Geneva, 29 november 2021 – In 2011, a long-term partnership was established between Interpeace –an international peacebuilding organisation– and Mirabaud. At a time when an unprecedented global movement is making its mark on sustainable finance, efforts for peace must also be a central focus. Peace is essential for sustainable development and promotes stability, growth and prosperity in countries. Without peace, there can be no economic growth and without inclusive economic growth, there can be no lasting peace.

The number of conflict zones is ever increasing. At present, they concern some 57 countries considered as fragile, i.e. 1.8 billion people in 2021 (2.3 billion in 2030), the equivalent of 85% of the world’s poorest populations. Nearly one third of the world’s population is experiencing situations of conflict and therefore poverty and economic hardship.

“All too often, fragility and recurrent conflicts prevent any sustained development progress in these countries. What is worse, they discourage investment. It is essential to be able to improve the connection between peace work (Sustainable Development Goal 16) and private investment,” says Interpeace President Scott Weber.

It was with this in mind that, a decade ago, Mirabaud and Interpeace built an innovative partnership by setting up a sharing fund investing in emerging countries. “These countries may have the potential for significant growth, but this can be held back or even prevented by recurrent conflicts. It therefore seemed a natural step for us to enter into partnership with an organisation such as Interpeace, which supports endogenous peace processes and thus promotes the conditions for sustainable peace and stability,” explains Lionel Aeschlimann, CEO of Mirabaud Asset Management.

“This strategic support from Mirabaud and its clients has enabled us to provide a concrete response to situations of vulnerability and to be more reactive when needed,” says Scott Weber.

Mirabaud allows its clients to direct part of the profits to Interpeace via a sharing fund, while the asset manager also contributes a portion of its fees.

“We are proud to have supported Interpeace over the last 10 years. This partnership enables us to unite our clients and the Mirabaud Group around a common approach,” adds Lionel Aeschlimann. “Long-term support is essential for any peace process.’’

“This fund structure combining performance and sustainability offers easy access to the cause of peacebuilding for investors wishing to achieve this objective,” summarises Lionel Aeschlimann. “Geneva, with its financial and international expertise, can play a key role in meeting this challenge,” he adds.

Ten years after the formation of this partnership, a movement combining finance and sustainability is now well established, as evidenced by the Building Bridges Conference to be held in Geneva from 29 November to 2 December. “With the creation of this mechanism 10 years ago, Mirabaud demonstrated a real vision of how finance can support peace efforts and we are pleased to be able to build on this,” explains Scott Weber. Interpeace will unveil the outline of its ‘Finance for Peace’ initiative at a panel discussion on 1 December as part of Building Bridges. This project aims to further bridge the worlds of finance, development and peace and will be a platform for collaboration, action and research to develop new financial products for peace. The objective is to contribute to a truly global peace investment market.

Founded in 1994 by the UN, Interpeace is an international peacebuilding organisation based in Geneva. It supports endogenous peace processes in more than 20 contexts and assists the international community and, in particular, the United Nations in strengthening their intervention strategies in fragile contexts.
Its purpose is to support communities to resolve their own conflicts and achieve sustainable peace, without imposing external solutions on the affected countries.

Interpeace
Interpeace is an international peacebuilding organisation. With more than 25 years of experience, it carries peacebuilding processes and supports the international community particular the United Nations in their peace efforts worldwide. Interpeace was officially recognized as an international organization by the Swiss Federal Council in 2018. Interpeace is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and is present in more than 20 fragile contexts around the world.

For more information, please visit our website: www.interpeace.org

 

Mirabaud Asset Management
With offices in Geneva, Zurich, Luxembourg, Paris, London and Madrid the Mirabaud Group’s Asset Management division focuses on investment management and advisory services.
Its investment capabilities include:

• domestic, regional and global equities ;
• flexible, convertible, high-yield & short duration fixed income ;
• alternatives ;
• multi-asset ;
• private equity.

Across all investments Mirabaud Asset management applies a common philosophy of an active, high conviction approach to generating long-term risk adjusted returns. A focus on managing risk and a commitment towards environmental, social and corporate governance principles are important constituents of Mirabaud’s heritage.

For more information, please visit our website: www.mirabaud-am.com

 

The Mirabaud Group
The Mirabaud Group was founded in Geneva in 1819. With its four core values of Independence, Conviction, Responsibility and Passion, it has grown over the years into an international group offering its clients personalised financial services and advice in various areas of activity Its expertise lies in Wealth Management (portfolio management, investment advice and services for independent asset managers), Asset Management (institutional management, fund management and distribution) and highly specialised bespoke services (equity research, corporate advisory and intermediation).

