EN.CPS History


Introduction

The concept of the Civil Peace Service originated in Germany at the end of the 1980s. During the Balkan wars of the 1990s peace organisations in many European countries started to look at nonviolent conflict intervention alternatives, and in the European Parliament Alexander Langer introduced the idea of a European Civilian Peace Corps (ECPC). In this light, the Balkan Peace Team was a first transnational civil society effort to overcome violence and support local peace processes by peaceful means.

In Germany peace organisations further developed and advocated the concept of a professional Civil Peace Service (CPS) as long-term deployment of trained peace consultants who cooperate with local partners to enhance dialogue and civil society structures in conflict regions. They formed a consortium with the established development organisations, and in 1998 the new German government decided to institutionalise a Civil Peace Service programme as a new tool of German development policy.

Since then, other Civil Peace Service initiatives were launched in a number of other European countries. Each of them has adopted the concept in slightly different ways to suit the particular needs and situation in the respective country. Despite the differences, all existing Civil Peace Service schemes have the same overall aim of enhancing civil society capacities for the handling of violent conflict. Since the European countries are growing into an ever closer union, peace organisations from several countries felt the need for cooperation and mutual support on the European level.

Towards a European network historic development

In July 1997 the German Forum Civil Peace Service (forumZFD) took the first steps towards European cooperation by organising an international meeting of European peace and conflict organisations. Participants from France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland came together to discuss interest in and chances of establishing linkages between civil peace initiatives and to further cooperation on a European level. This meeting clearly indicated the desirability for such cooperation and follow-up meetings were organised in Cologne in May 1998 and in Almersfoort/Netherlands in February 1999. These meetings were dedicated to elaborating the parameters for cooperation and preparing the launch of the European Network for Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS).

The European Network as a reality

The European Network for Civil Peace Services (EN.CPS) was officially launched at the Hague Appeal for Peace in May 1999 as a loose network with the overall purpose of sharing information, ideas and experiences and discussing issues of common interest.

Since its foundation a growing number of organisations has met during EN.CPS annual meetings. Each year a different organisation of the network hosts the meeting:

2008 - Bratislava, Slovakia - host: PDCS
2007 - Berlin, Germany - hosts: forumZFD and BSV
2006 - Barcelona, Spain (Catalonia) - host: NoVA
2005 - Cluj Napoca, Romania - host: PATRIR
2004 - Dunblane, Scotland (UK) - hosts: SCNV and PeaceworkersUK
2003 - Graz, Austria - host: ÖFD
2002 - Milan, Italy - host: CSDC
2001 - Hölstein, Switzerland - host: GsSA
2000 - Berlin, Germany - host: forumZFD

Minutes of these annual meetings as well as of preparatoy meetings in 1997 and 1998 can be found in the EN.CPS Archives.

The network has grown substantially and now includes organisations from many different European countries. You can find a list of the organisations involved under Network Members

Until now EN.CPS does neither have a legal entity nor its own office or staff. It functions as an open network of peace and conflict resolution organisations working towards the promotion of civil society alternatives for nonviolent conflict intervention. Over the years the need was felt to strengthen the network structurally, in order to become a stronger player within the European arena, especially towards the European institutions. To this end, a Mission Statement was developed and adopted at the annual meeting in Graz (2003). Member organisations are asked to adhere to this mission statement and to support it practically.

Purpose of the European Network

Internally, the main purpose of the network is to provide a platform for information and expertise sharing as well as for mutual support in the promotion of Civil Peace Services. This might include a letter of support for a project proposal from one member to another, the exchange of publicity material, research findings or experts and trainers for particular events. For many groups, who are struggling for recognition and financial support in their own countries, a backing from European colleagues can be very important. Outside the annual meetings, information is exchanged by means of the website, several mailing-lists and other forms of regular communication.

Externally, the network aims at promoting Civil Peace Services on a European and international level and bringing issues of nonviolent conflict transformation on the agenda of European policy-makers. To this end, EN.CPS is an active member of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), a network of leading European conflict, development and peace organisations jointly lobbying the European Union on issues of conflict prevention, peacebuilding and civilian crisis management. EN.CPS members have been involved in several EPLO working groups, drafting papers and proposals for EU lobbying purposes.

External aims include


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