Research this month
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Will they, won’t they? Africa’s third-term presidents
The issue has been hotly debated for its impact on conflict, security and development across Africa. But we wanted to hear more about the view from from the ground. So we asked five of our Local Peacebuilding Experts to consult with civil society on the bottom-up consequences of top-down politics.
Many presidents and prime ministers in Africa are limited by law to two terms in office. But a wave of leaders are standing for a third term – with potentially violent consequences. In Will they, won't they, Peace Direct’s Local Peacebuilding Experts discuss the issues from across the continent. [/more_info_box]
Infrastructures for Peace: Approaches and Lessons Learned
Sustainable peace and peacebuilding depend not only on political will, but also on the availability of structural capacity for peace support in practice; access to structural capacity is most effective when based on coordinated planning, conscious design of institutions, individual and institutional empowerment as well as transparent implementation.
Infrastructures for Peace, from UNDP and Berghof Foundation, examines the concept of Infrastructures for Peace (I4P). After introducing the concept, the paper provides insights into how such processes work in practice, drawing from on-the-ground experiences in five countries and implementation of a number of I4P components.
ALNAP research on national NGOS
Although lots of research has addressed the need for an increased role for national NGOs in humanitarian response, the research, advocacy and evaluative pieces are commissioned and elaborated on from the perspective of international actors, primarily international NGOs.
ALNAP's ongoing research into National NGOs aims to uncover more about the type of work local and national humanitarian organisations do, from the perspectives of the organisations themselves. Two cases studies are available, sharing the views and experiences of NGOs in Colombia and Lebanon.
Why young Syrians choose to fight: Vulnerability and resilience to recruitment by violent extremist groups in Syria
For interventions to be effective in preventing recruitment to extremist groups and/or to directly support fighters to leave extremist groups, they must respond to sources of vulnerability in comprehensive ways, recognising their interconnectedness.
Why young Syrians choose to fight, from International Alert, explores the reasons Syrian young people become involved or not with violent extremism. The research highlights the key drivers pushing young people toward violence, and factors which help resist involvement. Based on this the paper examines how best to prevent violent extremism, and puts forward some recommendations for policy-makers and practitioners.
Conflict Trends 2016/1
The latest edition of ACCORD's Conflict Trends publication focuses on peacebuilding in Africa's Great Lakes region. The issue includes articles looking at civil-society and government cooperation, building regional capacity, and the impact of refugees on peacebuilding.
From the blog
Will they, won’t they? Africa’s third-term presidents
By Kevin McCann: Peace Direct’s Local Peacebuilding Experts come together to discuss key issues in a new series of reports. Read more »
Hope not hate: training the media to build peace in Kyrgyzstan
By Inga Sikorskaya: Inga Sikorskaya’s School of Peacemaking and Media Technology is challenging media xenophobia in Kyrgyzstan. Read more »
Northern Nigeria Peace Exchange: Call for applicants
By Ruairi Nolan: Call for applicants: the Northern Nigeria Peace Exchange aims to bring together a diverse group of civil society organisations from across Northern Nigeria. Read more »
An open letter from displaced youth at the M’Poko displaced persons’ camp to the World Humanitarian Summit
By Martine Kessy Ekomo-Soignet: Representatives of young people at the M’Poko displaced persons’ camp in the Central African Republic speak with one voice to the World Humanitarian Summit. Read more »
Nepal’s first democratic constitution sparks mass unrest
By Ambika Pokhrel: Since Nepal adopted its first democratic constitution in September 2015, the country has been marked by protests and blockades. Ambika Pokhrel reports. Read more »
Transformation through empathy: youth challenge extremism in Kashmir
By Ashima Kaul: With youth extremism on the rise in Kashmir, Ashima Kaul reports on a workshop in Pulwama designed to bring young people together and dismantle tensions. Read more »
Storm in the Sahel: cross-border violence in West Africa
By Matt Batten-Carew: The Sahel region of Africa is struggling with a series of interconnected crises. Matt Batten-Carew discusses the data on cross-border violence. Read more »
Empty threats or serious steps? Kenya’s plans to evict Somali refugees
By Jared Wright: Kenyan authorities revealed last Friday plans to shut down its refugee camps within the next year and relocate all refugees outside of Kenya. Read more »
A fresh start for peace in the Philippines?
By Rey Ty: The Philippines goes to the polls in a general election next week. Could a change in government jump-start the peace process? Read more »
A burning issue in Bangladesh: how to bring peace to the Chittagong Hill Tracts?
By Bangladesh Peacebuilding Expert: The Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh has been plagued by violence for years. Our Bangladesh Peacebuilding Expert explores the issues. Read more »
