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Home - Interpeace : Interpeace

Humanitarian need has outpaced the resources that are available to meet it. This is in part due to the fact that about 80% of humanitarian needs emanate from conflict and many of these conflicts are protracted or recur, producing continuous cycles of suffering. The question then arises whether humanitarian action should, and can, contribute to breaking these cycles by working to enhance conditions for peace.

To provide peacebuilding insights to this question, Interpeace has undertaken a project together with local partners in three contexts, Côte d’Ivoire, the DRC, and Palestine, investigating local experiences of crises and humanitarian response. Key insights and recommendations from this work will be shared next week at the World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, at which ongoing debates about humanitarian reform will culminate on 23 and 24 May. At a side event entitled “Resilience: Translating promise into reality”, co-hosted with the Norwegian Refugee Council, we will elaborate why local capacities for resilience to violent conflict (RVC) should be a strategic priority for humanitarian response, and how they can be strengthened.

While not advocating for humanitarian actors to become peacebuilders, our work has shown that by engaging differently, humanitarian assistance could contribute more to strengthening the very capacities for resilience that societies must draw upon to break cycles of overwhelming need, and achieve brighter futures.

But, to achieve this goal, our understanding of resilience can no longer stop at the notion of ‘bouncing back’ and achieving self-sufficiency in economic terms; it must include capacities for political and social cohesion, inclusivity, and the ability to move beyond the conditions that lead to conflict in the first place. This is RVC.

We propose that one way to put RVC at the center of humanitarian assistance is for international and local actors to engage together in Meaningful Partnerships. Composed, designed, and conducted with RVC in view, these are more than partnerships on paper, in order to ensure that short-term humanitarian assistance draws on and strengthens existing capacities for resilience within local systems of actors and relationships.

Such new modus operandi will help humanitarian action move from “delivering aid to ending need”, as the Agenda for Humanity envisions. In a time where humanitarian resources are strained in the face of ever greater needs, the World Humanitarian Summit is a key opportunity for peacebuilding, development and humanitarian actors to come together and identify new solutions.

Please find more information on Interpeace’s and NRC’s side event ‘Resilience: Translating promise into reality’ here.

.Invitation-World-Humanitarian-Summit-2016

From 3 to 5 May 2016, representatives from all regions of Mali and refugee camps in Mauritania and Niger gathered in Bamako at the 2nd National Conference on “Chronic insecurity, the evolution of values: proposed solutions to lasting peace in Mali.” These two challenges were identified by Malians as the main obstacles to peace. They were identified as a priority by the participants of the 1st National Conference held in Bamako in January 2015.

Organized by Interpeace and its partner in Mali, the Institut Malien de Recherche Action Pour la Paix (IMRAP), and chaired by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of National Reconciliation, the 2nd National Conference is a key step along the peacebuilding process. It strove to include representation from all Malian social backgrounds; beyond societal fault lines. As strikingly expressed by a participant, “all Malians were involved in this process, and that guarantees the legitimacy of the solutions to be decided here.”

For a large number of Malians, changes in societal values represent the root of cause of many tensions and conflicts which afflict Mali today. In their eyes, ignorance of the socio-cultural and economic realities between regions and communities has widened due to a lack of opportunities for encounters and dialogue. Accordingly, participants at the 2nd National Conference strongly emphasized the need to create a broad dialogue, at all levels, in order to establish a consensus on these values and, ultimately, determine the Malian social contract. As such, the proposed solutions adopted by the Malian populations represented at the conference, in order of priority, were the following:

• Strengthen the culture of dialogue for social cohesion;
• Promote citizenship education to strengthen patriotism;
• Organize major cultural encounters to promote mutual awareness and understanding.

The conference also tackled the second main challenge identified by Malians: chronic insecurity, and more precisely, the crisis of trust between the populations and the state’s Security and Defence forces (DSF). Indeed, for Malians, current major investments in equipment and training for DSF, as needed as they might be, will not ensure people’s security as long as minimal trust and collaboration with populations is not ensured. To face this challenge, participants at the conference, civilians and DSF alike, emphasized the importance of dialogue between and among themselves. In that respect, the prioritised solutions were the following:

• Develop a common and shared understanding of DSF’s and populations’ respective roles and responsibilities;
• Adapt the capacities of DSF to the current evolving security context;
• Ensure the concerted management of the security sector;
• Ensure a transparent recruitment process that is both fair and effective.

