Summary of "I was Born Enemy Alien... Evelyn Voigt"

Early life and formative experiences

The speaker recounts being born and raised labeled “enemy alien” (number 1098). Her mother was a refugee from Nazi Germany and her father was interned when WWII broke out in Africa; both were imprisoned in a POW camp. She describes a protected childhood in the camp, a return to a farm in Africa after the war, and then cultural shock and ostracism when sent to boarding school at six — classmates taunted her about “losing the war.” That early experience shaped her view of how pervasive a “mindset of war” can be.

The alternative: nonviolent, structured peace processes

She argues there is an alternative to militarized responses: nonviolent, structured peace processes that can prevent and end violent conflict. These processes rely on negotiation, restorative approaches, and empathetic facilitation rather than force.

Illustrative cases

Three cases are presented to show how nonviolent approaches can succeed:

Uganda Instead of a military assault to rescue girls abducted by a rebel leader, a negotiated/restorative process freed 100 kidnapped girls without firing a shot.
Sudan Sworn enemies, against expectations, came to negotiations and signed a peace agreement.
Ontario (Canada) After a drunk driver killed a pregnant woman, a restorative process helped the perpetrator and the victim’s family move past paralysis, reducing threats of violence and self-harm.

Common elements of success

The speaker identifies a shared element across these successes: leadership that combines competence and empathy. Skilled, trustworthy practitioners guided the processes, allowing parties to engage and resolve conflict without violence.

Building a “peace profession”

She advocates creating a recognized “peace profession” with standards, accreditation, and quality control so people can trust peace practitioners similarly to licensed doctors or dentists. After searching for existing global standards and finding none, they have begun accrediting peace professionals. The broader vision is to train thousands of mediators, facilitators, arbitrators, and empathetic conflict workers who can prevent and stop wars.