Peace Brigades International (PBI) is an NGO, founded in 1981, which "protects human rights and promotes nonviolent transformation of conflicts". It primarily does this by sending volunteers to accompany human rights defenders whose lives are at risk in areas of conflict and to provide training in conflict resolution. They only set up operations in a new country upon the invitation of a local organization.
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In 1983, the PBI's first team was sent to Nicaragua during the Contra war. They currently have projects in Colombia, Guatemala, Nepal, and Mexico. Past PBI project countries include Indonesia (1999-2010), Balkans (1994-2001), El Salvador (1987-1992), Guatemala (1983-1999, re-initiated in 2003), Sri Lanka (1989-1998), Haiti (1995-2000), and North America (1992-1999, in Canada and the USA).
Volunteers escorted Nobel Peace Prize winner Rigoberta Menchú back to Guatemala on her return from exile.
PBI is a team-based organization that uses consensus decision making. Volunteers live, strategize, draft reports, and travel together. Prior to acceptance, each applicant's teamwork abilities are reviewed and judged. Every three years, a meeting is held, attended by members from across the organization, to analyze and modify the direction of each country's program.
PBI attracts volunteers from diverse backgrounds. The United States, Germany, Spain, UK, Romania, Australia, France, Switzerland and Japan--among many other countries--have been represented among PBI's volunteer pool. Potential volunteers must be strongly committed to nonviolence, and fluent in Spanish (for the Latin American programs), English and Nepalese (for the Nepal program), or Indonesian and English (for the Indonesian program). All applicants must attend in-depth training where they learn the philosophy of nonviolence, nonviolent strategies, and team dynamics. An applicant may not be a citizen of the country they desire to work in.
The possibility of violence exists for volunteers although this is extremely rare. In over 25 years, over 1,000 people have volunteered in some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world but no-one has been killed or seriously injured. In 1989 in Guatemala, a grenade was thrown into a PBI house. Three months later, three volunteers were stabbed in the hand and arm. In neither attack were there more serious injuries. In El Salvador, five volunteers were arrested and temporarily held until being asked to leave the country. One volunteer was severely beaten.