How are gender, mental health and peacebuilding connected in the Central African Republic?
Young people in Kaga-Bandoro and Sibut, in the Central African Republic, have lived in the shadow of three decades of conflict. All have had their lives in some way shaped by violence. While the physical consequences of conflict are easy to see, the effects on mental health are less obvious but no less damaging. Unresolved distress and trauma is often a driver of ongoing cycles of conflict.
Gender, mental health and reconciliation in the Central African Republic: implications for policy and practice
Gender can shape people’s motivation to engage in violence, their experiences when reintegrating into society, the types of traumas they confront and their ability to process these. If left unaddressed, the gendered causes and legacies of conflict eventually resurface over time, so are a critical part of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) and peacebuilding interventions. This report explores the links between gender, mental health and reconciliation in the Central African Republic and provides recommendations for policy and practice.
Civil society connect with the Bangsamoro Transition Authority in the Philippines
Connecting people and peace efforts is an essential part of building sustainable peace. In May, Conciliation Resources organised a conference in Cotabato, Philippines, bringing together Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from the Bangsamoro region, including island provinces, and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA). The conference was part of a wider project to improve accountability and build stronger relationships between government and civil society.
Dr. Shidiki Abubakar Ali
Dr. Shidiki Abubakar Ali is a senior lecturer at the Department of Forestry in the University of Dschang, Cameroon, a part-time lecturer at the University of Bamenda, Cameroon, and works as a consultant on rangeland management. He has published widely on natural resource governance, pastoralism and natural resource conflicts.
Sustaining peaceful pastoralism in Cameroon’s borderlands
Dr. Shidiki Abubakar Ali is part of the research team working on our XCEPT project, Promoting Peaceful Pastoralism. As part of this project, he has been researching cross-border pastoralism, environmental change, peace and conflict along the borders of Nigeria and Cameroon. Here, he talks about the findings from recent fieldwork for this project, conducted in Cameroon.
Annual Review 2022
With peacebuilding under duress, it is more important than ever to show that it works. Innovation and creativity are essential elements of the peacebuilding process. Innovation is often equated with technology, but there are ways to connect people and ideas that are not only about being technologically smart. Thinking afresh and being ready to adapt are part of the DNA of peacebuilding. Together with our partners, our purpose continues to be to explore new ways to find and expand connections, to push the bounds of what we do to sustain hope in the possibility of peace.
Talking with the Taliban can wait: dialogue among Afghanistan’s nationalist and democratic forces is now the priority for Afghan peace.
Over the past few months, I have been listening to the ideas of Afghans involved in previous rounds of their country’s peace process. These Afghan ‘peacemakers’ include men and women who were members of Afghanistan’s peace and reconciliation commissions, served on the negotiation team supposed to cut a deal with the Taliban, or worked as officials, government advisers or religious scholars.
Moniek Kindred
Moniek joined Conciliation Resources in April 2020, as the Operations Manager to lead the new operations team in our Melbourne Branch Office. In her role, Moniek is responsible for office management, HR, finance processes, logistics, safety and compliance. Moniek has worked in the charity sector for over eight years implementing health programs across Asia and the Pacific, including working on humanitarian responses in both Nepal and Afghanistan. Moniek has a Master's in Human Nutrition from Massey University, New Zealand.