Earlier this year, a coalition of legal groups, human rights societies and individuals brought the case, currently under appeal, against former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Another coup came in 1997 when, after years of dogged persistence, the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines made history and public policy by helping to negotiate an international treaty banning land mines. The campaign and its leader, Jody Williams, were awarded a Nobel Peace Prize. A similar push from private groups and like-minded governments led to the creation of an International Criminal Court in Rome last year. The New Way of War War has changed over the years in ways that favor this kind of grassroots intervention.
Internal conflicts are more likely to respond to grassroots initiatives.
Members of the London-based Peace Brigades also try to protect peace activists around the world by accompanying the activists as they live and work in their own countries. The presence of Brigades monitors actually helped save the life of a Colombian activist. Two armed men broke into his home, but when the would-be assailants saw the Brigades monitors, they left. Forces to Be Reckoned With Governments around the world are recognizing the value of NGOs, whose missions range from humanitarian aid, active war resistance and human rights promotion to peace education and research. They need partners to do the work.