Header photo: Hossam el-Hamalawy Profile photos: Lize Kraan & PAX Graphics: Visuele Notulen
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About Us

The overall goal of our work is to increase the effectiveness of protection interventions and improve human security for civilians living in conflict.

We do this by working with civilians to hold local and international security actors to account, and by enabling those who provide protection to design and implement strategies that are centered around civilians’ needs and priorities.

The PAX PoC team was established in 2016 and expanded in 2019 with support from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

PAX is the largest peace organization in the Netherlands. We work to protect civilians against acts of war, to end armed violence and to build inclusive peace. We work in conflict areas worldwide, together with local partners and people who, just like us, believe that everyone has a right to a dignified life in a peaceful society.

Header photo: Hossam el-Hamalawy Profile photos: Lize Kraan & PAX Graphics: Visuele Notulen
What we do

Research

PAX developed the Human Security Survey (HSS) to give civilians in conflict a voice. Local researchers interview people about security risks, protection needs, perceptions of security providers and prospects for further conflict or peace. The HSS is currently conducted in Iraq and South Sudan. Other research efforts focus on civilian harm and the effectiveness of international military missions, among other themes.

What we do

Influencing policy

Using lessons learned in the field, we inform security policy discussions at international organizations like the UN, NATO and the EU. We connect local security needs to policy makers at the international level to make protection strategies more relevant and inclusive. We do this through advocacy, convening expert roundtables and organizing an annual PoC Conference.

What we do

Dialogue

The findings of the Human Security Survey and other research efforts are used to strengthen civilians in their engagements with governments, armed groups and international military missions. This way, local civil society can advocate for the interests of often marginalized communities and hold security providers accountable.

What we do

Advice & training

PAX helps develop practical training for military personnel. We also advise military forces before and during missions. In order to do so, we work with training centers and focus on threat-based approaches and community engagement. Starting point: what is the local situation, what do civilians expect, and how can we best protect them?

Our projects

The overall goal of our work is to increase the effectiveness of security interventions so that civilians have greater security. To achieve this goal, we firstly help civilians to hold local and international security actors to account. Secondly, we enable and motivate security actors to design and implement more civilian-centered protection strategies.

We currently implement the following four projects:

Engaging International Actors on PoC (EIA)
Human Security Survey (HSS): Iraq
Human Security Survey (HSS): South Sudan
Protection in Practice (PiP)

Engaging International Actors on PoC (EIA)

The commitment to protecting civilians in conflict is firmly on the international agenda and key institutions like the United Nations and NATO possess defined policies around PoC. However, missions still struggle to effectively protect civilians in practice. It is a challenge to identify the population’s various protection needs and then to match these to the capabilities and resources available to a given mission. This project addresses that challenge: PAX connects international PoC actors with communities living in conflict. We use local perspectives to inform more inclusive, relevant strategies and hold decision makers to account. This way, we put civilian perspectives at the center.
Read more about this project

Human Security Survey (HSS): Iraq

The Human Security Survey (HSS) is a survey methodology developed by PAX to improve understanding of local experiences in conflict. Using the HSS, we leverage local perspectives to shape protection policy and practice. In Iraq, we work in close collaboration with three respected local partners: the Iraqi Al-Amal Association, the Iraqi Al-Firdaws Society and Wand Al-Khair Human Organization. With our partners we facilitate dialogues with local communities and authorities around the survey findings and identify practical ways to improve the security situation.
Read more about this project

Human Security Survey (HSS): South Sudan

The Human Security Survey (HSS) is a survey methodology developed by PAX to improve understanding of local experiences in conflict. Using the HSS, we leverage local perspectives to shape protection policy and practice. In South Sudan, we work in close collaboration with two respected local partners: the Assistance Mission for Africa (AMA) and the Justice and Peace Commission-Catholic Diocese of Torit (JPC-CDoT). With our partners we facilitate dialogues with local communities and authorities around the survey findings and identify practical ways to improve the security situation.
Read more about this project

Protection in Practice (PiP)

For a mission to succeed, military personnel must thoroughly understand both their own responsibilities and the operating context. To act in accordance with PoC policy and mitigate potential civilian harm, military personnel need to be adequately trained and equipped with the right technical capabilities. This project seeks to meet the information needs of international military actors and institutions from a variety of different angles. PAX contributes to PoC-focused training and exercise modules that are grounded in field realities. PAX also advises missions and disseminates best practices regarding data-driven decision making and how to evaluate the effectiveness of military interventions from a civilian protection lens. Finally, this project facilitates greater transparency and accountability of military missions by promoting clear guidelines and methods for tracking, reporting and responding to civilian casualties and other forms of civilian harm.
Read more about this project

Our team

Abdullatif Sleibi

Senior Data Analyst, Human Security Survey

Anton Quist

Project Lead, South Sudan

Carrie Huisman

Project Lead, Advocacy

Erin Bijl

Project Lead, Research

Hans Rouw

Program Lead, Protection of Civilians

Jean de Dieu Bambara

Senior Project Officer, Burkina Faso

John Malith Mabor

Senior Project Officer, South Sudan

Marco Grandi

Military Specialist

Mbiko Tanggahma

Team Assistant

Roger Minoungou

Project Lead, Burkina Faso

Saba Azeem

Project Lead, Iraq

Terri Beswick

EU Political Advisor

Vicky Apio

Senior Project Officer, South Sudan

Wilbert van der Zeijden

Project Lead, Training & Advice

Our partners

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Airwars

Ashor Iraqi Foundation for Relief and Development

Iraqi Al-Amal Association

Iraqi Al-Firdaws Society

Justice and Peace Commission – Catholic Diocese of Torit

OCADES/SED de Fada N’Gourma

Wand Al-Khair Human Organization