Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs & Reconciliation (MOIFAR) and Interpeace Forge Strategic Partnership for Peacebuilding in Somalia

Mogadishu, Somalia, 2 March 2024 – The Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs & Reconciliation (MOIFAR) of the Federal Government of Somalia and Interpeace, an international organization dedicated to peacebuilding, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the National Reconciliation Plan. This plan aims to rebuild trust among the Somali people and in government institutions for peaceful co-existence, recovery, and reconstruction.

The MoU, signed by His Excellency Ahmed Moallim Fiqi, Minister, MOIFAR, and Itonde Kakoma, President of Interpeace, establishes a partnership focused on promoting reconciliation, sharing expertise, and supporting peacebuilding processes across Somalia. Through this collaboration, MOIFAR and Interpeace aim to work on key areas to empower local communities, civil society, and government stakeholders in their joint pursuit of sustainable peace.

In his remarks on the partnership, Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi stated, "We are honored to commence this vital partnership with Interpeace. Together, we will endeavor to foster an environment conducive to peace and reconciliation through the framework of the national reconciliation pillars, which are crucial for Somalia's stability."

Interpeace, known for its 30 years of  community-led peacebuilding efforts, will utilise its experience and networks to aid MOIFAR's endeavors in Somalia. "This partnership represents a significant step towards a genuine commitment to advancing the National Reconciliation Plan," affirmed Itonde Kakoma, President of Interpeace.

The collaboration between MOIFAR and Interpeace marks a significant step forward in advancing peacebuilding and reconciliation efforts in Somalia. By embracing the principles of peace, dignity and participatory approaches, both parties are committed to contributing meaningfully to Somalia's journey towards sustainable peace and development.

For more information please contact:

Ahmed Abdullahi

Country Representative, Somalia Interpeace

abdullahi@interpeace.org

African Development Bank and Interpeace join hands to promote Peace Finance in Africa

The African Development Bank and Interpeace, an international organisation for peacebuilding based in Switzerland, today signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly promote economic investment and social development that positively impacts peace.

The memorandum is accompanied by a practical work plan with goals and outcome targets, underscoring the innovative partnership between the Bank and the Finance for Peace initiative by Interpeace.

The signing ceremony took place during the Africa Resilience Forum currently underway in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The MoU was signed by the Bank’s Vice-President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, and a member of Interpeace’s governing board Elhadj As Sy.

Ambassador Deike Potzel, Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance at the German Federal Foreign Office, which supports Interpeace’s Finance for Peace initiative, attended the signing.

Akin-Olugbade highlighted the importance of pursuing innovative approaches to support peace and security on the continent.

“The African Development Bank is pioneering these efforts through the Security-Indexed Investment Bond (SIIB) Initiative, endorsed at the AU Heads of State Summit in February 2022”, she told participants, adding that the proposed bonds aim to raise additional financing at scale, including through capital markets, to mitigate structural drivers of violence and conflict. The initiative also aims to offset the fiscal implications of elevated security sector spending.

“The Finance for Peace initiative by Interpeace, supported by Germany, complements the Bank’s own efforts in this space, as it aims to develop protocols and pilots around peace finance, including for a peace bond asset class”, Akin-Olugbade said.

AfDB Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Member of Interpeace Governing Board Elhadj As Sy.
Photo credits: AfDB

 

Elhadj As Sy said: “Interpeace is delighted to formalise the partnership with the African Development Bank. “This strong collaboration between the AfDB and Interpeace affirms our joint commitment to catalyse private and public capital to work for a more inclusive, equitable and peaceful world”, he said.

“This partnership will demonstrate to the wider multilateral and international development financing system the need, benefits, potential and practicality of Peace Finance approaches on the continent and beyond. It will grow Peace Finance as a thematic investing approach, by developing early and successful pipeline development of Peace Finance and by fostering on-the-ground networks and capacities in Peace Finance in Africa.”