Mirabaud has always been strongly committed to responsibility and sustainability. This is reflected in its interactions with clients, employees and society as a whole. As a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) since 2010, Mirabaud has the highest rating in this area thanks to its governance and its committed global strategy.

The Group employs around 700 staff and has offices in Switzerland (Geneva, Basel and Zurich), Europe (London, Luxembourg, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and Seville) and the rest of the world (Montreal, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Montevideo and São Paulo).

For more information, please visit our website: www.mirabaud-am.com

 

Press contact

 

 

 

 

On Friday 1 October 2021, Monica Mc Williams who is Emeritus Professor at Ulster University, Board member of the John and Pat Hume Foundation and former Chairperson of Interpeace, will chair Fire in the Belly

Fire in the Belly will feature lessons from young women peacebuilders from Somalia, Libya and Northern Ireland on inspiring leaders for peaceful change.

It takes place online on Friday 1 October 2021 at 3:30pm and is free of charge and everyone with an interest is welcome to join.  Pat Hume who was recently described by Monica Mc Williams ‘as the woman who never gave up’ is the inspiration behind Fire in the Belly, the third event planned in the Youth, Peace and Security Leadership Seminar Series.

The seminar series is a partnership between Ulster University (INCORE & TJI), The John and Pat Hume Foundation, John Hume and Thomas P. O’Neill Chair in Peace, International Fund for Ireland (IFI), and Interpeace.

Tim Attwood, Secretary of the John & Pat Hume Foundation, said:

“It is important to acknowledge and highlight the positive work of young women and men working on peace at home and globally. The late Pat Hume had to scale so many obstacles working for peaceful change during times of great personal and political risk. She was described as ‘the woman who never gave up’. We must inspire a new leadership of young people in peacebuilding who will also never give up.”

Speaking about the importance of this series, Graeme Simpson, the Senior Representative (NY) & Peacebuilding Adviser at Interpeace, said:

"The global Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) agenda has recognized that instead of treating young people as a threat, it is imperative to invest in the resilience, resourcefulness, and innovation of young peacebuilders. Interpeace believes that little is more important in amplifying the voices of young peacebuilders themselves, than the powerful leadership of young women, connecting with each other across the globe."

Ahead of the event on Friday, Hajer Sharief, the Libyan peace and human rights activist, said:

"Peace should be treated as a "public good" of which everyone has the right to build, shape and make. Therefore, the inclusion of women and youth in peace processes is not a matter of ticking a box, it’s a matter of providing people with the opportunity to practice their right to shape their own lives and societies".

Emma Johnston of Youth Action Northern Ireland and UU Alumni, said:

“The Youth, Peace and Security Seminar Series frames critical conversations which enable global youth leaders to pool our resources and work collectively with young women to breathe positive energy into their lives.  Young women need role models; women who they can up look to. I am looking forward to coming together to ignite that important fire in the belly.”

Paddy Harte, Chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, said:

“Fire in the Belly is an excellent opportunity for a wider audience to understand the influential role that women play within peace building. The Youth, Peace and Security Series complements the IFI’s ethos and also enhances our partnerships with other organisations. Engaging young people to offer them the best opportunities in life so they can develop, grow and give back to their own communities is a core focus of our work.”

Professor Brandon Hamber, John Hume and Thomas P. O’Neill Chair in Peace at Ulster University, said

“A core focus of the John Hume and Thomas P. O'Neill Chair in peace is to support the next generation of peacebuilders. I can think of no better way to do this than exchange practical lessons between young women peacebuilders form around the globe. They have much to share and teach all of us.”

Notes to Editor 

Fire in the Belly is open to everyone with an interest and free to join.

This is the third seminar in the new Youth, Peace and Security Leadership Seminar Series explores the positive contribution of youth to peace. Every 6-8 weeks, a free online platform is created for young leaders to share their experience from around the world.

It takes place Friday 1 October 2021 at 3:30pm – 5pm. For further information and to be directed to Eventbrite for booking, visit:

https://www.ulster.ac.uk/transitional-justice-institute/events/youth,-peace-and-security-leadership-series2

Speakers 

• Monica McWilliams is Emeritus Professor of Women’s Studies at the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University, Board member of the John and Pat Hume Foundation and a former Chairperson of Interpeace. She will Chair the session.
• Hajer Sharief is a Libyan peace and human rights activist. She co-leads the work of the Together We Build It (TWBI) organization in Libya.
• Ilwad Elman is a young female leader at the forefront of the Somali peace process. She co-founded the Elman Peace Centre and is an Advocate for the Kofi Annan Foundation.
• Emma Johnston is a youth worker in NI, working with Youth Action Northern Ireland. She is a representative on Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform, the UK Joint Committee for women and the Irish NAP For Women Peace and Security.

