Providing presence and assistance

Some civilian initiatives go beyond merely raising public awareness and pressuring governments; they actively engage in war zones to help restore peace. While some missions aim to provide aid to distressed populations, others seek to document abuses on the ground with the goal of securing justice once the conflict ends. Often, it is the inaction of the international community—or even the alleged complicity of one’s own government—that sparks these initiatives.

In Luxembourg, such initiatives emerged as early as the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871) and the First World War (1914–1918), when individuals provided relief to victims across the border. They continue to exist today—notably in Palestine and Ukraine.

Alongside the desire to support local populations, civilian missions may also aim to raise awareness among Western audiences. These missions target journalists and political decision-makers, among others, and typically include meetings with representatives of oppressed communities, human rights organisations, and civil society groups.

Another form of civilian peace mission in war zones is ‘protective presence’: volunteers live alongside individuals or populations at risk of reprisals, offering protection through their mere presence. The potential conse quences of an attack on foreign civilians—particularly those from the West—serve as a deterrent. The first protective presence organisations, such as Peace Brigades International (PBI) founded in 1981, emerged in the context of disappearances and killings in Latin America. A Luxembourgish branch of PBI was established in September 2000. It has participated in missions in Guatemala, Colombia, and Indonesia, among other locations.