Based on the foundational goals of unarmed civilian protection (UCP), this chapter introduces a framework, or typology, that divides UCP into three broad categories: traditional peacekeeping, creating space for nonviolent activism, and protection of communities where violence is endemic. This framework forms the basis for the exploration of how UCP core values (such as nonviolence) influence varying manifestations of UCP and how key principles (such as nonpartisanship) need to be approached differently according to the category of UCP implemented. The framework also explores the important dimension of communities creating their own protection versus inviting outsiders (that is, internationals) to provide protection. The framework also compares UCP approaches to those conventional forms of security (from military peacekeeping and law enforcement agencies to armed insurgent groups and street gangs) which UCP attests to replace, in order to emphasize the relevance and potential for future expansion of UCP.

What is UCP?

While the acronym UCP is becoming a more recognized and utilized title, the short description of what UCP is, is still awkward and even disputed. A universal definition of UCP remains elusive. Sometimes UCP is an abbreviation for unarmed civilian ‘peacekeeping’ and other times the acronym stands for unarmed civilian ‘protection’, lending itself to some uncertainty of what it actually is and, at the same time, perhaps reflecting the breadth of the activities that it defines. For example, the term ‘peacekeeping’ is perhaps a bit limiting, as UCP organizations engage in much broader activities than can be categorized by the conventional scope of this term. ‘Protection’ has a much broader scope but, at the same time, encompasses the work of so many organizations that it may lose site of the specific perspective and the unique practices that comprise UCP. Accompaniment is often a term used to describe UCP – as accompaniment is a commonly-used technique that falls under the broader umbrella of unarmed civilian protection., rendering the occasionally used title: unarmed civilian protection and accompaniment (UCP/A), which has been used in other chapters in this book. UCP/A has been employed to acknowledge that both terms are in use and thus to be inclusive of a wide range of organizations and methods, but nonetheless are based on the same principles.