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Home - Interpeace : Interpeace
Home - Interpeace : Interpeace

Violence and crime have a direct relationship with the limitations caused by socio-economic inequality, exclusion and weak public institutions. When large groups of society cannot find employment and educational opportunities, which are necessary to ensure an income for the survival of their family, then other forms of income generation begin to gain strength. In that sense, illegal economy is the link that explains the relationship between inequality and crime. Not all expressions of an illegal economy thrive on violent actions, but it does create the necessary conditions for violence to take on a regulatory role of competition between groups, which causes the detriment of peaceful community relations. The expansion of an illegal economy is also related to the lack of productive alternatives. In societies where the economy is in crisis, migration becomes another social strategy in the search for economic resources. According to the World Bank estimates, El Salvador receives about 4 billion annually in remittances, which represents 17% of their GDP.

In El Salvador, massive migration and the expansion of the illegal economy, have been the principle effects of an economic situation, which as time goes by reduces productive and employment options for the most socially and economically vulnerable young people.

Zacatecoluca, El Salvador. Photo credit: Interpeace

To Interpeace, reducing violence has to do with overcoming the structural deficits that generate a context of violence and criminality, which means generating productive opportunities for young people so that they can therefore reduce social risks they face every day. Risk and vulnerability is not something that exists in young people, but in their social and economic environment.

Through the project “Comprehensive initiatives to prevent violence in El Salvador,” Interpeace seeks to support local entrepreneurship as the most efficient way to create opportunities for social and economic development. When these opportunities are inclusive, then they are the most powerful way to prevent violence. This project, financed by the European Union and implemented by Interpeace’s Regional Office for Latin America in 10 districts in the country, involves at risk youth between the ages of 18 and 29 and provides workshops for young men and women in methods and skills to transform conflicts in non-violent ways, as well as offering productive training for entrepreneurship to promote the creation of productive associations, through seed capital.

Workshop at San Vicente, El Salvador. Photo credit: Interpeace.

The first workshops took place in the districts of Nueva Concepción and Ilopango in July. In October, three other districts joined the programme: San Vicente, Zacatecoluca y Quezaltepeque. The workshops that took place were about conflict transformation, violence prevention and promoting a culture of peace. At the end of the course, tests were provided to the participants to evaluate their learning level. Moreover, the young men and women defined the entrepreneurships they want to set in course in their communities. In Ilopango and Nueva Concepción, cheese will be developed by the participants; in Zacatecoluca, small chicken farms will be established and together will form a single venture; in San Vicente, participants will work on processing sweet potato as raw material for the production of food products and in Quezaltepeque, the cultivation of chile will take place. Additionally, in Ciudad Delgado, the workshops have begun and in the following months, participants will start the process of identification and selection of their entrepreneurship.

Interpeace’s Regional Office for Latin America is also working with political, local and national institutions, as well as with the private sector of El Salvador, to promote a culture of peace in the country and shorten the distance between different sectors of society. Programme officials have met with the delegation of the National Police force of Soyapango and Ilopango, in order to create inclusive strategies for all levels of Salvadoran society to prevent violence and promote entrepreneurship among young people. Therefore, as part of the project, members of the National Police of El Salvador will receive training in the districts where the project is being developed.

Workshop at Zacatecoluca, El Salvador. Photo credit: Interpeace.

One week before the Peace Agreements were signed, Monica McWilliams, Vice Chair of Interpeace’s Governing Council and an expert on Conflict Resolution and Transitional Justice, travelled to Colombia to support the women and men who are working to build peace in the country. As leader of the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland, McWilliams has become a role model for peacebuilders around the world. During her visit, which was organized by the Interpeace Regional Office for Latin America in partnership with Alianza Para la Paz and the initiative One Million Women for Peace, she participated in several events and discussions in support of women’s role in peacebuilding processes.

Monica McWilliams in Bogotá, Colombia, with members of Interpeace Latin America and One Million Women for Peace. Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez.

