PAX

PAX works together with involved civilians and partners in areas of war, to protect human security, to prevent and end armed violence and to build peace with justice.

- We believe that human dignity is the basis for peace and justice. Each and every person is entitled to a humane existance; so too ‘the enemy’ and ‘the perpetrator’.
- We regard peace to be a task assigned to us all. It is essential to show solidarity with peace activists and victims of war violence.
- We are convinced that righteous and democratic relationships, and respect for human rights are vital if we are to realise sustainable peace.
- Our assumption is that the international community is jointly responsible for protection of civilians who are threatened by widespread violations of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

In order to achieve this (our long term strategy):
- We are inspired by support from churches, individual citizens and civil society organisations, and we involve them actively in our peacebuilding work. We organise and mobilise critical global citizenship. Our supporters and target groups participate in political campaigns. We continually look for new ways of keeping the peace movement alive.
- We work with our partners and allies in war-affected areas to deescalate violence, to solve armed conflicts and to develop collective security and sustainable peace.
- We organise the political and social debate of peace and security, and we stimulate Dutch people and organisations to take a stand and to participate.In doing so, mutual relationships are formed, with involved citizens in the
Netherlands and with our partner organisations.
- We support local communities and civil society organisations who believe that peace is possible, who are willing to go the extra mile for the right to security
and protection of civilians, and who work at sustainable solutions for conflicts anchored in international law.
- We join forces in international networks to exercise influence on the international policy of intergovernmental and supranational organisations, the policy of
national governments and on the Dutch political system.
- We are a civil societal organisation which operates independently of political interests.

At the EU level PAX tries to inform EU policy and decision makers when developing EU policy in relation to the situation in conflict affected or fragile states like Syria, Iraq, Israel/Palestine, South Sudan, Sudan, Ukraine and Kosovo. PAX is also reaching out to EU policy and decision makers in relation to the EC proposal for resposible sourcing from conflict affected and high risk areas.

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PAX has one full time EU advocacy officer. On a regular basis the EU advocacy officer is provided with input by different colleagues working on specific countries or thematic issues. Occassionally the EU advocacy officer is accompanied by different expert colleagues and/or civil society partners from conflict affected countries in meetings with EU officials.

Ms Astrid Schrama (EU advocacy officer)

Mr Jan Gruiters (Director)

III - Non-governmental organisations

Non-governmental organisations, platforms and networks and similar