‘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 Developing Peace: Impulses for German and International Development Cooperation Development cooperation is increasingly expected to contribute to the transformation of violent conflict. A new study shows: It’s not the knowledge about what is needed for development cooperation to contribute to peace that is missing. Rather, there is a lack of implementation – especially as regards the primacy of prevention and the question of policy coherence. PRIF authors • 26 May 2020
Artikel COVID-19 in Libya: Germany Should Engage, Not Retreat Despite diplomatic efforts at the Berlin Conference, the security situation in Libya is deteriorating, providing ideal conditions for COVID-19 to spread unnoticed. Germany should revitalize dialogue formats established in Berlin to leverage technical support by all actors involved, and upgrade bilateral aid to support coordinated measures to contain the virus. Thomas Claes, Jannis Grimm • 07 May 2020
Artikel #RealityCheck 2: Umoja – Radio for Peace in Kenya In this #RealityCheck, Faith Chege, Project Officer at “Umoja – Radio for Peace”, shares how COVID-19 has affected their work on community broadcasting. She explains how the radio stations provide crucial information about the pandemic to communities and argues that external actors should more effectively communicate with local actors. Faith Chege • 04 June 2020
Artikel A Polish Perspective on Women, Peace and Security: No Progress Without Reproductive Rights Reproductive rights in Poland are facing renewed attacks and old problems: a draft bill wants to tighten abortion regulation; doctors are denying care. Measures for fighting the backlash include pushing for comprehensive sex education, providing contraception, and integrating reproductive care into public health services. There will be no gender equality without reproductive rights. Antonina Lewandowska • 20 May 2020
Artikel It’s Not Just About Health: Four Lessons From Ebola for the COVID-19 Response in Conflict-Affected Countries COVID-19 is not the first health crisis to hit conflict-affected countries: Germany can learn valuable lessons from Search for Common Ground’s response to Ebola epidemics. Berlin should support civil society in violence prevention and trust-building measures, provide adequate training for security actors, and ensure the meaningful inclusion of local communities. Charline Burton, Eoin O’Leary • 19 May 2020
Artikel #RealityCheck 1: Peacebuilding Efforts by Never Again Rwanda In a new series on the PeaceLab blog, we publish brief interviews with peacebuilding practitioners about how COVID-19 has affected their work. In this first interview, Dr. Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza, Executive Director of the non-governmental organization “Never Again Rwanda” (NAR) describes their work, how they had to adapt to the pandemic and what kind of support is needed from external actors. Joseph Ryarasa Nkurunziza • 11 May 2020
Artikel The Impact of COVID-19 on Transitional Elections and Peacebuilding COVID-19 has delayed elections worldwide at an unprecedented rate, which will affect peacebuilding efforts. Germany should support national institutions in developing consultation mechanisms between electoral management bodies, public health authorities and other relevant actors and assist in crisis communication to create spaces for dialogue and to counter disinformation. Sead Alihodzic, Ingrid Bicu • 05 May 2020
Artikel European Vision and Ambition Needed: Italy and Germany Must Promote a Global EU Response to COVID-19 How the EU of today deals with the COVID-19 crisis will determine the Union of tomorrow. The EU should invest in the resilience of fragile states in its neighborhood, strengthen multilateral institutions and reflect the necessary external solidarity in its Multi Annual Financial Framework. The fundamental principles of the European Union are at stake. Tobias Bunde, Ferdinando Nelli Feroci, Boris Ruge, Nathalie Tocci • 29 April 2020
Artikel COVID-19 Is a Window of Opportunity For Peacebuilding – Use It! In the past, shocks comparable to COVID-19 have created windows of opportunity for local and international stakeholders. The German government should seize this chance by investing in online communication for ongoing peace negotiations, increasing incentives for inclusive politics, supporting information campaigns on the virus, and dedicating funding to women entrepreneurs. Nadine Ansorg, Julia Strasheim • 29 April 2020
Artikel Women in Ukraine’s Military: An Opportunity for Change Since 2014, the number of women in the Ukrainian military has drastically increased. Local civil society has been promoting gender equality in Ukraine’s security sector from the bottom up. International actors should do the same: Germany needs to support the promotion of women to higher ranks as well as gender-sensitive programs for demobilization and reintegration. Hanna Hrytsenko • 28 April 2020
Artikel Atrocity Prevention and COVID-19 The COVID-19 pandemic will lead to an increase in identity-based violence around the world. States such as the UK and Germany should integrate prevention analysis into COVID-19 policies and decision-making, leverage existing identity-based violence and atrocity prevention mechanisms, and support new means of convening and holding virtual dialogue. Kate Ferguson • 24 April 2020
