Inclusive Peace

📣 Inclusive Peace has recently signed onto the UN Secretary-General’s “Common Pledge for Women’s Full, Equal and Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes” , led by UN Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA). We stand with the United Nations as well as a growing number of Member States, Regional Organisations, and peer organisations in committing to take concrete actions for women’s full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes 🕊️☮️. Today, more than ever, achieving meaningful women’s participation in peace processes requires collective action from a wide range of actors. The Common Pledge calls for the following actions to enhance and promote the meaningful participation of women in the peace processes we support: 1. Appointing women as lead mediators and ensuring they are integral members of our mediation teams. 2. Advocating with conflict parties for concrete targets and measures that advance women’s direct and meaningful participation, including as members of delegations. 3. Engaging in consultations with a broad range of women leaders and women-led civil society throughout all stages of peace processes. 4. Securing gender expertise in our mediation teams to ensure gender-responsive peace processes and agreements. #WPS #Peacebuilding #InclusivePeace For more information: 🔗https://lnkd.in/eZwFtv72

INCLUSION WEDNESDAY IS BACK !!! READ my article below on #Inclusion and #Nature: From local action to global change 🌍✨ The two greatest challenges humanity faces today—persistent armed #conflicts and the #climatecrisis— threaten not just our collective survival but the very planet we call home. These issues are interconnected: climate change exacerbates resource conflicts, wars devastate ecosystems, and inclusive environmental management can be a pathway to peace. Yet, global efforts are lagging. The Summit of the Future barely acknowledged the role of nature, and COP29, despite some progress, faced widespread criticism, especially from African and other Global South nations, for its lack of #inclusivity. So, where is #hope to be found? Where are the new ideas and actions that can truly make #peace with #nature? Read my LinkdIn article below with inspiring examples from 🇰🇪 #Kenya how local initiatives link up to create global change. With thanks to Kivukoni School and its EcoFesitval and the #OneHomeJourney by #HomesForHumanity and the Elephant Queen film and outreach crew https://lnkd.in/dBKtNHbA.   Stay tuned, stay inspired, and stay inclusive! #Peacebuilding #environment #nature #Inclusion #InclusionMatters #JusticeAndEquity #InclusionWednesday #InclusivePeace #WomenInPeace #WomenInPeacebuilding #InclusiveChange #ClimateAction #Inclusion #PeaceBuilding #RegenerativeFutures #Kenya #YouthLeadership #HomesForHumanity #ONEHOMEJOURNEY #DrThaniaSpeaks  

🌟 Last Tuesday marked a milestone for Inclusive Peace as we held the inaugural meeting of our brand-new International Advisory Board! 🌟 Aya Chebbi Igor Pokaz Dr Emma Leslie AM Francesc Claret, PhD Osnat Lubrani Jamie McGoldrick Azza Karam, Ph.D Bryan M. S. Helena Puig Larrauri Cedric de Coning Stephanie Turco Williams Emmanuel Habuka Bombande Lina AbiRafeh We’re thrilled to collaborate with this exceptional group of individuals who bring a wealth of expertise and diverse perspectives - from the fields of diplomacy, security, activism, peacemaking, research, and beyond. Their contributions will play a pivotal role in shaping and informing our work as we move forward. During this first meeting—attended by most members—we delved into: ✅ Broad Reflections on Inclusive Peace’s mission and organisational approach. ✅ Strategic Priorities for 2025-2027, reflecting on how we can contribute to support actors engaged in peacemaking and political transition processes, amidst changing geopolitical tides and polycrisis. We’re excited about the road ahead and look forward to working closely with the Board to drive more effective, inclusive, and transformative peace efforts💡✨ #InclusivePeace #Peacemaking #Peacebuilding #Collaboration #AdvisoryBoard

