Peaceworkers UK (PWUK) is part of the Peace-building Issues Programme of International Alert. Previously an independent non-governmental organisation, PWUK became part of International Alert in 2006. PWUK focuses on raising standards in the field of conflict prevention, crisis management and peace-building through an integrated programme of research, training, assessment and recruitment. It is led by a Director (Tim Wallis) who has a PhD in Peace Studies and over 20 years management experience in the field. History Peace workers in the UK began as an independent research project in 2000 to explore the phenomenon of ‘civilian peace services’ being set up in at least six other European countries. In 2001, it functioned as the secretariat for a Steering Group of other UK-based organizations exploring the feasibility of a UK Civilian Peace Service. The Steering Group, consisting of the organizations listed above, decided in 2002 to set up Peaceworkers UK as an independent entity to pursue these objectives. Peaceworker program There are four parts to the Peaceworker program. Peaceworkers Register The Peaceworkers Register is an international database of people suitably qualified and potentially available for a wide range of roles needed in conflict prevention, crisis management and peacebuilding. Its primary purpose is to help both local and international organisations to find and deploy the best people meeting the highest standards of professional competence in their particular field. As a professional development tool, it also helps those who join it to identify and improve their own skills and qualifications. Peaceworkers Training The Peaceworkers Training programme offers practical, field-based training to prepare people for the many different roles they may play in this field. There are introductory and core skill courses as well as specialised courses in human rights, conflict transformation, human security, and civil society capacity-building. Some of the more specialist courses are run under the auspices of the EU Training Project in Civilian Crisis Management. Peaceworkers Simulations Peaceworkers Simulations provide a means to assess people against commonly agreed minimum standards of professional competence. Observing people’s responses under simulated field conditions provides the basis for assessments at five levels of competency across a wide range of fieldwork categories. Peaceworkers Research The aim of Peaceworkers Research is to establish a body of knowledge about what has or has not "worked" in different situations of violent conflict. Research activities include field-based personnel assessments and surveys as well as in-house data analysis, tapping into a comprehensive