Peace Event Safety
Peace events should be educational, motivational, fun, and safe.
Safety is an important consideration when planning a peace event. Here are some tips nad suggestions to help make your event as safe as possible.
Planning an effective peace event is a lot of work. Don't overlook one very important element: safety. Ensuring people's safety builds confidence and eliminates a lot of potential problems. Here are some ideas to bear in mind.
First Aid:
- Knowing people's various skills sets is a good idea. If someone in your organization knows first aid, that would be a bonus. In any case, someone should carry a small first aid kit to deal with minor injuries.
Pay Attention:
- A peace march usually has a few people designated as marshals. These are the people who lead the march through its route. Follow their lead.
Stick to the Route:
- If you did not get a permit enabling your group to march in the street, stick to the sidewalk. Otherwise there is the risk of getting hit by vehicles as well as getting the police very angry.
Dress Appropriately:
- You are going to be walking a fair distance, so wear comfortable footwear. If it is hot out, wear something loose-fitting and cool. In the winter, wear something warm. This should all be common sense, but sometimes people are more concerned with making a statement with their clothing than their safety.
Weather:
- Bring an umbrella if it looks like there might be rain. You can also get inexpensive rain ponchos at discount stores. If you are marching in the winter, wear appropriate clothing (see above).
Children:
- Raising up the next generation of activists should be a major goal. Parents should be encouraged to bring their children to peace events. However, having young children around raises some special concerns.
- Ensure that children are under adult supervision at all times, preferably with a parent or guardian.
- Some rallies and events have a children's area with activities, which is supervised by volunteers.
- Volunteers who work with children should have a security check to ensure the credibility of your organization, as well as ease the minds of parents.
- Being part of a large group of adults marching while shouting may be scary for some young children. If possible, try to group some of the families together so that children can be in plain view of others in their age group.
Some other safety suggestions include:
- Carrying a cell phone in case any emergency calls need to be made.
- Making sure there are enough marshals in proportion to the size of the group.
- Having a plan of action should something go wrong - depending on the size and scape of your event, this may vary.
Please note that these are suggestions and should not be taken as legal advice.
The copyright of the article Peace Event Safety in Peace Making is owned by Paula Kirman. Permission to republish Peace Event Safety must be granted by the author in writing.
