Highlighting the efforts of peacebuilders

Around the world, ordinary people lead the way in finding alternatives to violence. September 21 marks the UN Day that aims to strengthen these efforts. In several towns across the Central African Republic our partners JUPEDEC have been marking the International Day of Peace with marches and songs for peace.

Peacebuilding gets people talking at the annual UK party conferences

At political conferences this autumn we are making the case for supporting people to build peace. At the Labour conference on 26 September, David Newton will chair an event on the topic of 'Conflicted Development: Can aid help prevent violent conflict?'. At the Conservative conference on 4 October, Dr Laurence Broers is on a Foreign Policy Centre panel to explore 'New opportunities and old challenges on Europe's eastern frontier: What now for EU and UK engagement in the South Caucasus?'.

The war doesn't stop at borders so why should peace

In August we held a four-day workshop to enhance the capacity of community-based and civil society organisations that focus on cross-border issues in the Mano River Union region. The purpose of the training, which explored participatory active research, was to identify a series of indicators to ‘nip potential conflict in the bud’ before it escalates. The event took place in Monrovia, Liberia, with representatives who work in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone meeting together to share their experiences.

Exploring attitudes towards return in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict

The forced displacement of over 1 million people is a key legacy of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict in the South Caucasus. Our new publication Forced displacement in the Nagorny Karabakh conflict: Return and its alternatives presents the research of Armenian, Azerbaijani and international analysts, who grapple with policy questions arising from this legacy. Their essays reveal the fundamentally opposed nature of Armenian and Azerbaijani approaches to resolution.

Exchange visit strengthens women's peacebuilding capacity

Ten Filipinas visited Colombia in August, facilitated by Conciliation Resources and local partners. The women exchanged ideas with their peers, as well as meeting local government representatives and working with a range of interest groups. Both parties benefitted in what was, as Rina Jimenez-David puts it, "our own little attempt [at understanding] the roots of armed conflict and seeking a way to bring the voices of non-combatants, especially women, to the table.”

Conciliation Resources welcomes new UK Building Stability Overseas Strategy

During spring 2011 we submitted reflections and recommendations ahead of the UK’s Building Stability Overseas Strategy. We now warmly welcome its publication. Through the Building Stability Overseas Strategy, the Government has clearly committed itself to addressing violent conflict and fragility through a coherent framework. We look forward to a continued exchange on how best to implement the approach that has been set out.  Read more about our work.

Women’s exchange inspires action

Women from grassroots organisations across three countries affected by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) have participated in a Conciliation Resources visit to formerly LRA-affected parts of northern Uganda. The women – from the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan and Central African Republic – visited a rehabilitation centre for former abductees and the home village of the rebel leader, Joseph Kony.

Exploring the art of negotiation

Conciliation Resources staff took part in an all-day mediation simulation in July focusing on the current day Israel–Palestine process. Facilitated by TRACK4, we explored the issues and steps involved in negotiation. "It was a real eye opener," commented one participant, "In the simulation you can really see the pressures at play and how problems require trade-offs as well as creative and inclusive solutions."

African religious leaders meet to tackle LRA conflict

July saw a key meeting in Entebbe of cultural and religious leaders from the four countries affected by the presence of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA). As a result of the two-day discussions, organised by Conciliation Resources, the leaders, as well as being better informed about the reality in each state, produced a plan of action to take back to their communities.

Barriers to engagement

It is a year since the US Supreme Court ruled in the Holder vs. Humanitarian Law Project case. In doing so they upheld the constitutionality of a law that makes it illegal for US citizens or organisations to engage in many ways that are crucial to conflict transformation. Speaking at a seminar in Sweden, Andy Carl marked the ruling's anniversary by highlighting the serious implications for peacebuilding of anti-terrorist and material support laws.

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