📢 Ceasefire Agreement: A Missed Opportunity for Gender-Sensitive Peacemaking? 🌍 After 14 months of devastating conflict, Israel and Lebanon have agreed to a ceasefire, providing a 60-day window to work toward a lasting peace—a vital step for the region. The ceasefire outlines security arrangements, including the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the role of the Lebanese Armed Forces and UN peacekeepers. Yet, glaringly absent are considerations of the gendered impact of the armed conflict or the gender-specific needs during the ceasefire period. So, how could the ceasefire have been potentially more gender-sensitive or even gender transformative? Here are a few critical steps towards gendering ceasefires, based on a report we produced in collaboration with UNW, and ensuring gender-transformative conflict recovery: 1) Recognise the Gendered Impact of Conflict Ceasefire agreements would ideally address the gendered dimensions of the armed conflict and how they shape the needs of affected communities. Regarding the current armed conflict between Israel and Lebanon, the following information could be relevant to consider: Displacement data: Lebanese authorities report 1.5M displaced, with UN Women highlighting 520,000 women and girls face acute needs. 2) Enhance women's influence over ceasefire negotiations A combination of different inclusion modalities can enhance women's meaningful participation in ceasefire negotiations. This includes gender panels or consultations with negotiation parties. 3) Maximise specificity and ensure implementation Mechanisms for Gender Provisions Even when gender provisions are included in ceasefire agreements, they are often not fully implemented if at all. Making gender provisions as specific as possible can enable their implementation. Clear accountability mechanisms are essential to bridge the gap between commitments and action. Women's participation in the monitoring of ceasefire agreements is also conducive in this regard, e.g., as part of a gender panel or commission. 4) Empower Women in Crisis Response Recognising and amplifying the role of women in humanitarian and crisis response as a follow up to a ceasefire agreement is crucial. UN Women has spotlighted the contributions of countless women during the conflict since October 2023, showcasing their leadership in supporting their communities. 🔗https://lnkd.in/eQej4wYK As people return to communities in southern Lebanon and northern Israel, it’s important to seize the opportunity to address the gendered dynamics of conflict recovery. A ceasefire isn't just about silencing guns—it's about paving the way for sustainable, inclusive peace. 🔗https://lnkd.in/d3RsR9cR #Peacemaking #Ceasefire #Inclusion #InclusivePeace #WomenInPeacebuilding #GenderSensitivePeacemaking

✨ A New Era for Inclusive Peace: Welcoming 2025 and Embracing Change ✨ On January 1, 2025, Inclusive Peace enters a new stage in its journey as a world-class facilitator of inclusive peacemaking and peacebuilding in some of the world’s most complex and protracted political processes. For the last five years, Inclusive Peace has been led by Dr. Thania Paffenholz, our visionary founder, who launched Inclusive Peace a decade ago and guided the organisation through its transition from the Inclusive Peace and Transitions Initiative at the Geneva Graduate Institute. At the end of December, Thania will step down from her role as Director to take on a new function as Senior Advisor. Thania made this decision to dedicate more time to developing innovative avenues for creating broader impacts for peace and inclusive societies within and beyond the peacebuilding field to engage with global audiences, networks, and movements, including the next generation of societal and political change-makers. While exploring these new opportunities, Thania will also remain engaged in supporting peace and political change processes alongside Inclusive Peace’s partners. Our mission will now be guided by the management team, with Zachary Taylor as Managing Director and Alex Shoebridge as Head of Peace Process Support, alongside a dedicated group of research, peace process support, and operations colleagues across East Africa, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Together, we’ll continue building on Thania’s legacy with an expanded portfolio, spanning three continents and supported by a distinguished advisory board of thought leaders from mediation, diplomacy, security, and peacebuilding. Supported by partnerships across foreign ministries, development agencies, and foundations, our next chapter includes a renewed direction and deepened commitment to inclusivity in peace and political processes worldwide. We extend our deepest gratitude to Thania for her remarkable contributions to innovate the peacemaking and peacebuilding field as well as bringing inclusion to the forefront of mediation and peacebuilding. Looking forward, Inclusive Peace remains steadfast in its vision: “to set change in motion” and accompany actors to shape the future of peace and political transition processes. #InclusivePeace #Peacemaking #LeadershipTransition #Peacebuilding #GlobalImpact #ChangeMakers

