Unarmed Bodyguards

There are many lessons here of great significance, if we choose to learn them. --Noam Chomsky, Massachusetts Institute of Technology *Couples vivid stories of accompaniment with interviews of volunteers, activists, and political officials *Draws on examples from locations such as Guatemala, El Salvador, Sri Lanka, Columbia, and Haiti Accompaniment refers to the presence of unarmed foreign volunteers at the side of civilian activists, helping to deter violent, politically-motivated attacks and encourage democratic activities to proceed. Mahony and Eguren show the success of this concept through the story of Peace Brigade International's accompaniment of activists throughout the world. They stress that such protection saves lives and catalyzes new organizations, thus enabling their growth and adding to their stability. Alongside detailed political analyses, the authors also provide a humanist perspective, generating hope at the idea of non-violent resistance. These courageous acts of accompaniment will interest those involved in conflict resolution, peace processes, and students of national and international politics.