Witness for Peace Nicaragua Program

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History

Our work in Nicaragua was born from the outrage at US government funding of the Contra War in the 1980s. Unlike the anti-Vietnam protests of the decade before, where citizens protested within US borders, Witness for Peace brought US citizens to the war zones of Nicaragua to witness firsthand the effects of our government’s policy. Throughout the 1980s, WFP built a grassroots movement to oppose US government involvement in the war, primarily through our delegation program.

All the while, we have maintained political independence and used nonviolent direct action as a primary tool. When the Contra War officially ended in 1990, Witness for Peace saw that although the military battles were over, the economic war was only beginning. Since the early 1990s WFP’s Nicaragua program has directed its focus toward US economic policy, examining the effects of US government policy as well as those of institutions such as the IMF and the World Bank. In addition, our work addresses corporate responsibility by advocating for respect of labor and human rights.

Click here for information about traveling with WFP to Nicaragua