Speaker biographies:

Monica McWilliams

Monica McWilliams is a signatory to the Good Friday Agreement and was involved as a lead negotiator in the multi-party talks leading to the agreement in 1998 on behalf of the Women's Coalition which she co-founded two years earli She is Emeritus Professor of Women’s Studies at the Transitional Justice Institute at Ulster University and former Chief Commissioner of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission. She was an elected member of the Northern Ireland Legislative Assembly from 1998-2003 and currently serves on the Independent Reporting Commission, overseeing measures on the disbandment of paramilitary organisations in Northern Ireland.Monica is a former Chairperson of Interpeace, Board member of The John & Pat Hume Foundation and author of a range of publications on domestic violence, human security and the role of women in peace processes. Her memoir Stand Up, Speak Out will be published by Blackstaff in October 2021.

Hajer Sharief

Hajer Sharief is a Libyan peace and human rights activist. She co-leads the work of the Together We Build It (TWBI) organization in Libya focusing on women and youth peace and security. She is a member of the Extremely Together young leaders, an initiative by Kofi Annan and the Kofi Annan Foundation. In 2020, Forbes named Sharief as one of Africa's Most 50 Powerful Women. And she was listed by Avanec media among the 100 Most Influential African Women for 2020. In 2017, Hajer Sharief was awarded the Student Peace Prize from Isfit.

Ilwad Elman

Ilwad Elman is a young female leader at the forefront of the Somali peace process, and a global authority on peace and security. After the assassination of her father, a prominent Somali peace activist, Ilwad and her family became refugees, eventually finding asylum in Canada. Aged 19, she felt the responsibility to return with her mother to a Somalia still steeped in violent conflict, where they founded the Elman Peace Centre. At just 20, she co-founded Somalia’s first rape crisis center. Since, Ilwad has become a champion of building peace through giving all those impacted by conflict — particularly women and girls — a seat at the table.  Beyond her duties at the Elman Peace Centre; Ilwad is an advocate for the Kofi Annan Foundation and was a mentee of His excellency, the late Kofi Annan for three years. Through the Elman Peace Centre, Ilwad has created a methodology for community-based peace building in contexts of ongoing conflict that is now being exported to conflicts across Africa.It has led to her becoming a UN expert advisor on Peace & Security to two UN Secretary Generals and two year stint as the youngest ever board member of the UN Peace Building Fund, advising the UN Secretary General directly on fragile and conflict affected states globally.

Emma Johnston

Emma has been involved in youth work from a young age and participates in a range of youth activities and programmes in her local community. A worker within the Equality work with young women’s team of YouthAction Northern Ireland, Emma is committed and passionate about challenging the systems which continue to limit young women’s opportunities. Emma is a representative of young women’s voices on Northern Ireland Women’s European Platform and the UK Joint Committee for women with a seat on the European Women’s Lobby attending conferences at national and international level. She sits on the Irish NAP for Women Peace and Security. She was a member of the Foyle Pride Committee for four years organising a week of pride activities in Derry and LGBT Awareness week. Emma is a graduate from Ulster University at Magee in Derry where she undertook a Bsc Honours in Community Youth Work.

 

International Day of Peace 2021: the Geneva PeaceTalks, 21 September

As we begin to heal from the COVID-19 pandemic, we are inspired to think creatively and collectively about how to help everyone recover better, build resilience, and transform our world into one that is more equal, more just, equitable, inclusive, sustainable, and healthier.

The 9^th edition of the Geneva PeaceTalks will be held on Tuesday 21 September 2021. Livestreamed from the Palais des Nations in Geneva, the event is organised under the United Nations’ official theme for the International Day of Peace: “Recovering Better for an Equitable and Sustainable World”.

Register to watch livestream in English

Register to watch livestream in French 

Through short talks, eleven speakers from different walks of life and different parts of the globe will tell their stories, sharing their tangible learnings and ideas drawn from their experiences in the fields of climate change, dance, education, health, music and peacebuilding.

