Dialogue not bloodshed to keep the Liberian peace

We are in the final stages of preparing a new Accord for publication in December which explores the war to peace transitions of Liberia and Sierra Leone. This Accord also forms part of the wider People's Peacemaking Perspectives project. Through analysing the impact of peacebuilding initiatives and current conflict dynamics it identifies possible measures to prevent conflict and consolidate peace, as well as drawing out broader lessons for peacebuilding.

Supporting peace in the Basque Country

On 17 October we joined a number of international organisations in co-sponsoring a peace conference in San Sebastian. Local organisation Lokarri led the event, which focused on supporting the search for a permanent end to the conflict in the Basque Country. A panel, made up of international participants including Kofi Annan, issued a declaration that called on ETA to formally end the armed confrontation and for all parties to take steps towards a dialogue on political issues. This has since been endorsed by an important grouping of Basque leftwing nationalists, and by President Jimmy Carter, Tony Blair and Senator George Mitchell.

People's Peacemaking Perspectives on the Lord's Resistance Army conflict

The conflict with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) continues to cause destruction, displacement, death and distress for civilians and communities across four countries in central Africa. The policy brief resulting from the People’s Peacemaking Perspectives project research highlights an overwhelming desire among affected communities for a peacemaking solution based on civilian protection and engagement with the LRA.

Public forum: Women in peace processes

Conciliation Resources – together with the School of Peace and Cooperacció – is convening a Public Forum in Barcelona on Friday 28 October on the issue of "Women in peace processes". The forum’s goal is to discuss achievements and challenges for women peacebuilders and to share innovative practice from Colombia, the Philippines and elsewhere.

Somali famine highlights urgent need for international support

World Food Day draws into focus the fate of millions of Somalis in need of emergency aid. Years of conflict and ongoing insecurity are compounding the effects of uneven food availability and distribution. The result is famine, widespread displacement, and human suffering on a devastating scale. Whose peace is it anyway? Connecting Somali and international peacemaking – Accord 21 – shows how Somali-led initiatives can provide durable security and law, as well as revitalise the economy. But they need international support.

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.

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