Non Government Organizations

With all the focus on war and strife in the radio and television news services, we sometimes forget, there are agencies working every day to bring about peace in the world. For them, the millennium was just another milestone in the struggle to make this world a kinder, gentler place. There are many paths to creating a more peaceful planet....

The Mennonite Central Committee

The Mennonite Central Committee is the relief and development arm of the North American Mennonite and Brethren in Christ churches. Founded in 1920, MCC has over 700 volunteers in around 50 developing countries around the world involved in food relief, agriculture health and education, and social services, among other things. Volunteers also serve inCanada and the U.S. with aboriginal people, in programs which assist people with mental illness and disabilities, in job creation, with refugees, in peace-related activities, and in thearea of crime, including services to offenders and in the area of mediation of offenses.

The best places to find information about Mennonites on the Internet is at the Mennonite Information Center and Mennonite Connections, on the WWW.Both sites contain references to a wide variety of Mennonite organizations.They also maintaining a short list of other sites, that may be of interest.

The Peace Corps

Tens of thousands of people have served as Volunteers since 1961. Their individual experiences -- in the villages, towns, and cities of more than 130 countries -- have composed a legacy of service that has become part of America's history

After a day of campaigning for the presidency, John F. Kennedy arrived at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor on October 14, 1960, at 2:00 a.m., to get some sleep, not to propose the establishment of an international volunteer organization. Members of the press had retired for the night, believing that nothing interesting would happen. But 10,000 students at the University were waiting to hear the presidential candidate speak, and it was there on the steps of the Michigan Union that a bold new experiment in public service was launched. The assembled students heard the future President issue a challenge: how many of them, he asked, would be willing to serve their country and the cause of peace by living and working in the developing world?

The reaction was both swift and enthusiastic, and over the last 37 years, more than 150,000 Americans have responded to this enduring challenge. And since then, the Peace Corps has demonstrated how the power of an idea can capture the imagination of an entire nation.

Returned Peace Corps Volunteers WebRing

This is a great ring if you ever wondered what it was like to work for the Peace Corps or any other volunteer agency working around the world. Websites of Returning Volunteers describe the highs and the lows of volunteerism from first-hand experience in a wide variety of countries.

UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

The constitution of UNESCO was adopted by the London Conference in November 1945, and entered into effect on 4 November 1946 20 states had deposited instruments of acceptance. It currently has 186 Member States. The main objective of UNESCO is to contribute to peace and security in the world by promoting collaboration among nations through education, science, culture and communication in order to further universal respect for justice, for the rule of law and for human rights and fundamental freedoms which are affirmed for the peoples of the world, without distinction of race, sex, language or religion, by the Charter of the United Nations.

Even though the UN is not in the classical sense a NGO, we have included them here as well because they do offer employment to peace workers, and therefore worthchecking out if you want to work for peace.

UNICEF United Nations International Childrens Emergency Fund

Founded in 1946, UNICEF advocates and works to protect childrens rights around the world and is dedicated to helping the young meet their basic needs. Their Website covers a variety of topics such as .child rights, the state of child labour, safe motherhood as well as employment information and job openings. Well worth the visit!

Amnesty International

The object of Amnesty International is to contribute to the observance throughout the world of human rights as set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Their concern is for the protection of human rights. They focus on the release of prisoners of conscience, fair and prompt trials for all political prisoners and the abolition of the death penalty, torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

Amnesty International engages human rights abuses as they occur, and its inspectors can be found wherever conflict and danger put human life and liberty at risk. Amnesty International is a worldwide campaigning movement that works to promote all the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international standards. In particular, Amnesty International campaigns to free all prisoners of conscience; ensure fair and prompt trials for political prisoners; abolish the death penalty, torture and other cruel treatment of prisoners; end political killings and disappearances; and oppose human rights abuses by opposition groups.

Amnesty International has around a million members and supporters in 162 countries and territories. Activities range from public demonstrations to letter-writing, from human rights education to fundraising concerts, from individual appeals on a particular case to global campaigns on a particular issue. Amnesty International is impartial and independent of any government, political persuasion or religious creed. Amnesty International is financed largely by subscriptions and donations from its worldwide membership.

Human Rights Watch

This is a great resource site fot anyone interested in investigating human rights abuses around the world. Human Rights Watch is dedicated to protecting the human rights of people around the world. They stand with victims and activists to prevent discrimination, to uphold political freedom, to protect people from inhumane conduct in wartime,and work to bring offenders to justice. Human Rights Watch investigates and exposes human rights violations and hold abusers accountable. HRW challenges governments and those who hold power to end abusive practices and respect international human rights law. If you want to work within the international community to support the cause of human rights for all, then check out this organization.