Saving Strangers or Keeping Ourselves Safe?

An Analysis of Peacekeeping & Unarmed Civilian Protection

Abstract

This paper examines the roles, strengths, and limitations of peacekeeping and unarmed civilian protection (UCP) as tools in the conflict resolution process. Peacekeeping, primarily executed by United Nations military operations, follows a ‘saving strangers’ paradigm, which focuses on reducing violence through external intervention. In contrast, UCP emphasises a relational approach to the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), leveraging local knowledge, community agency, and strategic nonviolence to fill protection gaps often left by peacekeepers. Through an in-depth exploration of theoretical frameworks and a case study in Bentiu, South Sudan, the paper reveals how UCP strategies—such as Women’s Protection Teams—effectively address challenges like sexual violence by mobilising local resources and fostering community-led solutions. While peacekeeping has demonstrated significant impacts in reducing conflict recurrence and civilian casualties, its shortcomings, including a lack of cultural integration and recurring issues like sexual exploitation and abuse, highlight the need for alternative or complementary approaches. The paper concludes by advocating for a more nuanced integration of UCP and peacekeeping, emphasising the potential to create sustainable, community-centred protection strategies. It underscores the importance of further research into UCP to enhance its role as a critical component of global peacebuilding efforts.