This year, we’re keen to learn more about how local peacebuilding initiatives and local peacebuilders are affected by and respond to mass atrocities. We’d like to hear from local peacebuilders and journalists connected to local peacebuilding within contexts affected by mass atrocities, but also diaspora communities.

Read on for details about this call for content, including some questions that may prompt some ideas for you, some contexts we’re particularly keen to hear from, the formats we’re looking for and the link to send your pitch to.

Content pitches could cover

Questions we’re interested in seeing responses to include, but are not limited to: How do peacebuilders change their work in the face of major atrocities like war/war crimes, genocide, ethnic cleansing, or apartheid? Do international partners, e.g. INGOs and donors, recognise and support the need to shift priorities? Is it still possible for local peacebuilders to envision pathways to peace in the short or long term, and what do those pathways look like? What does peace itself mean to local peacebuilders in such contexts? What’s the role of local peacebuilders in leading the country, or countries involved, to peace at times of all-out war or severe structural violence? (please note, you don’t need to answer every question in the piece! A response to just one is welcome).

We’ve named three mass atrocities here: genocide, apartheid and war/war crimes. However, we would welcome pitches on others, such as crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing. We're also aware that for many local peacebuilders, international definitions of atrocities and atrocity prevention don't match up with the reality of local peacebuilding efforts or local experiences – we welcome content discussing this issue too.

We will accept pitches covering past atrocities, as well as current ones, because these articles may offer lessons for peacebuilders today.

Contexts: With this call, we’re particularly keen to hear from peacebuilders in or displaced from: Ukraine, South Africa, Armenia, DRC, Sudan, Ethiopia, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Palestine and Israel. However, peacebuilders elsewhere are still very welcome to share their expertise.

See below for more detail on the specific atrocities and contexts we’d like to see pitches on, with some prompt questions to help:

Genocide

December 2023 marked 75 years since the creation of the UN Genocide Convention, which was created after the Holocaust to prevent and punish future genocides. Yet, several genocides have since occurred and continue to occur. We’re interested to hear local peacebuilding perspectives on preventing or punishing genocide, but also how local peacebuilders respond in the aftermath of genocide. Here are some prompts:

  • What is the role of peacebuilding in trying to prevent genocide? Are there particular initiatives you can tell us about, and what were the successes and challenges?
  • Presumably many peacebuilding initiatives tackling inter-ethnic divisions contribute to this work. Is that recognised as atrocity prevention by international funders you work with? Do INGO or donor definitions of peacebuilding or atrocity prevention impact the scope of peacebuilding work? Do international definitions limit you, or is the wording of the Convention helpful?
  • As a local peacebuilder in a context affected by genocide or risk of genocide, what would you say to the international community about preventing and addressing this crime – what do they need to know about your perspective and what should they be doing better?

Apartheid or severe structural minoritisation

When a state imposes such apartheid or similar severe structural oppression on a subsection of a population, how does local peacebuilding respond? How do peacebuilders in the oppressed group find leverage to build peace for their communities, if that’s possible?

With this call, we’re keen to hear from peacebuilders or journalists in and from South Africa: what lessons can you share about how local peacebuilding helped dismantle apartheid, supported oppressed communities during apartheid, built peace between oppressed and majority communities, and helped build or maintain peace in apartheid’s aftermath?

Submissions on other forms of apartheid, such as gender apartheid, are welcome.

War and war crimes

What happens to local peacebuilding when all-out national level/international war breaks out? How do local peacebuilders respond to the initial stages of war, and what changes when the conflict is prolonged? What do local peacebuilders see as the future of peace in a context affected by war and war crimes – what pathways to peace are still feasible, if any? What role should local and grassroots peacebuilders have in international ‘talks’ and peace processes? What role do peacebuilders play in the aftermath of war?

If you are a local peacebuilder, or a journalist with strong connections to local peacebuilding in your area, please send us a pitch for content exploring these or other related ideas for the chance to have your work featured on Peace Insight. Deadline for submissions: 23:59 GMT on 24 March 2024.

How and what can you pitch?

We're interested in receiving pitches for: 800-900 word written articles (including profiles/interviews), or multimedia such as videos or photo essays.

We’re looking for pitches for content that is by and for local peacebuilders. Ideally, you’d be telling our readers about how a peacebuilding initiative or approach responding to mass atrocities has helped communities/peace efforts in that context. Think about what lessons were learned that other peacebuilders would benefit from, or that academics in the field of peacebuilding should know about.

When you’re clear on your idea for the content, please send us a 250-word pitch about your content to this form. Your pitch should focus on the key message or argument of the article and highlight any peacebuilding organisations that you might interview or discuss. Remember that Peace Insight focuses on local peacebuilding efforts, rather than national or international entity-led work.

On this platform, we try to share articles that can offer lessons about local peacebuilding for local peacebuilders around the world. However, our content is not always academic in tone – we equally value human-centred stories of peacebuilding work and its impact on communities. Lived experience is valued by us. We are also aware of the harrowing nature of this topic, and recognise and appreciate the mental and emotional effort you may be making to share a story with us. Please be reassured that we have a dedicated and compassionate editorial team reviewing content submitted to us, and we take seriously the trust placed in us to share your story with care and integrity.

We also have an editorial policy internally, which guides our decision-making on article publication. Peace Insight is managed by Peace Direct, and core values that inform our editorial policy include non-violence, dignity and respect, inclusion, trust and courage.

Rates: we pay £170 for 800-950 word articles. For multimedia content, the fee will depend on its format and scope.

Send your 250-word pitch via this Google form by 23:59 GMT on 24 March 2024.

All articles are subject to review before publication, and pitching does not guarantee publication.

Need inspiration? Take a look at some of our recent content.