Vredesactie

What Vredesactie does

Vredesactie VZW is a Belgian non-profit peace and anti-arms-trade organization headquartered in Antwerp (Breughelstraat 31, 2018 Antwerpen), operating with 51-100 staff. Its functional focus is exposing Belgian complicity in arms exports to conflict zones (notably Israel, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey) and opposing the relaxation of Flemish arms-trade regulation. The organization conducts investigative research using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) methodologies — social media investigation, weapon identification, geolocation, and ship and aircraft tracking — supplemented by Freedom of Information requests, parliamentary questions, and analysis of customs and transport documentation. It also organizes a structured Research Trajectory training program (developed with Handala Belgium) teaching these investigative methods to citizens and activists.

Vredesactie delivers its impact through three integrated channels: research outputs (the 'Motors of the Genocide' report on Belgian components in Israeli fighter jets, the Challenge Airlines dossier, and the Belgian arms in Yemen investigation); legal and political action (joint lawsuits that suspended a EUR 50 million Belgian gunpowder export license to Israel, halted ammunition transit through the Port of Antwerp, and blocked military goods transit via Liège Airport); and grassroots mobilization (an 18,241-signature petition submitted to the Flemish Parliament, public demonstrations, and the ActieKrant quarterly newspaper). It operates within a coalition ecosystem of more than 13 partner NGOs including Amnesty International Belgium, Ligue des Droits Humains, CNAPD, 11.11.11, Oxfam, and Pax Christi Vlaanderen, and participates in the Stop Militarisering platform and the De Tegenmacht coalition formed in response to the Flemish government cutting subsidies for critical civil society organizations.

The organization is funded primarily through individual donations (monthly direct-debit gifts of EUR 5-50 and one-time gifts, with tax-deduction certificates available for annual gifts of EUR 40 or more), supplemented by EU project co-funding and previously Flemish government subsidies that were cut by more than half in 2025. It is governed under Belgian non-profit law (RPR Brussels 0418.539.459) and has no parent company or institutional investor ownership.

Name

Vredesactie

Legal name

Vredesactie VZW

Website

https://vredesactie.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Vredesactie is a Belgian non-profit (Antwerp) that uses OSINT research, legal action, and coalition mobilization to expose Belgian arms exports to conflict zones and oppose weakening of Flemish arms-trade regulation. It serves citizens, policymakers, and partner NGOs through campaigns, investigations, and training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Peace Advocacy and Arms Trade Control

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer Safety, Safeguarding & Risk Management Services (EDAIAGAN)

Keywords

• Peace advocacy
• Arms trade control
• Anti-militarization activism
• Conflict economy research
• Civil society campaigning

Headquarters

HQ city

Berchem

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Membership Support: Vredesactie is funded primarily through donations from individual supporters, monthly recurring gifts via direct debit, and one-time gifts. Donations from 40 EUR per year generate a tax deduction certificate for Belgian taxpayers. The organization also receives EU co-funding for specific projects.
2. EU Project Co-funding: Specific projects, such as the research trajectory with Handala Belgium, are co-funded by the European Union. The organization also previously received Flemish government subsidies, which were drastically cut by the Flemish government, threatening the organization's financial stability.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Vredesactie is a Belgian non-profit peace organization that conducts investigative research on Belgian and European arms export flows to conflict zones (Israel, Yemen, Turkey, Saudi Arabia), mobilizes citizens through petition campaigns and public demonstrations, and pursues legal action to halt weapons transit and suspend export licenses. Its core offerings include advocacy campaigns, in-depth research reports and dossiers, a structured three-phase Research Trajectory training program co-developed with Handala Belgium, an E-zine digital newsletter, and a quarterly printed Action Newspaper (ActieKrant).

Product overview

Vredesactie is a Flemish peace and anti-arms-trade organization, not a commercial technology company. Its 'products and services' consist of advocacy campaigns, investigative research publications, an educational research training program, and communication products (e-newsletter and printed newspaper). The core campaign portfolio includes Stop Wapens voor Israel (opposing arms exports to Israel), De Tegenmacht (counter-power coalition), the Stop Militarisering platform, and ongoing investigative dossiers on arms trade flows via Belgian ports and airports. Research outputs include detailed reports and dossiers on topics such as Belgian components in Israeli fighter jets, Challenge Airlines logistics for Israeli military operations, and Belgian arms used in Yemen. Communication products include the E-zine (free digital newsletter) and the ActieKrant (four-times-yearly printed newspaper). The organization also operates a structured research training program (Onderzoekstraject) developed in partnership with Handala Belgium, teaching investigative skills to expose Belgian complicity in war crimes.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• E-zine (Newsletter)

