‘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 Mission Impossible? Lessons from UN Peacekeeping in South Sudan The UN Mission in South Sudan faces daunting challenges, especially with regard to the protection of civilians. Despite its efforts, the mission cannot solve the conflict alone. Regional and international actors must step up and act more decisively. Germany can help by pushing for the immediate establishment of the planned hybrid court for atrocities. It can also encourage a frank debate about the limits of the protection of civilians and motivate other countries to increase humanitarian aid. Elisa D. Lux • 08. Juni 2017
Artikel Moving from Peacekeeping to Prevention at the UN: Opportunities for Europe The UNs new Secretary-General Guterres is keen on pushing his prevention agenda forward, making the UN more agile and cheaper. As a result, the UN is slowly handing over security responsibilities to African actors on the continent. This shift opens up opportunities for European players to revitalize and expand their approach to crisis management. Germany is a potential lynchpin for efforts to pool European resources. Richard Gowan • 11. Mai 2017
Artikel Development as an Ecosystem: How Aid Programs Can Stimulate Change Socio-political change processes are complex, disruptive, and unpredictable. For this reason, donors such as Germany should initiate more adaptive aid programs. Such programs have broad objectives, flexible resources, and are able to learn. This means moving away from only reporting tangible results at the output level, starting to hold programs accountable for their capacity to adjust, and sustaining long-term partnerships between funders and implementers. Erwin van Veen • 09. Mai 2017
Artikel Will 2017 Be a Watershed Year for Prevention at the Service of Peace? Effective prevention requires an understanding of peace beyond the mere absence of violent conflict. Therefore, the United Nations should view prevention as a governance tool rather than a crisis management tool. Further, the UN should combine the breadth of recent reform agendas into a single strategic, inclusive vision. Youssef Mahmoud • 13. April 2017
Artikel To Prevent another Syria, the World Needs German Leadership The consequences of the international communitys failure to effectively respond to atrocities in Syria were catastrophic. In learning from our collective failure and establishing atrocity prevention as a top foreign policy priority, no European country is more important than Germany. Political leadership is key, and the new guidelines are the best place to start. Tod Lindberg • 29. März 2017
Artikel Without Democracy, No Human Rights and No Peace Germanys new guidelines for managing crises and conflicts should lay the ground for human rights promotion that is more courageous, political and ready for new risks. Despite old and new challenges, democracy assistance remains an important component of sustainable peacebuilding. Katrin Kinzelbach • 25. Januar 2017
Artikel No Peace without Peace Education and Education Reform Too often, education marginalizes students rather than empowering them. Peace agreements should provide for educational reforms that channel local knowledge into sustainable education systems. Utilising its comparative advantages, Germany can play a stronger role in both emergency peace education and in long-term education reforms for peace. Katja Anger • 23. Januar 2017
Veranstaltungsbericht Enhancing Womens Leadership for Sustainable Peace in Fragile Contexts in the MENA Region On 13 December 2016, the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and UN Women hosted an expert discussion on opportunities and challenges in enhancing womens leadership in crisis prevention and peacebuilding with a particular focus on the MENA region. The one-day workshop was held in Berlin. PeaceLab2016 editorial team, BMZ • 17. Januar 2017
Veranstaltungsbericht The Future of EU Crisis Management: What Expectations for Germany? On 11 November 2016, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung EU Office hosted an expert roundtable with European stakeholders as part of the PeaceLab2016 process to discuss Germanys role in future EU crisis management. The event was held in Brussels. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung EU Office • 05. Januar 2017
Veranstaltungsbericht Early Warning/Early Action Lessons from Burundi and South Sudan On 26 October 2016, Foresight Intelligence, the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) and the German Federal Foreign Office hosted an expert workshop on early warning and early action in the recent cases of conflict in Burundi and South Sudan. The event was held in Berlin. PeaceLab2016 editorial team • 14. Dezember 2016
