Research this month
Atrocity prevention and peacebuilding
"Engage directly with local communities in the design of atrocity prevention and peacebuilding efforts. Local communities should lead the design of these efforts. Governments and donors should therefore engage in participatory conflict analysis, where “key people” and not “more people” is a priority, and which ensures that there is a proper baseline assessment of the local context."
Atrocity prevention and peacebuilding, from Peace Direct, presents the analysis and recommendations of atrocity prevention and peacebuilding from experts and practitioners from across the globe, and advocates for the recognition of the critical role that local civil society and locally-led peacebuilding approaches play in preventing and stopping atrocities. The report follows a 4-day online consultation held at the end of 2017.
Aid exits and locally-led development
"The power dynamics between local and international actors remain unequal. From restrictions on how funds will be used to make decisions regarding training to the timing and strategy of exits, local actors have had little to no voice in decision-making processes. While international actors must change, participants also proposed approaches for local actors to take more control"
Aid Exits and Locally-led Development, from Peace Direct, CDA Collaborative Learning Projects and Search for Common Ground, presents key insights from a global consultation on the multiple dynamics between international and local actors during aid exits and transitions. This consultation was part of a USAID-funded collaborative learning project, ‘Stopping As Success’, and brought together 95 participants from over 40 countries to critically engage with discussions on: Power Dynamics in the Aid Sector, The Role of Local Actors and Capacity Building and Sustainability.
Building Peace Together: a practical resource
"Self-reflection is vital before engaging in a violence-affected context. As well as presenting tools that can contribute to peace, this report offers a framework of principles and ‘due diligence’ for identifying what form of engagement to use and at what moment. This depends on the context and how you are positioned to act"
Building Peace Together, from the Quaker Council for European Affairs, aims to provide examples of practical approaches to peacebuilding to show policymakers that alternatives to military intervention exists. The resource contains more than 40 peacebuilding tools from a number of different sectors.
Engaging with people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence: Recommendations for humanitarian organizations and donors in the digital era
"Engagement requires that humanitarians learn how to relinquish decision-making power and control... to a principled limit: The increasing levels of competence and assertiveness of some – but not all – local groups, combined with increasingly articulated frustration and disappointment at existing aid delivery, have increased pressure on the humanitarian system to devolve more responsibility and decision-making to the local level."
Engaging with people affected by armed conflicts and other situations of violence, from International Committee of the Red Cross & the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, explores the opportunities and challenges that are faced engaging people in conflict contexts, with a particular focus on the considerations that digital technology opens. The report contains some practical recommendations for humanitarian organisations and donors.
Fleeing terror, fighting terror: the truth about refugees and violent extremism
[D]iscourse linking violent extremism and refugees must be handled carefully. While this study highlights some nascent concerns related to conditions that refugees are subjected to, it does not link refugees to violent extremism. The notion that refugees present a threat to security has dangerous impacts and is unsubstantiated by evidence. ... ... ... Strong asylum processes diminish security threats. Implementing robust and widely available asylum processes and legal migration pathways can complement security measures. We must replace the narrative linking refugees with extremism with discourse linking strong asylum to security.
Fleeing terror, fighting terror, from the Institute for Security Studies, looks at relationship between violent extremism and South Sudanese & Somali refugee populations in Ethiopia. The study argues that the risks of violent extremism in both groups is low and they have an important role to play in tackling threats from extremism.
Measuring peace and violent extremism: Voices from the Afghan village
"Countering violent extremism requires a multisector intervention—and that includes recognizing the influence and capacity of key stakeholders and credible voices. While this idea receives a great deal of attention in CVE circles, the question of who are key stakeholders and credible voices does not get its share of critical attention."
Measuring Peace and Violent Extremism, from USIP, examine how the "Everyday Peace Indicators" framework can be used to understand how Afghans view security and the causes of violent extremism. The Everyday Peace Indicators framework seeks to use indicators of peace identified by the communities affected, rather than more traditional top-down approaches.
