In June 2012, over one year after revolution erupted in Syria, international actors agreed on a set of principles for a Syrian-led transition to peace and democracy, including that “[a]ll groups and segments of society…must be enabled to participate.” But 16 months after this agreement was reached in Geneva, how has it factored into planning […]
On July 18-19, 2013, Inclusive Security, International Civil Society Action Network, and Nonviolent Peaceforce co-hosted a discussion with representatives from diverse sectors. The objective was to outline concrete options for ensuring meaningful inclusion of Syrian civil society in negotiations to end the war. This report summarizes the key discussions of that meeting, including what makes […]
Prepared as a background paper for “Building More Inclusive Political Transitions: A Review of the Syrian Case,” this memo summarizes nine case studies of civil society participation in peace processes. The models range from direct representation at the table to non-binding advisory bodies and from official negotiations to informal Track II dialogues. Each example is […]
In this official background paper for the 2013 Oslo Forum, Inclusive Security’s Director, Jacqueline O’Neill, and Kenyan Women Waging Peace Network member, Alice Nderitu, argue that meaningful inclusion of women in peace processes is in the best interest of mediators. They present and debunk seven common misconceptions that prevent mediators from capitalizing on the benefits […]
This article was originally published by Sudan Vision. The Sudanese Women Coalition for Peace in collaboration with the Development Studies & Research Institute (DSRI) of the University of Khartoum & the Ministry of Social Welfare with the support of the Institute of Inclusive Security (IIS) organized a Forum on “Sudanese Women & peace challenges: Sudan […]
I recently returned from Addis Ababa where The Institute for Inclusive Security convened a diverse group of 20 women from Sudan and South Sudan during the African Union Summit. Both countries signed peace accords in September 2012. Until very recently, virtually nothing had been done to implement the agreements. Women have been largely absent from […]
This article by Philister Baya Lawiri is cross posted on The Elders. Sudan, once the largest nation is Africa, recently split into two. This separation was the result of over five decades of war. I was a child of war. I personally know the bitter experiences of loss and displacement. I wish I could say […]
The long-standing structure for negotiations within the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has involved a limited number of high-level officials. Civil society actors, who are often among the most committed to ending the conflict, have thus been unable to share their perspectives on the core issues and help build societal support for the outcomes. Given the ongoing conflict […]
As a mediator between armed groups in Africa, Stella Sabiiti has worked with individuals in some of the world’s most tense situations. Ms. Sabiiti has been with the AU Peace and Security Directorate since 2006, as part of a team of experts strengthening the AU, Regional Economic Communities, and regional standby brigades in building the […]
In January 2011, Belle Abaya was interviewed about negotiations and mediation and she pointed out that peace negotiation teams tend to be mostly men. In cultures such as that of Ms. Abaya’s in the Philippines, this may be detrimental to the peace process as men there are taught to suppress their emotions and have a fear of […]