⚠️ In Sudan, women are bearing the brunt of a devastating war. Harassment, rape, forced marriage, abduction, and slavery—these acts underscore the stark gendered impact of the ongoing conflict. A powerful report by Le Monde sheds light on how women’s bodies are being weaponized in this war. 🔗 Read the article: https://lnkd.in/dZXdRhbg This raises a critical question: How can survivors of sexual violence take part in shaping the peace processes that aim to rebuild their war-torn societies? Drawing on lessons from Colombia 🇨🇴 we have recently been exploring ways to include survivors’ voices in peace processes. 🔍 Case Study – Colombia: In negotiations between the Government and FARC, 60 pre-selected victims (60% women) provided formal input into the process. They directly shared their experiences with the conflict parties, as well as their recommendations and priorities for how to move forward. This contributed to the parties agreeing to:  🌱 The creation of a truth commission 🌱 The special jurisdiction for peace to investigate and act on international crimes  🌱 A specialised unit to locate disappeared individuals. The outcome? An inclusive, justice-driven peace process that acknowledged the lived experiences of survivors. As Sudan grapples with these challenges, it’s essential to prioritise survivor inclusion in peace efforts moving forward. #SudanCrisis #WomenInConflict #Peacebuilding #Survivors #TransitionalJustice #16days #EndViolenceAgainstWomen

🌍 As one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises unfolds in #Sudan as a consequence of the war, it is crucial to consider all means to end the violence 🕊 These maps by Al Jazeera Media Network give a rich overview of how the violence across many parts of Sudan has evolved since April 2023. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dNvZyvGx ⚠️ 75 percent of the fighting has been concentrated around Khartoum, Gezira State, and North Darfur, with the remaining 25 percent taking place in South Darfur, North Kordofan, and West Darfur. Given the high level of concentration, is it viable to push for certain considerations along geographic lines? For example, this could relate to pathways for humanitarian access (or for civilian populations to move freely in protected areas) or to facilitating the parties' agreement to cease fighting (and siege) in certain areas. Our recent research, which draws on the Civil Conflict Ceasefire Dataset by the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich shows that local ceasefires might be helpful in ending violence and initiating or advancing a peace process–possibly also in Sudan. The full findings are yet to be published, but here are some early insights: 🔍 Widespread Usage: Local ceasefires have been most prominent in the Middle East but have also materialised in Asia, Africa, and Europe between 1989 and 2020. 🔍 Nature of Agreements: Localceasefires are predominantly oral agreements, often declared unilaterally by one conflict party. However, they can also involve two or more conflict parties. 🔍 Purpose: Local ceasefires can serve humanitarian, peace process-related, or conflict escalation prevention purposes, amongst others. A single local ceasefire can pursue multiple objectives in parallel. 🔍 Key Players: Available data suggests that local ceasefires rarely lead to the fragmentation of armed non-state groups. 🔍 Limited Prearrangements: Typically, local ceasefires are not linked to prior arrangements between conflict parties. 🔍 Catalysts for Peace? While they don’t systematically initiate peace negotiations, a notable minority have paved the way for or accompanied broader thematic talks between conflict parties. 🔍 Variety: Existing research shows that various types of local ceasefires exist, which differ regarding the key actors they involve, the purpose they serve, their timing, and their geographic scope, amongst others. Specific types of local ceasefires might be more relevant in certain conflict-affected contexts than others. 🔍 Civil Society Inclusion: Civil society can enable local ceasefires as negotiators, mediators, and implementers. In protracted armed conflicts like Sudan, could local ceasefires serve as a bridge toward sustainable peace? Let’s start the conversation. Open Society Foundations African Union IGAD #Peacemaking #InclusivePeace #ConflictResolution #SudanCrisis #Innovation #PeaceResearch