Quantifiable outcome

• 18,241 citizen signatures collected and submitted to Flemish Parliament, triggering a formal parliamentary hearing on arms export policy.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Handala BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Vredesactie and Handala Belgium co-developed and co-deliver the 'Research Trajectory: Expose Belgian Support for War Crimes' program — a three-phase training and collective research initiative teaching investigative methods to young people, activists, and concerned citizens. The program runs from April to November 2026 across Flanders and Brussels, with workshops on government information access, OSINT, and research collaboration.
• Vrede vzwcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing Flemish peace organization and campaign partner in the 'Stop Wapens voor Israel' coalition alongside Vredesactie, Pax Christi Vlaanderen, and others. Co-signatory of petitions and joint actions targeting the Flemish Parliament on arms export policy.
• Pax Christi VlaanderencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Stop Wapens voor Israel' coalition calling on Flemish Parliament members to reject the proposed arms trade decree. Co-signatory of joint letter with over 18,000 petition signatures submitted to the Flemish Parliament.
• Amnesty InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmnesty International Belgium joined Vredesactie, Ligue des Droits Humains, and CNAPD in legal action that successfully suspended a Belgian export license for gunpowder to Israel worth 50 million euros. Also co-supporter of NGO coalition legal proceedings.
• CNAPD (Coordination des Associations pour la Paix et le Désarmement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNAPD co-filed legal complaints that led to the suspension of arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia and joined the coalition that secured the suspension of gunpowder exports to Israel. A key Belgian peace and disarmament organization.
• Ligue des Droits HumainscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian human rights league that co-filed legal action with Vredesactie and CNAPD resulting in the suspension of Belgian arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia and the gunpowder export license to Israel.
• 11.11.11minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian development NGO that joined the coalition of organizations filing complaints that led to the suspension of military goods transit through the Port of Antwerp to Israel, alongside Vredesactie and other partners.
• Oxfam BelgiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined the coalition that filed complaints leading to the suspension of military goods transit through the Port of Antwerp, working alongside Vredesactie and partner organizations.
• Broederlijk DelenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian development organization that joined the coalition of NGOs that filed complaints leading to the halt of military goods transit through the Port of Antwerp.
• Stop Militarisering PlatformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVredesactie is a member of the Stop Militarisering platform, a Belgian coalition campaigning against militarization in Belgium and calling for investments in welfare over warfare.
• De Tegenmacht CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA coalition of six Flemish organizations (Headquarters of the Movement, LABO vzw, Vrede vzw, Vredesactie, Climaxi, DeWereldMorgen) formed in response to the Flemish government's decision to cut subsidies for critical civil society organizations. The coalition organizes collective action including the 'Nacht van de Tegenmacht' event on June 25, 2026 in Ghent.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Pax Christi Vlaanderen: Flemish branch of the international Catholic peace movement, and a core partner in the 'Stop Wapens voor Israel' coalition with Vredesactie. Engages on identical themes of arms trade, peace policy, and Flemish parliamentary advocacy.
• Handala Belgium: Belgian Palestinian-solidarity organization co-developing and co-delivering the Onderzoekstraject research training program with Vredesactie. Closely aligned mission and overlapping volunteer base on Israel/Palestine advocacy.
• Amnesty International Belgium: Belgian section of the global human rights organization and Vredesactie's co-litigant in the gunpowder export suspension case. Comparable in combining research, legal action, and public campaigns on arms and human rights.
• 11.11.11: Belgian federation of development NGOs and a coalition partner in complaints that halted military goods transit through the Port of Antwerp. Operates in an adjacent international-solidarity and arms-trade space.
• Vrede vzw: Flemish peace organization and co-signatory of the 'Stop Wapens voor Israel' petition with Vredesactie. Operates in the same Belgian peace and arms-trade advocacy niche, sharing campaigns, parliamentary targets, and donor base.
• DeWereldMorgen: Flemish independent media platform on global justice, and a fellow member of the 'De Tegenmacht' coalition. Comparable as a Flemish progressive civic-society outlet affected by the same Flemish subsidy cuts.
• CNAPD (Coordination des Associations pour la Paix et le Désarmement): Belgian francophone coordination body for peace and disarmament associations. Co-filed the legal complaints that suspended Belgian arms export licenses to Saudi Arabia and the gunpowder license to Israel alongside Vredesactie.
• Climaxi: Flemish climate-justice organization that lost subsidies in the same Flemish government decision as Vredesactie and co-founded the 'De Tegenmacht' coalition. Comparable as a Flemish activist NGO operating under political pressure.
• Ligue des Droits Humains: Belgian human rights league that co-filed legal actions with Vredesactie resulting in suspension of arms export licenses. Operates in a closely adjacent advocacy and litigation niche focused on rights-based challenges to government policy.
• Oxfam Belgium: Belgian branch of Oxfam and a coalition partner in complaints halting military transit through the Port of Antwerp. Comparable in mobilizing donor support for international-justice and conflict-related campaigns.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vredesactie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vredesactie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Vredesactie