The eleven speakers sharing their vision of peace and recovery are:

• Baaba Maal, singer, guitarist and founder of the NANN-K foundation.
• Anil Soni, CEO of the WHO Foundation interviewed by Charlotte Kirby, Vice President of Global Strategic Relations at Salesforce.
• Diwele Molale Lubi, choreographer, dance artist, conference speaker, teacher and artistic director at Matlosana Centre for the Arts.
• Yves Daccord, Executive Chairman Harvard’s Edgelands Institute & former Director General of the ICRC and Hiba Qasas, Head of Secretariat of the Principles for Peace Initiative at Interpeace.
• Lena Dobrowolska & Teo Ormond-Skeaping, an artist collaboration working with photography, documentary and narrative film, virtual reality, installation and research.
• Héloïse Hughes, Kareem Gomersall and Ksenia Vlasova-Kuznetsova, three high school students and co-founders of the student-led PeaceTalks Club.
• Zarifa Ghafari, Human Rights Activist, politician and entrepreneur, Ex-mayor of Maidan Shahr and Director of a Department in Defense Ministry of Afghanistan

Opening remarks will be given by António Guterres, ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations and Tatiana Valovaya, 13th Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. The event will be moderated by Sarah Noble, curator of the PeaceTalks, and Karen Chica Gómez, Afro-Ecuadorian activist and student at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva.

WHAT
The 2021 Geneva PeaceTalks is organised under the theme “Recovering better for an equitable and sustainable world”. Through short 8-10 minutes talks, speakers share their vision, thoughts and experiences of peace with audiences from around the world. This will be the 9^th 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. More information and videos of previous editions at: www.peacetalks.net

WHO
The Geneva PeaceTalks is a public event brought to you by the United Nations Office at Geneva, Interpeace, the Geneva Peacebuilding Platform and the Swiss Government. The event is made possible with the support of Salesforce, Mirabaud, Geneva Water Hub and the International School of Geneva.

WHEN
The event is scheduled on the International Day of Peace, 21 September 2021, 16:00-17:30.

WHERE
Livestreamed online from Room XVIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, spaces to attend are limited. All in-person attendees need to have pre-registered online. Please contact us for more information.

CONTACT:
Sarah Noble, curator of the PeaceTalks / noble@interpeace.org

Tel: 079 551 6132

Brought to you by 

Partners 

[Geneva, 15 Dec 2020] The Principles for Peace, a groundbreaking global and collaborative initiative to develop principles, standards and norms that will guide international, national, and local approaches to building lasting peace is being launched today during a virtual event hosted from Geneva.

The initiative is being spearheaded by a diverse and independent International Commission with deep expertise and experience drawn from current and former political leaders, civil society leaders and some of the world’s foremost practitioners in the fields of international peacemaking and peacebuilding.

The International Commission on Inclusive Peace will address the shortcomings of contemporary approaches to building peace and reframe peacemaking and peacebuilding for the 21^st century. The Commission will be supported by the Principles for Peace Secretariat in Geneva, hosted by Interpeace.

There is an urgent need to improve the international approach to peacebuilding and peacemaking. The world is experiencing over 50 active armed conflicts, an all-time high[i]. Two-thirds of those crises are protracted conflicts of 8 years or more. Many peace processes are stalled and even when agreements are struck, peace tends to be short term. Indeed, most peace processes fail on average after only seven years.[ii] Furthermore, 35% of peace agreements are never implemented[iii]. The world is changing fast, and approaches to peacebuilding need to evolve with the times. They must become more accountable to, and inclusive of, populations that are suffering the consequence of failed peace processes.

Hiba Qasas, Head of the Principles for Peace Secretariat: “International approaches to peace processes have largely not changed since the end of the Cold War, yet the fundamental nature of conflict has changed. Too many peace processes have failed to effectively reduce or end violent conflicts let alone build lasting peace, and yet the international community continues to apply the same solutions and expect different results.”

Bert Koenders, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands & Former United Nations Special Representative to the Secretary General (SRSG) in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali, and member of the International Commissionon Inclusive Peace, speaking on the eve of the launch: “Our current approach to peacemaking is not sufficient. We have to do things differently. We have to move beyond top-down approaches that use the same toolbox that treats every country the same and hoping for the best.”

The work of the International Commission will be anchored in a bottom-up process that engages hundreds of thousands of people with lived experience of conflict and peace processes. The initiative is bolstered by an extensive Stakeholder Forum of international and local organizations committed to building peace around the world. Local consultations in more than 25 conflict affected countries will aim to capture the aspirations for peace from every corner of society. Local voices will inform the Commission’s deliberations to ensure they are grounded and inclusive of marginalized groups.

According to the President of Interpeace, Scott Weber: “Contemporary peace processes are not fit-for-purpose. Bringing hostilities to an end by rewarding those who have been violent with a share of power, is both insufficient and at times counter-productive. Peace processes must focus on building trust, laying the foundations for broadly legitimate institutions and a social contract between citizens and their States.”