The areas for collaboration outlined by the Memorandum of Understanding, in accordance with the parties’ mandates, include:
- Technical and capacity strengthening for embedding Peace Finance approaches that realise peace impact into AfDB’s sovereign and non-sovereign operations and policy dialogue.
- Advisory support and collaboration to develop a pipeline of Peace Finance structures that realise peace impacts.
- Multistakeholder engagement and field building for wider political and investor support for Peace Finance.

As part of the partnership, a joint research project on peace-positive investment opportunities in Mozambique was launched by the two organisations recently.

Rosy Khanna, Executive Director, Finance for Peace, initiative by Interpeace, AfDB Vice President Marie-Laure Akin-Olugbade, Member of Interpeace Governing Board Elhadj As Sy, Ambassador Deike Potzel, Director General for Crisis Prevention, Stabilisation, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Assistance, German Federal Foreign Office.
Photo credits: AfDB

 

Itonde Kakoma is the new president of Interpeace

Geneva-based international peacebuilding organisation Interpeace has a new president as of Monday, October 2, 2023. Itonde Kakoma is a deeply experienced practitioner in peace mediation, conflict resolution and humanitarian diplomacy. He joins Interpeace from an appointment as Permanent Representative of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to the African Union, having had roles earlier with CMI -- Martti Ahtisaari Peace Foundation, including as its Director for Global Strategy, and with the Carter Center in its Conflict Resolution Program.   Kakoma has also been a Global Fellow and Executive in Residence at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Itonde Kakoma is a first generation American of East African descent.

“Itonde Kakoma is uniquely qualified and an exceptional leader. Interpeace’s Governing Board recognises the need to adapt peacebuilding to the rapidly changing global context of peace and security, and to bring on board a new leader for a new and challenging future. With Itonde’s experience and knowledge of peacebuilding policy and its practical application, I am confident that we have a new President for the future, who will take forward Interpeace and advance peacebuilding globally,” said Amre Moussa, Chair of the Interpeace Governing Board.

The Governing Board, with support from an international recruitment firm, Perrett Laver, led the nine-month global search to appoint Interpeace’s new President.

The early focus of Kakoma’s Presidency is expected to be on leading wide-ranging listening exercises and consultations on adaptations to the organisation’s current five-year Strategy, A Resilient Peace, and on building a forward-looking pathway for Interpeace from the foundation of its 30th anniversary in 2024. “Rooted in national ownership with an aim to influence global decision making fora, I am persuaded that Interpeace’s organisational vision and mandate are ever more relevant for addressing the multifaceted challenges of our world today and for the future of peacemaking” Kakoma said.

Interpeace is a strategic partner of the United Nations, with a representative of the UN Secretary-General serving on its Governing Board. The organisation has therefore been active in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and on strengthening linkages and creating greater impact and efficiency between peace, development and humanitarian actors. It is expected that Itonde Kakoma will also be focussed early in his term on key UN global processes including the contribution of Interpeace to the UN Summit of the Future in 2024 and the Review of the UN Peacebuilding Architecture in 2025.

“We know that no organisation can single-handedly tackle today’s deeply globalised peace and security challenges and the ways in which they manifest themselves in local communities worldwide. Partnerships between governments and organisations are crucial and these must be accountable to the people they serve. The international community, including humanitarian, development and peace actors, have a responsibility to rethink current approaches and utilise our collective assets,” Kakoma said.

As an international peacebuilding organisation, Interpeace has been at the forefront of creating practical local leadership, design and ownership of conflict resolution processes. Itonde Kakoma is therefore already planning to visit some of the countries where Interpeace is supporting local communities and national governments, beginning in the Horn of Africa and the Sahel regions.

“I am thrilled to be joining Interpeace, where the principles of empowering communities towards national ownership to ensure effective solutions to conflict and crisis is more than just a belief acquired over time – it is part of the organisation’s core identity.”

“We must make a reality of global commitments to women and youth, especially in peace and security but moving from norms to agency and impact. When women and young people are involved in decision-making, outcomes are better quality and more durable for entire communities,”  Kakoma added.