Artikel COVID-19 in the Sahel: Berlin Should Use This Moment for a Reset The countries of the Sahel now face a triple threat: the pandemic, climate change, and conflict. German policymakers should urgently increase humanitarian funding. But Berlin should also look beyond the pandemic and use this moment to re-evaluate a European policy approach that has failed to stabilize the region. Nadia Ahidjo, Bram Dijkstra, Delina Goxho • 23 April 2020
Artikel More Women, More Peace: Opportunities at the EU Level The upcoming German EU Council presidency provides the opportunity to advance the women, peace, and security agenda at the EU level. The German government should seize this chance by advocating for formal Council conclusions, setting up a dedicated Council Working Group, and organizing a High Level Ministerial Conference on women, peace, and security. Hannah Neumann • 22 April 2020
Artikel A Comprehensive Understanding of Security Sector Governance Makes for More Effective Reform Germany has shown an increasing interest in and support for security sector reform (SSR) in recent years. It should use its leadership role in the EU’s civilian Common Security and Defense Policy, the fields of Disaster Risk Reduction, and mediation to include them into its programming, thereby promoting a comprehensive approach to security sector governance. Viola Csordas, Camilla Arvastson • 21 April 2020
Artikel Seeing Refugee Women as Resources, Not as Victims Women who are refugees or internally displaced people have been largely excluded from the Women, Peace, and Security agenda. Germany’s new National Action Plan should focus on increasing their participation in peace processes and evaluate policies aimed at their protection both in Germany and abroad. Elizabeth Ferris • 08 April 2020
Artikel Corona-PeaceLab: How Do We Need to Adapt Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding? The coronavirus pandemic has plunged the world into a crisis that will affect all policy areas. The German government is seeking your ideas: "PeaceLab" offers an established platform for debate on how the pandemic affects crisis prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. PeaceLab editorial team • 03 April 2020
Artikel Protecting Women Human Rights Defenders: Leveraging the German-African Union Partnership To link human rights mechanisms to the agenda on Women, Peace, and Security, Germany should reinforce its support to the African Union’s engagement in peace and security. Building on existing African women’s mediator and leadership networks, Berlin should dedicate funds to the work of women human rights defenders and the development of a database highlighting their efforts and challenges. Toni Haastrup, Miriam Mona Müller • 24 March 2020
Artikel Searching for a Strategy: Germany in the Sahel The German answer to French requests for military support to the anti-terror operations in the Sahel should not be a simple “Yes” or “No”. Berlin needs to put forward a more comprehensive political strategy. This should include coordinated pressure on the Malian government to implement the peace agreement and a stronger focus on rebuilding local governance. Anna Schmauder • 23 March 2020
Artikel Sudan's Transition: A Strategic Opportunity for the German Government The stability of the wider East African region depends on the success of Sudan's transitional government. The German government should prioritize supporting Khartoum in the handling of subsidies and in strengthening the country's middle class. To succeed in this, Berlin needs to ensure coherence between short-term crisis prevention and longer-term development cooperation. Philipp Jahn • 19 March 2020
Artikel Want Better Policymaking on Conflicts and Crises? Support Independent Journalism Fewer and fewer journalists are covering international conflicts. This is a serious problem: A lack of media attention leads to low public awareness and understanding of conflicts, and to worse policy responses. For policymakers looking to improve communication on crisis prevention, stabilisation, and peacebuilding, supporting independent media coverage would go a long way. Heba Aly • 18 March 2020
Artikel Harnessing the Power of Women’s Organizations at the Grassroots Women are spearheading social and political change in many African countries, often using creative ways of organizing themselves to circumvent power structures. Germany should realize their potential as political partners and support their work by adapting funding structures to unusual modes of feminist organizing. Daniel Wegner, Rosebell Kagumire • 09 March 2020
Artikel Germany’s Support to Security Sector Reform in Yemen: Focus on the Relationship between the Police and Civil Society The security sector in Yemen is extremely fragmented. Germany’s support to security sector reform in the country requires a deeper understanding of command structures, political interests of local police forces and drivers of change. Germany and the EU should provide capacity building for the police forces and simultaneously incentivize them to cooperate with civil society initiatives. 18 February 2020