Funding opportunities
Open Society Foundations: Civil Society Leadership Awards
Open Society Foundations invite applications for its Civil Society Leadership Awards to provide fully-funded scholarships for master’s degree study to individuals who demonstrate academic and professional excellence and a deep commitment to leading positive social change in their communities. Deadline: 15 May 2018. Find out more
Allard Prize for International Integrity
The Allard Prize for International Integrity is awarded to an individual, movement or organisation that has demonstrated exceptional courage and leadership in combating corruption or protecting human rights, especially through promoting transparency, accountability and the Rule of Law. The prize awards a grant of up to CAD $100,000.Deadline: 15 January 2019. Find out more
Ginetta Sagan Award
The Ginetta Sagan Award recognises and assists women who are working to protect the liberty and lives of women and children in areas where human rights violations are widespread. The Award is intended to help women throughout the world in their struggle to overcome oppression, to let them know that they are not alone. $20,000 is awarded to the winner. Deadline: 01 June 2018. Find out more
Innovating Justice Challenge
The HiiL Justice Accelerator invites applications for its Innovating Justice Challenge 2018 to receive grant funding, acceleration support, justice sector expertise and networking, and potential future investment. HiiL is looking for innovations that help people prevent or resolve their most pressing justice problems. Deadline: 31 May 2018. Find out more
Women of Peace Award
Nominations are open for Women of Peace Award. The awards are given to women and girls who are working to promote peace. They receive a small monetary award, attendance at a workshop on non-profit development and receive technical assistance to help their project grow to reach more people. Deadline: 31 May 2018. Find out more
Mama Cash Grant Program
Applications are open for the Mama Cash Grant program with an aim to support ambitious feminist and women’s rights organisations and initiatives led by and for women, girls and trans people. Deadline: 17 April 2018. Find out more
Global Pluralism Award
Nominations are open for the 2019 Global Pluralism Award. The award recognises individuals and organisations championing respect for diversity and inclusion around the world. Each recipient will receive $50,000 CAD to further their work. Deadline: 30 April 2018. Find out more
Rotary Peace Fellowship Program
The Rotary Peace Fellowship is currently open for applications and invites professionals from around the world to receive fellowships to study at one of the Rotary Peace Centers. Deadline: 31 May 2018. Find out more
UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence
UNESCO is currently inviting nominations for the 2018 UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence. The prize is intended to reward individuals, institutions and other entities or non-governmental organizations that have made exceptional contributions and demonstrated leadership in the promotion of tolerance and non-violence. The recipient receives USD $100,000. Deadline: 30 April 2018. Find out more
Training opportunities
Media and arts for peace
Media and the Arts for Peace is an online, self-paced course. It explores the impact of mainstream media, digital/social media, and the arts on peace. Participants learn how these various media have been engaged to enrich public discourse, highlight civic responsibility and social justice, and tell the stories behind every conflict. Find out more
From the blog
How the United Nations Can Harness 'People Power'
The United Nations has acknowledged that a vital element in peacebuilding is nonviolent, grassroots movements that can prevent violent conflict by providing ways for people to constructively address grievances, seek rights and advance justice. This collective action, by broad coalitions rooted in their communities, achieves success primarily through their size and diversity—that is, their inclusiveness. Read more »
Peace Media’s Digital Disconnect
Peacebuilders have long tried to bring peacebuilding out of the shadows and into the light, but it remains poorly seen and poorly understood. Why is that and what can they learn? Read more »
Introducing 'Peace Dispatch'
Today, Peace Insight launches a brand new tool and exciting feature: Peace Dispatch provides real time analysis on instances of violence as they happen. Peace Dispatch is a unique new feature, mapping live incidences of violence and peacebuilding initiatives. It brings together instances of violent outbreaks alongside instances of local peacebuilding, showing exactly what is being done to halt violence and build peace in the aftermath. Read more »
