Greenpeace works for positive change through action and our nonviolent direct actions (NVDA) are vital to the success of campaigns. However we can only take action because ordinary individuals make a personal choice to help expose an environmental crime or stop environmental destruction and are willing to accept the consequences of their actions. Our trained activists recognise that there are several risks involved - physical, emotional and legal. We organise regular trainings for those volunteers who are seriously committed to Greenpeace and want to help in this way.
If you are unable to take the risks involved or you cannot take time off during the week, then we do still need your help but please get involved in other ways. If you would like to work or volunteer on one of our ships, apply here.
We expect that the people we accept on the training:
- support Greenpeace and have a good understanding of the issues we work on
- are committed to nonviolence
- are available to participate in actions (i.e. have some flexibility as regards work commitments)
- realise that participation in actions involves accepting various and potentially life-changing personal risks.
You cannot participate in Greenpeace nonviolent direct actions until you are over 18.
And a final word: we need reliable, sensible, committed, responsible, trustworthy volunteers who will remain calm under pressure more than we need climbers or canoeists. We can train reliable volunteers to become climbers, whereas we can’t train climbers to become reliable if they are not already.
In 2017 there will be 5 training days, 1 in Manchester in July, 1 in Bristol in November and 3 in London in February, May and October. Applications are normally processed on a fortnightly basis and then interviews for places on a training day will be aranged and conducted over the phone.