Women Choose Peace in Colombia

Recognized for her invaluable contribution to the empowerment and participation of women in peace processes, Monica was welcomed by one of the largest peace initiatives in the country. “One Million Women for Peace was inspired by Northern Ireland Women’s Coalition, co-founded by Monica McWilliams. Welcome to Colombia, Monica!” Gloria Flórez, Colombian Sociologist and member of this movement shared her gratitude and joy during one of the events held in Bogotá. One Million Women for Peace is an initiative that began when the peace talks in Havana progressed. Colombian women from across the country, from different backgrounds and ideologies, began to mobilize, motivated and excited that the end of the armed conflict was near.

Monica McWilliams, spoke with 20 representatives of the movement in a private meeting held at the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Colombia. During the meeting, she shared her experiences and lessons learned from participating in the peace negotiations in Northern Ireland and motivated them to stay strong and demand women’s participation: “Look for diversity and involvement of all women representatives from different sectors and territories…The strength of One Million Women for Peace is the representation of political differences.”

The members of the movement also shared with Monica their concerns and aspirations for the future, describing that the armed conflict not only claimed the lives of thousands of Colombians, it also destroyed the trust between civilians. A couple of hours later, these insights were shared with more than 200 women at the University of La Salle. The speakers at the event “Women Choose Peace” were Congress women, human rights defenders, activists and peacebuilders. Each one of them spoke about seizing this historical moment and working forwards to end violence and fight for equality and peace. Colombian Human Rights defender, Claudia Mejia Duque, expressed: "If Colombia manages to place equality with women at the center of its priorities, we will live in peace."

Two days before the Peace Agreements were signed, One Million Women for Peace organized a concert to celebrate the end of the armed conflict. Thousands of women and men gathered in the Peace Plaza in Barranquilla in a historical event: “Women Sing for Peace.” Monica McWilliams joined a number of performers, artists, and activists in celebration: "Let us not be prisoners of history. Let the History of Colombia begin today."

Monica McWilliams at the Concert "Women Sing for Peace," in Barranquilla, Colombia. Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez.

Before the concert, Monica also participated in a discussion hosted by One Million Women for Peace. She was joined by women from across the country and urged them to fight for inclusion and to make sure that women were involved in every step of the process.

Working to build lasting and stable peace

The Interpeace Regional Office for Latin America, and its partner organization Alianza Para la Paz, have been facilitating a participatory dialogue process within the Colombian Police, on the role of police in peacebuilding. Ana Glenda Tager, Regional Director of Interpeace Latin America explains, "The ceasefire is important but it is just the beginning of true peace."  Therefore, as part of her visit to Colombia, Monica also participated in an event about “Gender, Police and Peacebuilding,” held at the Police Graduate School in Bogotá. The police force is a key institution in building peace, not only to provide security for the citizens of a country, but also to contribute to the necessary cultural transformation, which will ensure that a non-violent resolution of the conflict will be sustained.

Monica addresses police force

Monica McWilliams at the Police Graduate School in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez.

McWilliams expressed how the role of the police force has been essential in the successful resolution of the conflict in Northern Ireland. She addressed hundreds of female Colombian police officers and reminded them that the police force must represent the entire population, not only the rich and powerful, but all citizens in the country. She added that in order to achieve this “the police must be transparent, must not make decisions secretly or collude with politicians.” At this event Monica was joined by high ranking female police officers, politicians and activists, who spoke about the importance of women’s role in peacebuilding. Irma Perilla, director of Thought and Social Action, PAS, assured: "Women, by vocation and by nature, are peacemakers. We call for dialogue and coexistence.”

After 52 years of armed conflict, Colombians are now faced with a number of challenges to transform their adversities. Monica McWilliams’ visit during this historical moment, not only encouraged women and men to stay strong and keep moving forward to build peace, it also helped reinforce the role of women in overcoming obstacles to lasting peace. At the end of her conference she expressed: "Peace is built slowly, with patience and persistence."

Monica with police force

Monica McWilliams with members of the Colombian Police force. Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez

Watch photo album of Monica McWilliams visit to Colombia here.

On 21 September, the fourth edition of the Geneva Peace Talks was held at the Palais des Nations to celebrate the International Day of Peace.

Organized under the theme ‘Peace Happens’, the event brought together a diverse line-up of speakers to highlight that everyone has a role to play in peace, be it at home or in a far-away conflict zone. Through speakers’ extraordinary contributions to peace, the event shed light on three ways in which peace happens: through leadership at every level; through human connections and strong relationships and through trust building and tackling obstacle to peace.