The International Commission for Inclusive Peace will conduct global consultations for the next two years at the international, regional, national, and local levels and will be informed by cutting-edge research on lessons learned in peacebuilding and peacemaking from previous peace processes. It will build on the solid foundations and existing political will reflected in the United Nations Sustaining Peace agenda and related Security Council Resolutions.

The initiative is supported by the Governments of Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Robert Bosch Stiftung and Interpeace. Interpeace is an International Organisation for Peacebuilding that has been leading the development of nationally owned peacebuilding solutions across the world for 26 years.

Members of the International Commission for Inclusive Peace are:

Mr. Bernardo Arévalo de León. Guatemala. Member of the Guatemalan Congress. Senior diplomat. Former Deputy Foreign Minister. Former Deputy Director General at Interpeace for Research and Development. Peacebuilding Expert and Practitioner.

Mr. Yves Daccord. Switzerland. Former Director General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Humanitarian practitioner with experiences in Israel, Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, Chechnya and Georgia. Leading a special initiative at Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and society, focusing on the theme of security, social contract and the role of cities at the age of digital surveillance and pandemics.

Lieutenant-General (ret) The Honourable Roméo Dallaire. Canada. Former Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. Former Canadian Senator. Founder of the Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security.

Ms. Ilwad Elman. Somalia/Canada. Peace Activist and leader in Women, Peace and Security Programming in Somalia. Chief Operating Officer and Co-founder of Elman Peace and Human Rights Center. Expert Advisor on Youth, Peace and Security to the United Nations Secretary General.

Mr. Frederic Gateretse Ngoga. Burundi. Ambassador, Head of Conflict Prevention and Early Warning Division at the African Union Commission. Former Senior Officer with the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).

HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad. Jordan. Chief Adviser for Religious and Cultural Affairs and Personal Envoy to His Majesty. Professor of Philosophy. Active in interfaith dialogue. Former Advisor for Tribal Affairs and Cultural Secretary.

Mr. Bert Koenders. The Netherlands. Former Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands. Former Minister for Development Cooperation. Former United Nations Secretary General’s Special Representative (SRSG) in Côte d’Ivoire and Mali. Former President of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Parliamentary Assembly.

Ms. Sanam Naraghi Anderlini. Iran/United Kingdom. Founder and Executive Director of the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). Director of the Center of Women, Peace and Security at the London School of Economics.

Ms. Teresita Quintos Deles. Philippines. Peacemaker and Civil Society Activist. Party to the Philippines Peace Agreement on the Bangsamoro. Co-Founder, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance (INCITEGov). Former Presidential Advisor on the Peace Process in the Philippines.

Ms. Naheed Sarabi. Afghanistan. Former Deputy Minister of Finance. Former Deputy for the Secretariat for Peace Loya Jirga in Afghanistan in 2019. Former Director General for Analysis and Monitoring at Finance Ministry. Former Director of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy.

Mr. Rory Stewart. United Kingdom.  Senior Fellow at the Jackson Institute, Yale University, focusing on contemporary politics in crisis and on international development and intervention. Former British diplomat. Development professional and politician. Former Minister of State in the Foreign Office and Former Secretary of State for International Development. Author of four books. Presentation of three documentaries focused on Foreign Policy.

Ms. Annika Söder. Sweden. Ambassador. Former State Secretary for Foreign Affairs of Sweden. President of the Board of Governors European Institute of Peace. Former State Secretary for Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Affairs.

 

Media Contact for coordinating interviews

Luvini Ranasinghe, Global Communication Manager, Interpeace
ranasinghe@interpeace.org
Mobile: +41 79 475 64 95
Direct Line: +41 22 404 59 22

Notes to the editors

Find more information about:

• The initiative, visit: Principles for Peace and Interpeace’s initiative “Principles for Inclusive Peace” receives global recognition at the Paris Peace Forum
• Gender inclusion, visit: Fostering gender inclusion to advance peacebuilding efforts

Register on our website: www.principles4peace.org

[i] Therese Pettersson and Magnus Öberg (2020) Organized violence: 1989–2019, Journal of Peace Research 57:4, 597–613. State-based armed conflicts are defined as “a contested incompatibility that concerns government and/or territory where the use of armed force between two parties, of which at least one is the government of a state, results in at least 25 battle-related deaths in one calendar year”. Non-State conflicts are thereby defined as “the use of armed force between two organised armed groups, neither of which is the government of a state, which results in at least 25 battle-related deaths in a year”.

[ii] PRIO (2016) Conflict Recurrence, PRIO Conflict Trends 02/2016.

[iii] Stina Högbladh (2012) Peace Agreements 1975-2011: Updating the UCDP Peace Agreement Database, in: Pettersson, Therése, Themnér, Lotta (eds) States in Armed Conflict 2011, 39-56.