In addition to the obvious disarmament focus of
much of our work, a broad commitment to demilitarization draws Ploughshares'
programming into peacebuilding and conflict prevention efforts, both
of which are expressions of the need to demilitarize the response
to entrenched political and social conflict. The term peacebuilding
entered the international peace and security lexicon through the Boutros
Boutros Ghali report, An Agenda for Peace, in 1992. It emphasizes
that international peace and security are ultimately less amendable
to military defence and more dependent on political, social and economic
conditions that sustain societies and bring people security in their
daily lives.
Our sponsoring churches affirm that enduring peace
requires long-term commitments to community-building, peace education,
economic justice, democratic development, inter-faith dialogue,
attention to human rights, and conflict transformation and reconciliation.
Peace cannot be enforced, it must be built.
Our work involves advancing knowledge about the nature
of current armed conflicts and encourages the development of national
and international policies to support the demilitarization of social
and political conflict through disarmament and alternative means
of settling disputes.
Project Ploughshares also works with partner
organizations on practical peacebuilding initiatives. Our work with
the Africa Peace Forum (APFO) in the Greater Horn of Africa region
encourages and supports civil society engagement in security policy
development on issues related to regional security, security sector
reform, disarmament, small arms control, and peacemaking diplomacy.
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