Salle XVII at the Palais des Nations. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

Thanks to live webcast and live twitting of the event, the Geneva Peace Talks engaged a large audience beyond people in attendance and producing a trending conversation globally. The hashtag #GVAPeaceTalks generated more than 22 million social media impressions.

The event opened on the music played by Karim Wasfi, the Chief conductor & Director-Iraqi National Symphony Orchestra. Karim lives in Baghdad, where he founded ‘Peace through Art’ initiative as a way to resist terror through refinement and creativity. On the International Day of Peace, Karim’s story is a powerful reminder that ‘Peace Happens’ even in the most challenging environments.

Karim Wasfi performes at the Geneva Peace Talks. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

Mimoun Berrissoun from the extremelytogether programme of the Kofi Annan Foundation highlighted that visionary and courageous leadership is needed to face most of today’s challenges. Leadership for togetherness can foster understanding between different communities and cohesion within wider societies.

The link between leadership and responsibility has also been highlighted by Lionel Aeschlimann, Managing Partner of Mirabaud. When guided by responsible leadership, finance can serve peace by boosting sustainable development and helping societies to grow in an inclusive way, making sure than no one is left behind.

Inclusion and participation are also vital elements of political processes. Dr. Kaba, Secretary General of the Mano River Union emphasized the leadership role played by women in settling civil wars in Sierra Leone and Liberia. In these contexts, women gathered together across the society to mediate between parties, while helping to translate the peace deals into the codes of reference used by different communities and bringing finally peace to their countries.

Dr. Hadja Saran Daraba Kaba. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

When youth leadership meets women’s entrepreneurship, it become easy to make the difference in communities where we live. Helen Calle Lin, an eclectic and creative entrepreneur, brought on stage her vision of contributing to peace through human connections. For the last 20 years Helen has led different socio-cultural projects to revitalise public spaces in Geneva and turning them into friendly areas where a diversified public can meet.

Trust is an essential ingredient of peace. Marc Bonnet from the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining showed how different activities – such as demining – can contribute to enhance trust between different groups. By working closely with communities, mine action work helped boosting the idea of dialogue at the local level and therefore was instrumental in the peace process in Colombia.

Ahmed Labnouj shed light on positive stories of reconciliation and dialogue between communities in Libya. A major takeaway from the peace mapping exercise that Ahmed conducted for Interpeace in Libya is the importance of focusing on elements that bring people together, rather than on what divides communities.

Ahmed Labnouj. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

Building trust at the community level is something possible also at our doorstep. Mireille Widmer and Nicolas Witschard work together in a neighborhood’s contract in Geneva. As habitants of the area of Pâquis, they engaged in a process aiming at building bridges of understanding among old residents and newcomers to address security problems through dialogue.

The last inspiring Peace Talk was delivered through the music of Pososhok. Their energizing performance made the 500 participants move up their seats, reinforcing the message that music is a glue to make human connections hold and relationships grow stronger. An unplanned grand closing of this 2016 edition featured a jam session with Pososhok and Karim Wasfi playing a music for peace.

webstory pic 6 GVA 2016

Pososhok performs at the Geneva Peace Talks. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

The video of the full event is available here.

Pictures of the messages of peace from the popular Peace Talks photobooth can be found on the Peace Talks Facebook page

The Geneva Peace Talks was co-organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform. This year’s edition was held in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Global Shapers Community Geneva. The event was made possible with the generous support of the Swiss Confederation, the Republic and State of Geneva, the City of Geneva, and Mirabaud.

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webstory pic 8 GVA 2016

Audience at the Geneva Peace Talks 2016. Photo credit: Frederick Kermisch for Interpeace

A first step to build lasting and sustainable peace in Colombia

On Monday September 26 in Cartagena, Colombia, the Final Agreement ending the conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP) was signed. Real peace, however, involves much more than signing an agreement. This is only a first step. An indispensable one, because it generates spaces for coexistence and restores the bonds of trust that violence has broken. As Colombian Human Rights defender, Claudia Mejia Duque explains: "the war in Colombia not only claimed lives, it also destroyed the trust between us and we must work to rebuild it."

