.de) and the nationwide Project to introduce the "No-Blame-Approach" against Bullying in schools (www.no-blame-approach.de) BSV has specialised itself to support communal networks against violence. It has publsihed several manuals and documentation of best practices, and is responsible for the Content-management of the resource-pool “Constructive Conflict Culture” at the state adult-education server of Northrhine-Westfalia www.learn-line.nrw.de/nav/erwachsenenbildung/
BSV is cooperating with Belarusian NGOs and institutions to introduce peer mediation and conflict studies in Belarusian schools.
Federation for Social Defence
(BSV - Bund für Soziale Verteidigung e.V.)
Schwarzer Weg 8,
32423 Minden
Germany
0571-29456
0571-23019
www.soziale-verteidigung.de
kunter@soziale-verteidigung.de