“Interpeace is marking 30 years of experience in accompanying states and communities to resolve conflict, build trust, and strengthen social cohesion. It has an equally long history of challenging established concepts in peace-making and developing new methods in service of the international community. Recent work to rethink overly-militarised stabilisation missions and to create new sources of finance for peace are examples of the global public goods that I look forward to supporting to create in the years ahead,” Kakoma said.

For questions or interview requests, please contact Interpeace head of Communications, Luvini Ranasinghe, ranasinghe@interpeace.org /tel. +41 79 475 64 95.

Interpeace

Interpeace is an international organization for peacebuilding. With almost 30 years of experience, it has implemented a broad range of peacebuilding programmes in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Interpeace tailors its approach to each society and ensures that its work is locally designed and driven. Interpeace also assists the international community – especially the United Nations – to play a more effective role in peacebuilding, based on Interpeace’s expertise in field-based work at grassroots level. Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has offices around the world. For more information, please visit our website: www.interpeace.org

“Actions for peace” at the heart of the 11th Geneva PeaceTalks, 21 September 2023

How to work for peace? Around the world, dozens of conflicts are causing poverty, hunger, displacement, inequality, all while climate change is accelerating. The 2023 edition of the Geneva PeaceTalks wants to reflect on the official United Nations theme for the International Day of Peace, “Actions for Peace: Our Ambition for the Global Goals”. It is a call to action that recognizes our individual and collective responsibility to foster peace, which contributes to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This 11th edition of the PeaceTalks will take place on the occasion of the International Day of Peace, September 21, 2023, at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, which coincides with the SDG Summit, marking the mid-point milestone in implementing the SDGs. A hybrid event, the meeting will welcome an in-person audience and will be broadcast live online.

Speakers from different backgrounds will bring their points of view and explain their actions for peace through a series of inspiring talks:

WHATThe Geneva PeaceTalks 2023 are organized under the theme “Actions for Peace: Our Global Goals” which has been chosen by the UN this year for the International Day of Peace.

Through short 8 minute talks, speakers will share their vision and stories of peace with audiences from around the world. This will be the 11th edition of the Geneva PeaceTalks.

Co-founded in 2013, the PeaceTalks is a global platform dedicated to telling and sharing inspirational stories for peace. Harnessing the power of storytelling, the PeaceTalks creates a space encouraging dialogue, reflection and inspiring hope. Videos of previous editions at: www.peacetalks.net

WHO

The Geneva PeaceTalks are co-organized by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform, with the support of the Permanent Mission of Switzerland to the UN.

This edition is made possible with the support of the Swiss Confederation, the Canton and City of Geneva, Mirabaud, Geneva Call and Fondation Hirondelle. The Musical Performance by César López is made possible through the Plan for the Promotion of Colombia Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.

WHEN

The event is scheduled on the International Day of Peace, 21 September 2023, 16:00-18:00. It will be followed by a reception.

WHERE

In-person: Room XVII, Palais des Nations, Geneva.

Livestream online at http://webtv.un.org.

All in-person attendees need to have pre-registered online via the link https://indico.un.org/event/1001797/. For more information, www.peacetalks.net.

CONTACT:

Luvini Ranasinghe, Head of Communications  at Interpeace / ranasinghe@interpeace.org / Tel : 079 475 64 95.

Ethiopian Peace Index: Unveiling the path to lasting peace and resilience in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, 27 June 2023 – The Ministry of Peace of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and Interpeace, in collaboration with the Centre for Sustainable Peace and Democratic Development (SeeD) and ABCON, today launched the pilot Ethiopian Peace Index (EPI) in Sidama, the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR), and the South West Ethiopian Peoples Region (SWEPR). The EPI is a research initiative that offers a unique tool to understand the state of peace and resilience in Ethiopia, with further analysis on the complexities of conflict and peacebuilding. It also operationalized a new approach to bottom-up and participatory measurement that would provide evidence-based strategies for local and international actors dedicated to fostering peace and reconciliation in the country.