🇸🇩 Breaking the Cycle: Rethinking Peacemaking for Sudan 🌍 The news of the #UNSC deadlock on a #ceasefire resolution for Sudan, following Russia's veto, underscores the urgent need for innovative approaches to international peacemaking 🛑 🔗 Read more here: https://lnkd.in/ddGjGhFC What could such an approach look like? ✅ Prioritize Ceasefire & Humanitarian Access US/Saudi-led negotiations with the RSF and SAF must focus on securing a ceasefire and humanitarian aid, setting aside political questions for a more representative forum. ✅ Civilian-Led Dialogue Peacemaking efforts should be civilian-led and centered, ensuring armed actors are engaged strategically but do not dominate discussions. The process cannot be influenced by the logic of the 1990s international peacemaking model, as the experience of Sudan and elsewhere shows that this is simply no longer viable. ✅ Global Commitment For success, regional and international players—including the UNSC—must support a civilian-led process wholeheartedly, while also serving as guarantors and using their leverage over parties to meaningfully commit to ending the violence.  Open Society Foundations African Union IGAD Your thoughts? 👇🏾 #CivilianledPeaceProcesses #InclusivePeace #Peacemaking #SudanCrisis #DemocraticTransition #UNSC

💬 Advancing Localisation in Peacebuilding: Key Takeaways from Our Consultations 🌍 This year, our consultations on localisation have inspired tangible action points to promote local agency in peacebuilding. A highlight was the hybrid event hosted by our partner, Humanity United, in October. Featuring diverse peacebuilding experts, the event provided a rich platform to drive practical change. A huge thank you to Humanity United for creating the space and enabling such a rich exchange. Here are some standout insights that emerged: ✅ Shift the Narrative Focusing solely on obstacles to localisation limits creativity. Sharing success stories and effective localisation initiatives through storytelling can energize, broaden, and thereby advance the debate. ✅ Enhance Coordination Bridging gaps between communication experts, civil society, and programme staff can strengthen advocacy for localisation in Western countries, especially in the context of shrinking peacebuilding funding. ✅ Tackle Misconceptions Advocacy targeting Western parliaments could dismantle flawed narratives that equate localisation with high costs or risks for donors. ✅ Demand Accountability Robust mechanisms are needed to hold donor states accountable for their localisation commitments. INGOs could lead in monitoring Western legislators' efforts to deliver on their commitments to localise peacebuilding. ✅ Clarify Concepts Achieving consensus on what localisation, decolonisation, and decentralisation mean could reduce duplication of efforts and foster clarity in action by Western peacebuilding organisations. ✅ Leverage Local Expertise Rather than imposing external capacity-building models on peacebuilding tools, tapping into the expertise and skills within local communities will amplify ownership and impact of peacebuilding interventions. ✅ Encourage Honest Dialogue Meaningful progress on the localisation agenda requires candid conversations between local and international peacebuilding actors. Identifying new spaces that would be relevant for the localisation debate to permeate will be conducive in this regard. ✨ These points spark exciting possibilities for advancing localisation in peacebuilding—but what’s your perspective? Let's discuss ⬇️ #Localisation #Peacebuilding #InclusivePeace #Decolonisation

🔍 Burkina Faso Could Reinstate Capital Punishment: A Signal of Authoritarian Consolidation? In 2018, Burkina Faso abolished the death penalty—a move celebrated as a step forward for human rights. Fast forward to 2024, and reports from The Guardian suggest that the military regime may reinstate it. This comes on the heels of the junta extending its rule for another five years earlier this year, highlighting a concerning trend: military regimes often consolidate power through repressive measures. The reinstatement of capital punishment could further shrink civic space, stifling opposition and eroding the foundations of civil society. Comparative research and evidence also suggests that such moves may be a signal of intent for sustained rule, raising questions regarding the country’s transition. What are your thoughts on the broader implications of such measures? Let’s discuss 👇🏿 🔗 Read more in The Guardian: https://lnkd.in/dHyseVtn