JVWS is a network of groups and individuals committed to peace and justice for the Saharawi people, protection of their human rights, respect for international law, and encouraging Americans and international travelers to witness the beauty and appeal of Western Sahara and to see the reality of the Moroccan occupation for themselves.
Mission
Connect the Saharawi community and solidarity travelers.
Vision
To transform the world by supporting the right of self-determination.
History
In 2021, the Khaya family of Boujdour, Western Sahara, invited Americans to their home to witness the impacts they have endured as a result of the Moroccan occupation of their country and learn about them and their community. In March of 2022, four travelers visited the Khaya family home. From that experience, we dared to dream of encouraging people from around the world to just visit Western Sahara, and the Sahrawi people dreamed of hosting them. This is the next step in that endeavor.
Nonviolent Action
Our work is rooted in nonviolent action (also sometimes referred to as people power, political defiance, and nonviolent struggle). NVA is a technique of action for applying power in a conflict by using symbolic protests, noncooperation, and defiance, but not physical violence.
Practitioners of nonviolent struggle have an entire arsenal of nonviolent actions at their disposal. Listed on the NVI website are 350 of them. A description and historical examples can be found on the website and in the book Civil Resistance Tactics in the 21st Century by NVI Director Michael Beer.
Organized Delegations
To learn more about volunteering to be a future delegation participant, visit here.
Affiliation
Just Visit Western Sahara is a project under the auspices of Nonviolence International, 501(c)3.