At the end of the Conference, the participants strongly agreed to participate in the implementation of the prioritised solutions – together with the support of Interpeace and IMRAP. Before concluding by stating his intention to channel Malians’ voices toward the National authorities, a high member of the National Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (CVJR) claimed: “we need to ensure inclusivity to find solutions to what is hitting us, to the crisis. […] I believe IMRAP is showing us the way.”

Interpeace is co-organizing an event at the 2016 edition of the European Development Days on June 16. Participants, which include members of the European Parliament, EU officials, national politicians, NGOs from the Global South and North, academics, private sector representatives and youth representatives, will gather to discuss how youth can help in the prevention of violent extremism. By taking examples from youth around the world, this debate aims to provide EU policy-makers with recommendations on how the EU should engage youth and support their initiatives to prevent violence.

Séverin Kouame, a peacebuilder and founder of Interpeace partner organization Indigo Cote d'Ivoire, will share his experience of working with youth engaged in organized crime. The project aims to tackle the new forms of crime in the district of Abobo in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire). By reconnecting the youth with their respective communities through a process of interactive dialogue, the project ultimately seeks to reintegrate them into society in a manner that brings about positive social, economic and educational change.

Along with co-organizers World Vision EU Office and Search for Common Ground, we are asking young people to contribute to the discussion by sharing their stories and ideas. We invite young people from all around the world to tell their stories, through video and/or writing, to inspire participants with examples from local contexts.

You can participate in the discussion on Facebook here, where you can submit your response and post your short 2-min videos. The best responses will be screened live to attendees at the event. The submissions will frame the course of the discussion.

So what are you waiting for? Grab your cameras and keyboards and start sharing your stories!

You can also join the discussion on Twitter using #EDD16 and #youth4peace.

You find out more about the European Development Days at www.eudevdays.eu

In 2015, the Institut Malien de Recherche Action Pour la Paix (IMRAP) organized a national conference in partnership with Interpeace, to discuss the obstacles facing peace in Mali. Following on from this a second National Conference will take place on 03-05 May, focussing on the solutions to peace in the country.

Through the extensive self-diagnosis project entitled "Self-Portrait of Mali on Obstacles to Peace," which saw thousands of Malians consulted, four priorities to peace were identified. Following this major event, IMRAP, guided by two Malian piloting committees, travelled across the whole country for a year, visiting refugee camps in Mauritania and Niger as well, in a bid to accompany the Malian population in the elaboration of solutions to two of the identified Priorities to peace: (i) the evolution of societal values and (ii) chronic insecurity, particularly with regards to the crisis of trust between security and defence forces and Malian society.

IMRAP’s dialogue and research process over the last year has been based on a three-step methodology, namely: (i) local consultations through more than 70 focus groups and approximately 40 individual interviews; (ii) regional gatherings that aimed to validate and deepen the preliminary analysis emerging from grassroots consultations; (iii) the presentation and validation of results at the National Conference. The second National Conference, which is expected to bring together representatives from all walks of Malian society including the country’s 8 regions, as well as those from refugee camps in Mauritania and Niger, will aim to:

  1. Present, elaborate and validate the Malian point of view on the main solutions to the Priorities to peace;
  2. Propose a space for national dialogue and reflection on the main solutions to sustainable peace; and
  3. Elaborate and discuss the implementation strategy for the solutions to peace.

IMRAP, the Institut Malien de Recherche Action pour la Paix, is a Malian association legally created under license N°0590/G-DB on 21 May 2014 by Malians committed to reflecting on peacebuilding. The Institute is comprised of two governing bodies: the Board of Governors and the Executive. The latter oversees the implementation of the programme entitled “Agenda pour la paix, la réconciliation et la cohésion sociale au Mali” across the whole country.

