Oliver Walton is a Lecturer in International Development at the University of Bath. His research focuses on the political economy of war-to-peace transitions, civil society, NGOs and NGO legitimacy. He is principal investigator for the PACCS- funded ‘Living on the Margins: The Role of Borderland Brokers in Post-War Transitions’ project and a co-investigator on the ‘Borderlands, Brokers and Peacebuilding’ project.
Sharri Plonski is a lecturer in International Politics at Queen Mary University of London. Her expertise is in the politics of Palestine/Israel, which she examines through the lens of borders, infrastructure and anti-colonial resistance. Her current research project is on the impact of logistics, trade and transport corridors on Middle East political and geographic landscapes.
This weekend saw the signing of an historic peace deal, between the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) and the Government of Ethiopia. Conciliation Resources has been supporting this process for the past six years.
Eighteen years ago, on 31 October, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the vital role women play in the prevention of conflicts, with resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. Reams of research and evidence* have proved that peace processes that include women are more likely to succeed and be sustainable – but too often the work of these women goes unrecognised.
Borderlands are often overlooked or neglected in peace processes. Despite a growing emphasis on inclusion, responses to borderland instability tend to prioritise security, pacifying or sealing off borderlands, or negotiating deals among central or regional powers that do little to empower borderland communities.
The Board members and staff of Conciliation Resources are saddened to learn of the sudden passing of our friend and former trustee Professor Chandra Lekha Sriram.
