Volunteer in the Field
"It is a sad fact of life here that the willingness to attack a Colombian human rights defenders or the civilian population only diminishes when there is international support for their work." - Volunteer Kelli Corrigan, Colombia The volunteers of Peace Brigades International (PBI) come from many different countries and backgrounds. What these volunteers share is a strong commitment to nonviolence and a belief in the contribution that ordinary people can make to creating a more peaceful and just world. NationalitiesRecent PBI volunteers have come from over 25 countries including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, USA. What does a PBI team do?When there is a conflict within a state or between communities or nations, certain actions are possible and appropriate for outsiders - others are not. A PBI team seeks to encourage, by means of an international, nonviolent, non partisan presence, a peaceful resolution of conflicts in the local area. To do this, PBI teams:
PBI is not a development organisation. We believe that communities need space to carry out their own development in ways that create self reliance rather than dependency. We refer requests for development projects to other organisations set up for such work. What does PBI offer volunteers?
What do we look for in volunteers?The following qualities, experience and skills are examples of the criteria used for screening potential volunteers. Some are essential and others desirable - check with the project you are applying to for their list of criteria:
Living conditionsPBI volunteers share a house which serves as living quarters as well as an office. Usually it is a very international house. Find out moreIf you are an Australian Citizen or someone living in Australia, please email PBI Australia at info(at). pbi-australia.org Someone will then contact you to discuss further your interest. |
Connect with PBI AustraliaTestimony"PBI is one of the most useful organisations [...] to concretely protect defenders" Michel Forst - UN Special Rapporteur on HRDs |