“Nonviolent resistance to tyrants, oppressors and brutal invaders is not for fools or cowards. It demands courage and daring of the highest order. It requires discipline, training and a willingness to face death. Are there tough, brave volunteers for that kind of costly, demanding battle? Would the nonviolent troops be available to be trained by the thousands and then tens of thousands to form disciplined Christian Peacemaker Teams ready to walk into the face of danger and death in loving confrontation of injustice and oppression?” – Ron Sider, Nonviolence: The Invincible Weapon, p. 95
The Work of the Corps
Teams of four to 12 persons join the efforts of local peacemakers facing imminent violence by:
- Providing a nonviolent presence with individuals or communities who are threatened
- Physically intervening to prevent violence
- Reporting on human rights abuses
- Planning and carrying out creative, nonviolent public responses to injustice
- Training others in nonviolent direct action
- Speaking and writing to media, interested groups, congregations, and organizations
Corps Objectives
Christian Peacemaker Corps members are sent to crisis settings with the following objectives:
- To promote lasting peace by giving skilled, courageous support to peacemakers working in situations of conflict
- To inspire people and governments to discard violence in favor of nonviolent action as a means of settling differences
- To provide churches and communities with first-hand information and resources for responding to situations of conflict, and to urge their active involvement
- To interpret a nonviolent perspective to the media and broader society
Christian Peacemaker Corps Membership: Stipend Eligible and Reservist
- Stipend Eligible: Stipended Corps members commit initially to a three-year term of service on the CPT Iraqi Kurdistan, Indigenous Peoples Solidarity, and Colombia Projects, and a one-year term of service on the CPT Palestine project. For a list of current stipended openings click here.
- Full-time is an average of 10 months a year on a CPT project site. This time might be split up in three to six month chunks depending on the particular CPT project.
- Half-time is a minimum of five months per year on a CPT project site. This can also be split into two service periods on-project.
- When not serving on-project, stipend eligible CPTers live in their home communities participating in advocacy, fundraising and personal time off.
- Reserve Corps: The Reserve Corps members reinforce the work of every team by providing a larger pool of trained peacemakers who commit to working with CPT two to 16 weeks each year for three years.
Qualifications for Corps Members
CPT is committed to building a Peacemaker Corps that reflects diversity in ability, age, class, ethnicity, gender identity, language, national origin, race and sexual orientation. See our Membership Policy.
CPT seeks applicants who are:
- at least 21 years of age
- committed to a faith- or spiritually-based path of nonviolence
- dedicated to peacemaking
- experienced in nonviolent direct action
- adequately free from responsibilities in order to move into life-threatening situations on short notice
- willing to commit to three years of service
Members may also have special skills or significant experience in a particular cross-cultural setting.
Training the Corps
Applicants for CPT’s Stipended Corps (at least half time) and Reserve Corps participate in an intensive, integrated, month-long training course involving action, reflection, and practice of a variety of peacemaking skills. Core modules of the training are as follows:
- Public action and nonviolent direct action
- Solidarity accompaniment
- Advocacy and organizing skills
- Undoing Oppressions
- CPT culture (spirituality, team life, organization)
- Conflict transformation
- Psychosocial support and self-care
CPT conducts Peacemaker Corps trainings in January and July/August for groups of 10-15 applicants. Locations for training rotate between Chicago, IL and other regions, and locations are announced annually. Participants are asked to fundraise to cover the month’s room and board and training supplies. Participants are also responsible for their travel to and from the training site.