Claudia Mejía Duque, Colombian Human Rights Defender, at event: Women Choose Peace in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo credit: Arnoldo Gálvez.

The armed conflict in Colombia is one of the oldest in the world. According to the report of the National Centre for Historical Memory, between 1958 and 2012 there were at least 220,000 people killed, 25,000 missing and 4,744,046 were displaced. "In Colombia we live a true exodus" says Irma Perilla, director of Thought and Social Action, PAS. "Seeing the dimension of what internal displacement is, motivated me to work for this cause: a negotiated solution to the internal armed conflict."

In order to end the conflict with the FARC-EP, the spirit of the agreement negotiated in Havana between 2014 and 2016, sought to guarantee that the violence would stop and never occur again. To achieve this, the agreement should not be limited to the termination of hostilities, it should also be taken as an opportunity to address the structural problems affecting large groups of the population, particularly in rural areas, which have prompted the emergence of different types of conflicts ranging from ideological and political issues, to organized crime. Therefore, the agreement consists of six points, and compliance with each of them is a necessary condition for a lasting and sustainable peace: comprehensive rural reform, political participation, ending the conflict, solution to the problem of illicit drugs, victims of the armed conflict and the implementation, verification and countersignature of the agreement.

52 years of armed conflict come to an end and new challenges and opportunities emerge

After signing the agreement, the main challenge to building peace in Colombia begins: its implementation. "I am very impressed by the negotiations of Havana. The support they had, the content, the fact that they had a gender commission. They are comprehensive, complete agreements, "says Monica McWilliams, Vice-Chair of Interpeace’s Governing Council and signatory to the peace accords in her native Northern Ireland. "The key question is whether there will be proper resources, sufficient commitment and enough political will to implement these agreements." Resources and political will, are the two pillars on which the long process of building peace in Colombia will stand on, which begins the day after the referendum is held on October 2nd.

Monica McWilliams at event organized by Interpeace Latin America, Alianza Para la Paz and the Colombian Police in Bogotá, Colombia. Photo Credit: Arnoldo Gálvez.

A legitimate peace can never be a decision made at the highest political level, but a possibility subject to democratic decision-making mechanisms. What has been signed between the government and the FARC-EP on Monday, must now be endorsed by the Colombian society on October 2, through a plebiscite where all Colombians answer: "Do you support the final agreement to end the conflict and build a stable and lasting peace? " The main concern of those who support the peace process, is that the ignorance of the content of the agreements, decades of mistrust and the pain of the victims, may prevent an affirmative response.

Peace will not be perfect, and if Colombians decide to endorse the agreement, the peace process will be long and complex. However, there can be no possible solution without ending the armed confrontation. The ceasefire itself, which is just a first glimmer of hope for Colombia, has already brought positive benefits. Irma Perilla assures it: "Today, when we have not yet earned the countersignature, this peace process has already given results: no more soldiers have fallen, no more guerrillas have fallen, no more civilians have fallen caught in the middle of the armed conflict.” Monica McWilliams co-founded the Northern Ireland Monica witnessed the profound changes that peace brought in her country, "the daily life of Colombians will dramatically change once you start implementing the peace agreements. The world will see Colombia under a different light, tourists will begin to arrive in the country, investments will increase as investors seek stability. But most important is the life in the communities, the tranquility that will exist in communities. The primary objective of the agreements must be the security and serenity of Colombians."

Rewriting History in Colombia

One of the most difficult aspects to cope with and assimilate during a peace process is the ability of people to talk to their enemies. However, reconciliation is another essential condition to interrupt the cycles of violence. “If Chile and Argentina had to talk about transitional justice to move from military dictatorship to democracy, in Colombia we have to go through the same thing. Only truth, justice and reparation is what will prevent this from happening again. And for those who think that peace will bring impunity, I'm sure that Colombians will not allow crimes against humanity to go unpunished. " Congresswoman Angela Maria Robledo, Co President of the Peace Commission of the Congress of Colombia, added: "We need to start weaving a common story, seated in truth and memory, so that in the midst of our plurality, we can live together".

Congresswoman Angela Maria Robledo, Co President of the Peace Commission of the Congress of Colombia. Photo Credit: Arnoldo Galvez.

