Catherine Gardell

The Non-Violence Project

The Non-Violence Project Foundation (NVP) is a Swiss-based nonprofit organization, promoting social change through education. NVP was launched in 1993. We have regional offices in Brazil, India, Japan, Mexico, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Uganda, United Kingdom and the USA. Our mission is to inspire, motivate and engage young people to understand how to solve conflicts peacefully. We believe that education is the best weapon against violence. Our strategic approach focuses on two main initiatives: 1. Providing education with Peace programs to young people, teachers, and sports coaches 2. Raising awareness about the work we do. Our symbol is the well-known image of peace and non-violence, the knotted gun. It was created in 1980 by Swedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd, as a tribute to John Lennon. This unique symbol is featured at more than thirty strategic public locations around the world, including the UN headquarters in New York City, the Olympic Museum in Lausanne and the Peace Park in Beijing. WORLDWIDE RECOGNITIONS - Call to Service Award from US President Barack Obama for our "devotion to shape a better tomorrow for the United States"​. - Paul Harris Fellow Award"​ by Rotary International for "NVP's efforts to curb youth violence around the world"​. - NVP USA has twice received the American Safety Council Award for Best​ Practice and the Weed and Seed Award.