Shield Actions
Photo: PINA
Shield your community from deadly attacks
It is often thought that the best way to protect a community from an attack is to have, and be seen to have, access to more high-powered guns than a rival group. This rarely provides protection or deters a rival. It is more likely to create an arms race, dangerous demonstrations of force and to drive fighting from the battleground to surprise attacks in villages which kill unarmed women and children, not just fighters.
There is a better way, based on evidence from proven group violence reduction programs in similar settings around the world. This involves community members from rival groups and authorities making violence too costly and non-violent options more beneficial. This is done through the following six actions which together create a ‘Shield’.
Social action to change attitudes – group wide and with rival groups, changing norms on violence and agreeing to simultaneously reduce the risk of attack for both groups.
Help change violent tendencies –changing the path away from violence for the long-term for those inclined to violence, especially automatic violent instincts. This includes those already involved in killing and those at future risk.
Interrupt and resolve escalations –intervene and cool situations whenever tensions are rising and resolve disputes without violence.
Enforce law and gather Evidence – to enable prosecution and increase likelihood of jail for killing. Lack of witness evidence and actionable information, such as location of arms caches and identity of weapon smugglers, is a major barrier to justice. We make it easy to submit that evidence. We also identify reasons why there aren’t more prosecutions for armed violence and assist to overcome them.
Leverage deterrence meetings – with those most likely to be involved in the next round of violence. This plank organises meetings between them and people who can influence them to use the leverage created in other planks to steer them to non-violent dispute resolution.
Disarm rivals and control weapons – removing illegal weapons of war from rival groups, especially in response to further violence, and controlling legal high-powered weapons and ammunition to prevent them leaking into the community.
How we can help
ShieldPNG is an information and stakeholder management program designed to help communities-at-risk and authorities to stop attacks. It is being developed to offer a range of resources and assistance for each of the SHIELD planks. ShieldPNG will continuously improve