A monthly selection of the best new research and resources on local peacebuilding worldwide, as chosen by Insight on Conflict. This month’s edition features local conflict analysis, local governance in DR Congo and more. To receive the email newsletter each month, please sign-up here or email joel@insightonconflict.org.
Research this month
People's peacemaking perspectives
People's peacemaking perspectives is a joint project from Conciliation Resources and Saferworld. The project aims to provide opportunities for civil society to influence the EU's conflict prevention and peacebuilding programmes. As part of this they have undertaken a series of conflict analyses that take into account the views and perspectives of local people. This month the project released publications on South Sudan and North Caucasus.
Insecurity and local governance in Congo's South Kivu
Insecurity and local governance in Congo’s South Kivu examines how local communities have tried to cope with the absence of state governance due to insecurity in Eastern DR Congo. The research finds that although state governance may have been non-existent, local forms of governance were not.
Local capacity in humanitarian response: vision or mirage?
Local capacity in humanitarian response from Oxfam America explores the relationship between the international humanitarian relief system and local organisations. The report argues that there is a failure to systematically build local capacity, and that if investment was provided there would be a greater chance for local leadership of responses to humanitarian disaster.
Consolidating peace: Liberia and Sierra Leone
The latest issue of Accord, Consolidating peace: Liberia and Sierra Leone, explores the post conflict transitions in Liberia and Sierra Leone. The publication promotes the idea that an important aspect of consolidating peace is the use of customary practices and mechanisms, supported by local civil society.
Empowering local peacebuilders
Empowering local peacebuilders from USIP uses a series of case studies to examine ways of empowering locals in peacebuilding operations. The report is the latest in the 'Building Peace' series which aims to provide practical knowledge to peacebuilders.
From the Blog
Featured story: A Ugandan reflection on the Kony 2012 campaign
Stephen Oola, Ugandan peacebuilder and Local Correspondent for Insight on Conflict, provides a Ugandan perspective on Invisible Children’s controversial Kony 2012 campaign. Although positive about Invisible Children’s work on the ground in Uganda, Stephen questions the lack of involvement of Ugandans in the campaign. Read more >>>
An interview with Johan Galtung
Professor Johan Galtung talks to Insight on Conflict’s Ben Baruch about the Arab Spring, his concepts of positive peace and negative peace, the conflict in Sudan, his views on mediation and the merits of local vs. outsider participation in peace processes. Read more >>>
An Interview with an ex-Guerrilla in Colombia
Hasan Dodwell, Insight on Conflict’s Local Correspondent for Colombia, talks to Yezid Arteta, a former guerrilla in the Colombian conflict who is now dedicated to finding a peaceful end to the conflict. Yezid talks about life as a guerrilla, his decision to end his involvement in violence, and prospects for peace in Colombia. Read more >>>
Beyond Kony 2012: Local peacebuilders advice to Invisible Children
Stephen Oola, Insight on Conflict’s local correspondent for Uganda, writes on the local reaction to Invisible Children’s Kony 2012 campaign. Particularly the reatcion of respected local peacebuilders, such as the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (ARLPI), a local interfaith peacebuilding organisation in northern Uganda, which has urged Invisible Children to work with people in the region to find a lasting solution to the LRA situation. Read more >>>
Nepal: Civil society demands justice for conflict victims
Ambika Pokhrel, Insight on Conflict’s Local Correspondent for Nepal, looks at the issue of conflict victims in Nepal. More than five years since the end of the armed conflict, many victims have not received the support and justice the peace accord entitles them to. Impunity is widespread with many who are accused of committing crimes during the conflict enjoying political office. Civil society is active in Nepal. Challenging this impunity and demanding justice for victims of conflict. Read more >>>
Pakistan: challenges of conflict-induced displacement
Zahid Ahmed, Insight on Conflicts local correspondent for Pakistan, looks at the issue of conflict-induced displacement in the country. Military conflicts have displaced millions of people in recent years. Many have now returned, but there are still 500,000 internally displaced people in Pakistan. For those that have returned, the legacy of violence presents unique problems. Zahid hopes to start a discussion on what he sees as a fairly phenomenon in Pakistan. Read more >>>
Hope for lasting peace in Burma
Ismail Wolff, Insight on Conflict’s local correspondent for Burma (Myanmar), looks at the prospects for peace in the country. Recent developments have raised hopes that Burma is on the path to securing lasting peace. Ceasefires have been signed with many armed groups, freedoms are opening up, and open elections are due to be held. Ismail highlights the need for genuine political dialogue to address the underlying grievance behind the conflicts in order to turn these welcome reforms into sustainable peace. Read more >>>
Neuroscience and Social Conflict MIT conference
Josh Gryniewicz, from CeaseFire, writes about the recent Neuroscience and Social Conflict conference. The conference was hosted by the Project on Justice in Times of Transition (PJTT) as part of their mission to reassess global conflict resolution in the 21st century to develop new strategies. Read more >>>