The key to peace, said President Juan Manuel Santos when he began to position the peace process, is not in the bottom of the sea, I have it in my pocket. And we went, women, indigenous people, peasants, Afro-descendants, youth, to say, Mr. President, the key to peace is also ours. "

"Many people thought that the end of the conflict between the Colombian government and the FARC was not possible. And now we see that it is possible, "says Monica McWilliams. "Colombia cannot afford to miss this opportunity. It cannot be enslaved by history; they must make history begin on October . "

 

On September 21st, hundreds of thousands of people celebrate the International Day of Peace. A day in which people from all around the world commemorate and strengthen the ideals of peace for all nations. At Interpeace, we celebrate the strength, courage and resilience of people who in the midst of violence and challenging circumstances, work to positively transform conflicts in their communities. We celebrate these women and men, children and elders, who are at the heart of peacebuilding initiatives, ensuring that peace is possible and sustainable.

For more than twenty years and in more than twenty countries, Interpeace has worked with multiple partner organizations, to implement peacebuilding programmes, that guarantee that the work is locally-owned and locally-driven. Our experience has taught us, that peace cannot be built from outside, but must be built from within societies. Through our Track 6 approach, we help connect government leaders, authorities, civil society, the local community and the international community to ensure that high-level policies reflect local realities and benefit from local knowledge. Therefore, our role as peacebuilders is to harness the strength and capacities that already exist in societies to enable people to build lasting peace, transforming adversity into opportunity.

Strengthening the resilience capacities of societies to move towards greater peace is one of the key objectives underpinning the Interpeace 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. This requires collectively building mutual understandings of the issues in a specific area, in order to generate solutions that are tailored to the needs of a specific community. A local commitment to the peacebuilding process is facilitated by the resilience approach, because it gives a central role to local actors and offers a useful convening power. As a result, we have combined peacebuilding and a resilience-based approach to deepen local ownership.

Learn about our resilience based approach in our Assessing Resilience for Peace Guidance Note and read about our initiatives worldwide in our latest Annual Report: Fostering Resilience for Peace.

Peace Day - English version

Even in the most hostile and challenging environments, many peace initiatives are taking place that do not receive the attention they deserve. The 2016 Geneva Peace Talks, organized under the theme “Peace Happens!”, will unite diverse speakers such as an Iraqi orchestra conductor who plays his cello at bomb sites, young leaders who specialise in de-radicalization initiatives, and a Geneva entrepreneur using public spaces to promote interaction and human connection, to share their timely stories and practical solutions for resolving conflict.

The 4th edition of the Geneva Peace Talks will be held on Wednesday, 21st September 2016 from 16:00-18:00 in Room XVII at the Palais des Nations. This will be the flagship event in Geneva to mark the International Day of Peace, and symbolically stand for a Geneva spirit to resolve conflict through dialogue and negotiation.

The Geneva Peace Talks are a public event co-organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace and the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform. This year’s edition is held in partnership with the Kofi Annan Foundation, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces and the Global Shapers Community Geneva. The event is made possible with the support of the Swiss Confederation, the Republic and Canton of Geneva, the City of Geneva, and Mirabaud Bank.

The following speakers will deliver dynamic and inspiring eight-minute talks on how they are working to promote more peaceful societies though inclusion, both in Geneva and abroad:

Accredited correspondents are most welcome to attend. Please note that registration is mandatory. You are invited to register online until Monday 19, September 2016 here.  For those unable to attend in person, the event will be streamed live on webtv.un.org and http://peacetalks.net.

Correspondents and journalists interested in talking with individual speakers and event organizers prior to or after the Geneva Peace Talks please contact:

Rhéal LeBlanc, United Nations Information Service, Tel. +41 (0)22 917 23 36, Email: rleblanc@unog.ch
Alexandre Munafo, Interpeace, Mobile: +41 (0) 79 272 73 22; E-mail: munafo@interpeace.org or Isotta Cleps, Mobile: +41 (0) 76 818 01 99; E-mail: cleps@interpeace.org

For more information, please visit the new Peace Talks website genevapeacetalks.ch

The "Geneva Peace talks", Palais des Nations. Friday 20 September 2013. Photo by Violaine Martin

The "Geneva Peace talks", Palais des Nations. Friday 20 September 2013. Photo by Violaine Martin

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