‘Preventing Crises, Resolving Conflicts, Building Peace’ are key challenges for Germany’s and Europe’s evolving international role. Berlin is investing in the field, both financially and conceptually. On this blog, we discuss how to target these investments towards better crisis prevention, conflict management and peacebuilding. Most contributions are in German, but we occasionally ask international experts for their views. This section collects contributions in English. You are warmly invited to join the discussion: Subscribe to our weekly email-updates (in German), share and comment on posts on social media (@PeaceLabBlog, #PeaceLab), read our summary of the preceding “PeaceLab2016” debate or send us an email at peacelab@gppi.net.
Artikel Competitors or Partners? How Germany and the UAE Can Cooperate on Stabilization The UAE’s and Germany’s approaches towards stabilization are fundamentally different in their relation to national authorities, non-state actors, and multilateral cooperation. Nevertheless, cooperation can be furthered in specific key areas where common interests prevail, such as police training and demining activities in Afghanistan and Yemen. Eleonora Ardemagni • 23 March 2021
Artikel The Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent: A Framework for Action to Manage Climate-Linked Conflict Climate change comes with a range of security risks. However, with the right preparation, they can be managed and mitigated. Germany should push for the implementation of the Responsibility to Prepare and Prevent framework by promoting the institutionalization and harmonization of risk assessments, as well as better coordination between climate and security governance. Erin Sikorsky • 08 February 2021
Artikel Putting Protection First: Countering Forced Recruitment at the Colombian-Venezuelan Border A complex web of intersecting vulnerabilities in the Colombian-Venezuelan border region leaves children at risk of forced recruitment and exploitation by non-state armed groups. Germany should support community groups that engage with young girls, ensure the protection of teachers and exercise diplomatic pressure on Colombia to fully implement its existing peace agreement. Katherine Carrillo, Juliana Poveda • 05 May 2021
Artikel Exiting Armed Conflicts: Prioritising Education in Acute Crises In schools, children ideally acquire the necessary skills to build their future. To stabilise societies in the long term, children’s education must continue throughout ongoing armed conflicts. Germany should thus prioritise education in its immediate crisis response, enhance inter-ministerial cooperation and allocate at least 5 percent of its humanitarian budget to education. Lea Meyer • 03 May 2021
Artikel Young People in the DRC Can Be Powerful Peacemakers The United Nations’ child protection and participation projects in the DRC have contributed to enabling children’s peacebuilding capacities. To achieve lasting peace, these efforts must be scaled up and carried on by local and national authorities. International actors should advocate for the DRC government to prioritize the empowerment of children and young people. Bintou Keita • 29 April 2021
Artikel Cameroon’s Anglophone Crisis: Youth Is the Key to Peace In the ongoing violent conflict in Cameroon, youth run crucial programs to build peace. In doing so, they face violence from separatist militia and government soldiers who misunderstand their role. Germany should increase its funding for youth-led initiatives, promote the inclusion of youth as key partners for peace and work to protect young Cameroonian peacebuilders. Achaleke Christian Leke • 26 April 2021
Artikel Unpacking the EU’s New Sahel Strategy The European Union has just released its new Sahel strategy. The strategy’s focus on governance as the core problem in the region is a success. Going forward, the EU needs to fill its governance talk with meaning, especially with regard to the contribution of civil society, fighting impunity, and a more nuanced understanding of the role that security forces play. Delina Goxho • 22 April 2021
Artikel A Threat to Regional Stability: Water and Conflict in Central Asia Water availability represents a major challenge for the five Central Asian countries and is increasingly exacerbated by climate change. This has led to violence in the region, bearing the risk of further conflict. Germany should support stronger regional cooperation for transboundary water management to foster security in Central Asia. Janna Rheinbay, Sebastian Mayer, Stefanie Wesch, Kira Vinke • 20 April 2021
Artikel The Promises and Perils of Pro-Government Militias in Armed Conflicts Pro-government militias are frequently involved in armed conflict. While they offer certain advantages such as localized knowledge, they often become agents of violence and spoil peace processes. The German government should be aware of these risks in its crisis engagement and support efforts that aim at ensuring accountability and creating targeted disarmament programs. Sabine Carey • 15 April 2021
Artikel Children As Multipliers of Peace: Exemplars of Psychosocial Support in Uganda In Uganda, locally run psychosocial programs for children affected by armed conflicts could mitigate the lasting effects of their experiences, contributing to sustainable peace and enabling children to become multipliers of peace. Germany should collaborate with the Ugandan government and local partners to support and scale-up child-focused peacebuilding initiatives. Dinnah Nabwire, Patrick Onyango-Mangen • 14 April 2021
