# Mel Duncan > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mel_Duncan > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Mel_Duncan.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Duncan > Source revision: 1245614430 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American peace activist (born 1950)}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=February 2015}} {{third-party|date=February 2015}} }} thumb|right|200px|Mel Duncan in 2009. '''Melvin Earl Duncan''' (born May 22, 1950 in [Davenport](/source/Davenport%2C_Iowa), [Iowa](/source/Iowa)) is the founding Executive Director of [Nonviolent Peaceforce](/source/Nonviolent_Peaceforce) (NP), a [civilian](/source/civilian) [peacekeeping](/source/peacekeeping) organization based in Geneva, Switzerland. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from [Macalester College](/source/Macalester_College) in [St. Paul](/source/St._Paul%2C_Minnesota), [Minnesota](/source/Minnesota) and a Master of Arts in Humanities and Leadership from [New College of California](/source/New_College_of_California).[http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/profiles/mel-duncan Nonviolent Peaceforce Executive Director profile] ==Biography== In 1979, Duncan helped organize Advocating Change Together (ACT), the first [self-advocacy](/source/self-advocacy) group in the U.S. for people with [developmental disabilities](/source/developmental_disabilities) and subsequently served as [executive director](/source/executive_director) of the Minnesota Jobs with Peace Campaign and the Minnesota Alliance for Progressive Action. His [volunteer](/source/Volunteering) activities have included service as a peacekeeper on the border of [Nicaragua](/source/Nicaragua) during the [Contra war](/source/Contras), delivering medical supplies to [Iraq](/source/Iraq), and working for the election of US Senator [Paul Wellstone](/source/Paul_Wellstone) in 1990.[http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/profiles/mel-duncan Nonviolent Peaceforce Executive Director profile] Duncan met peace advocate [David Hartsough](/source/David_Hartsough) at the Hague Appeal for Peace in May 1999. The two began laying the groundwork for an [international non-governmental organization](/source/international_non-governmental_organization) to put [nonviolent](/source/nonviolent) strategies into practice for the prevention and mitigation of violence in conflict zones. Based on [Mohandas Gandhi](/source/Mohandas_Gandhi)'s concept of a [Shanti Sena](/source/Shanti_Sena) or "peace army," the model involves the use of trained, unarmed civilian peacekeepers working with local groups to create space for nonviolent conflict resolution.[http://www.nonviolentpeaceforce.org/faq Nonviolent Peaceforce FAQ] Nonviolent Peaceforce was inaugurated in 2002 with Duncan as Executive Director and has since conducted civilian peacekeeping operations in [Sri Lanka](/source/Sri_Lanka), the [Philippines](/source/Philippines), [Guatemala](/source/Guatemala) and [Sudan](/source/Sudan)."Untold Stories: Nonviolent Peaceforce and the Work of Reconciliation," Pulitzer Center. {{cite web |url=http://pulitzercenter.typepad.com/untold_stories/2009/09/nonviolent-peaceforce-is-an-unarmed-professional-civilian-peacekeeping-force-that-is-invited-to-work-in-conflict-zones-world.html |title=Untold Stories: Nonviolent Peaceforce and the work of reconciliation |accessdate=2009-12-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090908033907/http://pulitzercenter.typepad.com/untold_stories/2009/09/nonviolent-peaceforce-is-an-unarmed-professional-civilian-peacekeeping-force-that-is-invited-to-work-in-conflict-zones-world.html |archivedate=2009-09-08 }} In 2007, NP was granted [Special Consultative Status](/source/Consultative_Status) to the [Economic and Social Council](/source/United_Nations_Economic_and_Social_Council) of the [United Nations](/source/United_Nations).[http://esango.un.org/irene/?page=viewProfile&type=ngo&nr=3067§ion=9 ECOSOC Civil Society Network] ===Awards=== Duncan's awards and honors include the 2006 Distinguished Citizen Award from Macalester College[http://www.macalester.edu/alumni/alumniawards/2006recipients/dc06_melvin_duncan72.html Alumni Awards, Macalester College website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208084253/http://www.macalester.edu/alumni/alumniawards/2006recipients/dc06_melvin_duncan72.html |date=2008-12-08 }} and the 2007 [International Pfeffer Peace Award](/source/International_Pfeffer_Peace_Award) from the [Fellowship of Reconciliation](/source/Fellowship_of_Reconciliation_(United_States)).{{cite web |title=FOR to Hold Third Annual Festival of Peace in Nyack |publisher=[Fellowship of Reconciliation](/source/Fellowship_of_Reconciliation_(United_States)) |url=http://forusa.org/content/for-hold-third-annual-festival-peace-nyack |accessdate=18 November 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119084030/http://forusa.org/content/for-hold-third-annual-festival-peace-nyack |archive-date=19 November 2015 |url-status=dead }} In 2008 he was named one of "50 Visionaries who are Changing Your World" by [Utne Reader](/source/Utne_Reader).[http://www.utne.com/2008-11-13/50-Visionaries-Who-Are-Changing-Your-World.aspx Utne Reader. 13 Nov 2008] ==See also== * [List of peace activists](/source/List_of_peace_activists) ==References== {{Reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, Mel}} Category:1950 births Category:American activists Category:Living people Category:Pfeffer Peace Prize laureates Category:Macalester College alumni Category:New College of California alumni --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Mel Duncan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Duncan) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mel_Duncan?action=history)). 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