Veranstaltungsbericht Stabilization Instruments Revisited: Increasing the Likelihood of Positive Impact On 19 October 2016, the Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) organized a workshop on stabilization instruments to offer a forum for an open exchange and a fresh look at approaches to stabilization, with a view to making policy recommendations for the Government Guidelines for Crisis Engagement and Peacebuilding. The workshop was held in Berlin. Center for International Peace Operations (ZIF) • 23. November 2016
Veranstaltungsbericht Preventing Crises, Preventing Atrocities On October 20, the Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi), the US Holocaust Memorial Museum and Genocide Alert organized a roundtable on Preventing Crises, Preventing Atrocities: Lessons and Opportunities for Transatlantic Cooperation. The event was held at the BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt in Berlin. Global Public Policy Institute (GPPi) • 10. November 2016
Veranstaltungsbericht Youth in Conflict On 6 October 2016, Polis180 organized a workshop bringing together 35 students and young professionals from different countries to discuss the role of youth in conflict and to develop recommendations for the German governments new guidelines on crisis prevention, stabilization and peacebuilding. Polis180 • 26. Oktober 2016
Artikel A Double-Edged Sword: Targeted Sanctions as a Crisis Prevention Tool Targeted sanctions can be an effective instrument in crisis prevention particularly when combined with mediation efforts but they need to be used with great caution. Germany should push for significant reforms of the UN and EU sanctions regimes in order to increase their effectiveness, avoid adverse humanitarian impact and human rights violations, and to ensure coherence between multiple sanctions regimes. Marcos Tourinho • 19. Oktober 2016
Artikel How Can International Actors Support Transitional Justice Processes? On 27 September 2016, the FriEnt workshop Pathways to just and sustainable peace: How can international actors support transitional justice processes? brought together representatives from civil society, academia, and government ministries at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin. FriEnt, PeaceLab2016 editorial team • 19. Oktober 2016
Artikel Towards An Integrated Approach to Conflicts and Crises: Germany's Central Role in European Conflict Prevention, Stabilization and Peacebuilding There are three priorities for the future of conflict prevention, stabilization and peacebuilding that Germany and the EU have in common: First, to invest early in prevention. Second, to pursue a political approach to stabilization with the long-term objectives in mind and third, to invest in multi-layered and multi-dimensional peace processes that build on mutual comparative advantages, and reach all parts of conflict-affected societies. Helga Maria Schmid • 11. Oktober 2016
Artikel A New Agenda for Peace: Start with a Look in the Mirror In his speech at FriEnts 15th anniversary on 14 September 2016, Jonathan Cohen asked: How can we make peacebuilding more effective? His answer: Involve locals, broaden peace negotiations, make interventions less securitized and more political and be aware of power relations. Above all, peacebuilders should recognize the political impact of their own actions. Jonathan Cohen • 06. Oktober 2016
Veranstaltungsbericht The 'Technocracy Trap' of State-Building How to Improve the Effectiveness and Legitimacy of Security and Justice Sector Reforms On 14 September 2016, 60 experts from civil society, academia, international organisations and German ministries gathered at the German Federal Foreign Office to discuss Germanys engagement in supporting justice and security sector reforms (JSSR). SFB700 • 06. Oktober 2016
Artikel 10 Tips for Increasing Political Engagement for SSR In a recent post on the ISSAT blog, Thammy Evans explains what a more political approach to security sector reform requires. The problem is not a lack of political will in Host Nations per se, she writes. It is much more a matter of where existing political will is directed, and how it can be incentivized to enable effective and accountable reform of the security sector. Thammy Evans • 29. September 2016
Artikel Tough but Essential: Germany's Political Engagement with Crisis Prevention in Africa In recent years, Germany has stepped up its engagement in Africa, notably in Mali. But there is room for improvement: In concert with the EU, UN and regional partners, Germany should lead the way to a more strategic political engagement with crisis prevention on the continent. Comfort Ero • 22. September 2016
Artikel Relationship Advice for Crisis Managers When a crisis looms, relationships with political leaders in countries at risk can tip the scales for or against violence. Germany needs to get better at analyzing what drives decision-makers and urge its diplomats, NGOs and political foundations to build trust and lasting relationships with political leaders in fragile states. Richard Gowan • 15. September 2016
