News and Insight

As part of Conciliation Resources’ participation in the International Contact Group on the Mindanao peace process, the organisation recently invited Professor Christine Bell, a leading scholar-practitioner on peacebuilding, on a one-week visit to Manila and Mindanao. Christine focused on the issues of constitutional reform, human rights, and women's participation in peace processes - three of the most relevant peace topics in the Philippines.

Conciliation Resources recently made a submission to the UK government and its Building Stability Overseas Strategy (BSOS). Conciliation Resources’ submission highlights its latest Accord publication, which recommends policy responses focussing on conflicts not countries.

Four of Conciliation Resources’ partners are visiting Washington, D.C. and New York between 9 and 17 April. The purpose of the visit is to bring local perspectives on the Georgian/Abkhaz and Nagorny Karabakh conflicts to audiences in the United States.

The World Bank’s 2011 World Development Report (WDR) on Conflict, Security and Development offers a timely and refreshing contribution to discussions on development and the particular challenges of conflict and fragility. Conciliation Resources reflects on some of the peacebuilding policy and practice issues that we, and our partners, have been working on relating to the WDR’s findings.

In 2000 the UN adopted Resolution 1325 which called for greater inclusion and decision-making roles for women within peace processes. More than ten years on, actual implementation of 1325 remains patchy. Conciliation Resources is working to build women’s capacity to participate fully and equally in future peace processes.

Conciliation Resources recently co-authored a report on the EU’s role in co-ordinating third-party support for peace processes. The report, “Standing United for Peace”, gives background on the evolution of coordinated third-party support to peace processes since the end of the Cold War. Recommendations focus on how to improve performance and increase positive impact.

Conciliation Resources is to stage a series of workshops in Sierra Leone which will be attended by people from Liberia, Guinea and Cote D’Ivoire. They will participate in country and regional analysis sessions on what is driving conflict in West Africa, as well as receive training in EU advocacy work.

Conciliation Resources recently co-authored a report on the EU’s role in co-ordinating third-party support for peace processes. The report, “Standing United for Peace”, gives background on the evolution of coordinated third-party support to peace processes since the end of the Cold War. Recommendations focus on how to improve performance and increase positive impact.

Conciliation Resources’ partner, Archbishop Odama of Gulu, spoke recently on a BBC News interview about the challenges of working to find a peaceful solution to the Lord’s Resistance Army conflict now it has spread to neighbouring countries. As part of his visit to London for the launch of Accord 22 on cross-border pacebuilding, he also also met the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Conciliation Resources has launched two new workshop reports on the impact of counter-terrorism legislation on mediation. UK law prohibits meetings with blacklisted armed groups unless the meeting is considered "genuinely benign”. The reports summarise recent discussions on UK legislation and the findings from a workshop on EU legislation.

Conciliation Resources’ partners Ayesha Saeed and Zafar Choudhary recently spoke in a BBC World programme about the trade across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir which was opened in 2008.

The latest edition of Conciliation Resources’ Accord publication launched in Washington DC and New York City on 8 and 9 February respectively. The Accord, which focuses on cross-border peacebuilding, was also launched in Freetown, Sierra Leone with the British High Commission on 23 February and in Monrovia, Liberia on the 28 February.