On December 9th, PBI (Peace Brigades International) welcomed participants to its Insight Day in Utrecht, providing a unique opportunity to explore the organisation’s principles, practices, and fieldwork.
Held at the venue of De Kargadoor in Utrecht, this PBI Insight Day continued its tradition of being an interactive and engaging training. Together with trainer Anna Hengeveld, participants delved into PBI’s mission and vision, with a focus on non-partisanship, non-violence, and the organization’s commitment to horizontality.
The day’s program featured impactful speakers, including ‘Mona’ from Bolivia, our Shelter City guest.* Her presentation highlighted human rights and environmental work undertaken by her organisation, shedding light on the threats to democracy and human rights faced in Bolivia. Following lunch, Mona continued with a presentation on the practice of non-violence in human rights work.
Anna continued with her presentation about protective accompaniment and offered a deep dive into theory and challenges. Also, she shared her personal experiences as a PBI field volunteer in Honduras providing lived insights from the field
The day took an interactive turn with the PBI Board game that was led by our office volunteer Sarah Lamberigts, allowing participants to understand the daily tasks and choices faced by field volunteers in their teams. This engaging session provided a hands-on experience of the complexities involved in human rights advocacy.
Then, we welcomed two guest speakers, human rights defenders from Indonesia and West-Papua, sharing insights into the human rights issues in West-Papua and their advocacy work. The human rights defenders were on an advocacy tour through Europe and were in the Netherlands hosted by our office in Utrecht.
As the day concluded, Anna provided insights into the application process for PBI volunteer vacancies, offering a comprehensive understanding of working both internationally and at the Utrecht office.
We would like to give a special thanks to De Kargadoor for hosting and providing a welcoming space, and to the speakers, volunteers, and engaged participants whose contributions made the PBI Insight Day a success. The event was made possible by Vfonds, Haella and Lush. Stay tuned for future PBI events by following our website and social media channels!
Our interns (sprinters) of NJR, Jantine van der Grond en Pien Slaghuis made a short video about the day. Watch it here!
*Due to safety reasons it is not possible to give the real names and show pictures of the human rights defenders that were present at the PBI Insight Day