Artikel Beyond “Women and Children” – Children's Agency in Armed Conflict Children play vital roles in armed conflicts and determine the chances for sustained peace. Germany should treat children not as passive victims but as full-fledged agents of peace and conflict. To do so, the federal government should fund research on which child-focused peacebuilding interventions work best and support children’s inclusion in all stages of peace processes. Sofie Lilli Stoffel • 13 April 2021
Artikel Yemen’s Water Crisis: A New Urgency to an Old Problem In Yemen’s complex humanitarian crisis, water scarcity, conflict, and climate change impacts are interlinked. The use of water as a weapon accelerates the emergency. Germany and other EU member states should support technical solutions to reduce the agricultural sector’s water dependency. Politically, they should strengthen communities’ self-management of water governance. Hadil Al-Mowafak • 06 April 2021
Artikel Western Sahara: Can Trump’s Tweet Generate International Leverage to Broker a Credible Solution? Donald Trump’s decision to recognise Morocco’s sovereignty over the contested territory of the Western Sahara was a game changer in the decades-long conflict. While inconsistent with international law, paradoxically, it could open up a way for international actors to press Morocco and pro-independence Sahrawis to negotiate a lasting political solution. Haizam Amirah-Fernández, Isabelle Werenfels • 31 March 2021
Artikel Bridging Silos at the Climate-Gender-Conflict Nexus International security agendas must account for the overlapping threats of climate change and conflict, and their unequal impacts on women. Similarly, climate action must integrate a gender and security lens. To accelerate progress, policymakers must harmonize efforts to address conflict and climate change and promote inclusive approaches at domestic and international levels. Jessica Smith, Lauren Olosky, Jennifer Grosman Fernández • 30 March 2021
Artikel Vectors of Violence: Climate Change and Security in South Asia In South Asia, where rising sea levels and drought permanently destroy livelihoods, internal displacement increases. To prevent a growth of extremist armed groups and a surge of violence, the EU and Germany should strengthen their support for disaster preparedness in the region, tap into their experience with transregional approaches, and fund research for adaption measures. Omair Ahmad • 24 March 2021
Artikel Climate and Conflict in the Sahel: A Rule of Law Perspective The Sahel faces one of the world’s most serious humanitarian crises, as rising insecurity intersects with climate change. Resulting competition over land and natural resources exacerbates violence across the region. Efficient, accountable and inclusive institutions, especially for land governance and dispute resolution, are key to improving stability in the Sahel. Marco Lankhorst • 22 March 2021
Artikel Climate Insecurity: Undermining Rural Livelihoods in Niger Nigerien farmers and pastoralists are particularly exposed to security threats reinforced by climate impacts, making them vulnerable to food insecurity and recruitment through extremist groups. To reduce these risks, Germany should expand its support for participatory methods and climate adaptation measures geared towards marginalized groups and bolster early warning systems. Stefanie Wesch, Janna Rheinbay • 17 March 2021
Artikel A Storm on the Horizon: How to Translate Climate-Security Early Warning Into Action To address climate-security risks in a timely manner, Germany should enhance actionable forecast capacities. The government should strengthen climate- and conflict-sensitive programming by linking global climate data with conflict mapping, and expand its funding for inclusive, regional, and cross-border approaches. Jessica Caus, Adam Day • 23 February 2021
Artikel Protecting the Amazon by Empowering Its Women Climate change and environmental crime endanger food, health, and economic security in the Amazon region. This disproportionately affects women who play an important role in agricultural production, yet are excluded from resource governance. Germany should support community-based initiatives and include climate security when implementing the Women, Peace and Security agenda. Maiara Folly, Adriana Erthal Abdenur • 17 February 2021
Artikel Bridging Needs and Amplifying Voices: The Peacebuilding Commission and Climate-Related Security Risks To include climate change permanently in the UN’s peace and security pillar, Germany should reinforce the Peacebuilding Commission’s role. By fostering the Commission’s cross-pillar mandate and identifying political opportunities to strengthen its advisory role to the UN Security Council, Berlin can support the UN system in adapting to climate-related security challenges. Jake Sherman, Florian Krampe • 16 February 2021
Artikel Multilateralism Needs Democracy The German government should put collaboration among democracies at the heart of the Alliance for Multilateralism. Germany’s forthcoming White Paper on Multilateralism is an opportunity to spell out credibility, solidarity, and the inclusion of partners outside the “old West” as core principles of cooperation among like-minded democratic states. Thorsten Benner • 10 February 2021