The Index, developed with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, used a participatory quantitative methodology in the three regions mentioned above. Through a comprehensive analysis of data collected from citizens, traditional leaders, and Kebele administrators across 101 Kebeles (small administrative units), the Ethiopian Peace Index has quantified and measured various factors influencing peace, including economic, social, psychological, attitudinal, behavioural, and environmental dimensions.

The EPI emphasises the importance of peaceful community and intergroup relations. While individuals were generally peaceful, communities faced many local violent disputes. In order to achieve enduring peace, it is important to cultivate a sense of harmony among diverse ethnic groups, nurture solidarity, and fortify communal relations. The Index highlights the need for objective decision-making by local leaders, capacity building to reduce bias, and peace skills like social tolerance and inclusive identities. The study also reveals the connections between peace and critical areas such as food security, mental wellbeing, and gender equality. It calls for targeted interventions that address scarcity, promote social cohesion, and empower vulnerable groups.

If the Ethiopian Peace Index expands to include more regions in 2023, it will provide a comprehensive national baseline and enable a comparative analysis of peace dynamics across Ethiopia. It aims to serve as a reliable resource for policymakers, peace actors, and development partners in designing evidence-based interventions and monitoring progress towards lasting positive peace. By adopting a multi-systematic lens and leveraging the insights provided by the Ethiopian Peace Index, stakeholders can address underlying grievances, strengthen resilience, and contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous Ethiopia.

 

 

Ministry of Youth and Sports and Interpeace sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to advance the agenda for Somali youth in peacebuilding processes

Mogadishu Somalia, 28 September 2022. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, Federal Government of Somalia and Interpeace, an international organization for peacebuilding based in Geneva, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to partner in empowering Somali youth to be agents of transformative change and actively participate in the state-building process. The signing ceremony took place on Wednesday, 28 September, at the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Mogadishu. The MoU was signed by the Minister of Youth and Sports, H.E Mohamed Bare Mohamud, and Interpeace’s Somalia Country Representative, Ahmed Abdurrahman Abdullahi.

The collaboration will foster youth, peace and security resolutions through a mutual commitment to promote nationally-led peace processes to achieve sustainable peace, prevent violent conflict and enhance resilient capacities for peace in accordance to the partnership on UN Security Council Resolution 2250 on Youth, Peace and Security.

Speaking during the signing Ahmed Abdullahi, Somalia Country Representative, Interpeace said, “Interpeace is delighted to partner with the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Somalia. This partnership will foster youth-centered peacebuilding and harness the innovation and creativity of young women and men in the state-building process of Somalia.”

The partnership is anchored on fostering an institutional relationship of cooperation focused on sharing knowledge, expertise and experiences additionally collaborating in advancing youth representation and participation in the peacebuilding process across Somalia.

“This MoU solidifies our commitment to advancing youth leadership and participation in Somalia’s peacebuilding process and to strengthen resilient capacities for peace.” Said H.E Mohamed Bare Mohamud, the Minister of Youth and Sports. “We are pleased that Interpeace is a strategic partner in the youth, peace and security agenda in Somalia.”

A critical component of empowering young people is ensuring their right to participate in decision-making and economic development. The MoU will strengthen efforts to advance Somalia's youth, peace, and security agenda through joint policy development and programme implementation.

Interpeace

Interpeace is an international organization for peacebuilding. With over 25 years of experience, it has implemented a broad range of peacebuilding programmes in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Interpeace tailors its approach to each society and ensures that its work is locally designed and driven. Interpeace also assists the international community – especially the United Nations – to play a more effective role in peacebuilding, based on Interpeace’s expertise in field-based work at the grassroots level. Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has offices around the world. For more information, please visit our website: www.interpeace.org

Press Contact

Muthoni Ngure

+254751275530

ngure@interpeace.org

Interpeace Eastern and Central Africa

5th Floor Priory Place,

Argwings Kodhek Road