Interpeace is an independent, international peacebuilding organization. Interpeace was initially established in 1994 by the United Nations to develop innovative solutions to build peace. We have a proven and recognized approach to enable people to build lasting peace.  As a strategic partner of the United Nations, Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva (Switzerland) and has offices in Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire), Brussels (Belgium), Guatemala City (Guatemala), Nairobi (Kenya), New York (USA) and Stockholm (Sweden).  Interpeace supports locally-led peacebuilding initiatives in over 21 countries across Central America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia.  Interpeace established its Regional Office for West Africa in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in 2013, with the aim of strengthening local peacebuilding processes in Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Mali.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES:

Mr. Oumar SAKO, Head of the IMRAP’s board of Directors
Mrs. Nènè KONATÉ, Executive Director of IMRAP
Mrs. Anne MOLTES, Executive Director a.i. of Interpeace West Africa Office

MEDIA CONTACT

Mrs. Floriane PRÉVERT, Programme Officer, Interpeace
ADDRESS – INTERPEACE WEST AFRICA OFFICE
Interpeace West Africa Office
06 BP 2100, Deux Plateaux, Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire
T : +225 22 42 33 41 ;
E : wao@interpeace.org; interpeace.org.
@InterpeaceTweet

L’Institut Malien de Recherche Action pour la Paix (IMRAP) organise, en partenariat avec Interpeace, sa deuxième Conférence Nationale au Centre International de Conférence de Bamako (CICB), les 03, 04 et 05 mai 2016 afin de présenter, approfondir et valider les propositions de solutions répondant aux défis de l’« Insécurité chronique » et la « Mutation des valeurs ». Ces deux défis avaient été identifiés comme Priorité à la Paix par les Maliens lors de la 1ère Conférence Nationale en janvier 2015.

Depuis la première Conférence Nationale, l’IMRAP, guidé par deux Comités pilotages maliens, a sillonné l’ensemble des régions maliennes ainsi que les camps de réfugiés en Mauritanie et au Niger. Tout au long de son parcours, l’IMRAP a rassemblé les populations maliennes à travers des espaces de dialogue ouverts et sécurisés. Près de 2.000 Maliens ont pu partager leurs avis et propositions de solutions sur les thématiques de la « Mutation des valeurs sociétales » et de « l’Insécurité chronique » - notamment la crise de confiance entre les Forces de défense et de sécurité (FDS) et les populations civiles.

Le processus de Recherche Action Participative conduit par l’IMRAP au cours de cette dernière année repose sur la conviction que les solutions aux défis auxquels les Maliens sont confrontés doivent être analysées et appropriées par eux-mêmes afin d’y apporter un remède efficace et durable. Il se base sur une démarche en 3 étapes : (i) les consultations au niveau des cercles par le biais de plus de 70 séances de dialogue et une quarantaine d’entretiens individuels, (ii) les restitutions régionales visant à valider et approfondir l’analyse préliminaire des Maliens émergeant des consultations initiales, (iii) la restitution nationale (Conférence Nationale).

Rassemblant des représentants de toutes les couches de la société des huit (8) régions du Mali et des camps de réfugiés, la Conférence Nationale de mai 2016 a pour but de:

  1. Présenter, approfondir et valider les pistes de solution des Maliens sur l’Insécurité chronique et la Mutation des valeurs;
  2. Offrir un espace de dialogue et de réflexion national sur les solutions pour la paix durable au Mali;
  3. Définir des stratégies de mise en œuvre des solutions.

IMRAP est une association malienne créée sous le récépissé N°0590/G-DB du 21 mai 2014 par des Maliens engagés dans la réflexion pour la consolidation de la paix. L’Institut comprend deux organes dirigeants : le Conseil d’Administration et la Direction Exécutive chargée de la mise en œuvre du programme intitulé « Agenda pour la paix, la réconciliation et la cohésion sociale au Mali » sur toute l’étendue du territoire.

Interpeace est une organisation internationale indépendante au service de la consolidation de la paix. Elle est reconnue mondialement pour son approche éprouvée visant à aider les sociétés à construire une paix durable. Interpeace a été créée par les Nations Unies en 1994 en vue de développer des voies innovantes de résolution de conflits et reste encore aujourd'hui un partenaire stratégique de l'ONU. Présente dans la région depuis 2007, Interpeace dispose d’un bureau régional pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest à Abidjan, afin de renforcer les processus locaux de consolidation de la paix, en Côte d’Ivoire et au Mali notamment.

Pour toute demande d’interview, merci d’envoyer un courriel à M. Zoumana Fané : zoumana@imrap-mali.org et/ ou Floriane Prévert : prevert@interpeace.org

CONTACT MEDIA

IMRAP

M. Zoumana FANE, Chargé  de programme
Tel : +223 72 56 15 91
Email : zoumana@imrap-mali.org

Institut Malien de Recherche Action pour la Paix (IMRAP),
Badalabougou-Est, Av. de l’OUA, rue 27, porte 357, Bamako, Mali.
Tel : +223 20 22 18 48
Email : info@imrap-mali.org
Page Facebook : http://bit.ly/1Uj38o1

INTERPEACE

Mme Floriane PREVERT, Chargée de programme
Tel : +223 90 33 98 73
Email : prevert@interpeace.org

Bureau Régional d’Interpeace pour l’Afrique de l’Ouest
06 BP 2100, Deux Plateaux, Cocody, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.
Tel : +225 22 42 33 41
Email : wao@interpeace.org
Page Facebook : http://bit.ly/1TnHKga
Site internet: www.interpeace.org
Twitter: @InterpeaceTweet

Pour plus d’information sur les Priorités à la paix identifiés par les Maliens, voir IMRAP/ Interpeace, Autoportrait du Mali sur les Obstacles à la Paix, 2015 (rapport et film).

La première phase du programme « Agenda pour la paix », qui a conduit à la première Conférence Nationale de 2015, a été soutenue par l’Union Européenne, le Danemark et la Norvège.

Le programme "Agenda pour la paix, la réconciliation et la cohésion sociale au Mali" est mis en œuvre par l’IMRAP et Interpeace. A ce jour, il est soutenu par l’Ambassade du Royaume du Danemark, et l’Ambassade du Royaume de la Norvège

The Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) and Interpeace have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on efforts towards the achievement of sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region of Africa.

The MoU was signed on 14 April 2016 at the CEPGL Secretariat in Gisenyi, Rwanda, by CEPGL Executive Secretary Herman Tuyaga and Interpeace Regional Director for Eastern and Central Africa, Johan Svensson.

“This partnership will make an important contribution to the consolidation of peace in the Great Lakes region,” CEPGL Executive Secretary Tuyaga remarked at the signing ceremony.

The CEPGL is an intergovernmental organization that brings together Burundi, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It was created in 1976 to ensure the peace and security of the three member states, as well as to develop public interest activities that promote trade and the free movement of persons. The CEPGL also promotes closer cooperation among the three countries in relation to political, economic and social life in the region.

On its part, Interpeace implements the Cross Border Dialogue for Peace in the Great Lakes programme in the three CEPGL member states, working in collaboration with six partner organizations in Burundi, Eastern DRC and Rwanda. The cross border programme aims to help build cooperation and trust between Burundian, Congolese and Rwandan citizens who can act as change agents for peace at the regional level. During two participatory action research processes conducted in the framework of this programme that directly reached over 2,000 people, citizens clearly expressed their hopes in the CEPGL and the crucial role it can play for peace, collaboration and development in the region. It is based on this call that Interpeace and the CEPGL established a formal partnership.

“The regional perspective is key when it comes to sustainable peace in the Great Lakes region. This is why it is strategic for Interpeace to have this partnership with CEPGL, in order to contribute to durable peace, security and economic development in the region,” Interpeace’s regional Director, Johan Svensson said.

One of the most important points of convergence between CEPGL and Interpeace is the shared trust in the potential of the youth to act as effective agents of peace in the region.

“Although the youth have historically been manipulated to fuel conflict in the region, they are also the key to a peaceful future. We look forward to continuing our work with CEPGL on youth, to help support young men and women in their role as constructive forces for peace and development,” Mr Svensson added.

Interpeace launched the cross border programme in 2013. Its programme partners are Never Again Rwanda (NAR) in Rwanda; the Conflict Alert and Prevention Centre (CENAP) in Burundi; the Réseau d’Innovation Organisationnelle (RIO) and l’Action pour la Paix et la Concorde (APC) in the DRC’s South Kivu province, as well as Pole Institute and the Centre d’Etudes Juridiques Appliquées (CEJA) in the country’s North Kivu province.

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