On Friday 12th July, Al-Shabaab attacked a hotel in Kismayo, Somalia where a meeting was taking place between local government officials and civil society leaders to discuss the upcoming elections. 26 people were killed in the attack and tragically one of those killed was Abdullahi Isse (known to us as Isse). Isse was the Executive Director of SADO, local partner of … Continued
Peace Direct, Search for Common Ground and Mercy Corps present our “Pathways to Peace” art exhibit in the US Senate Russell Rotunda, now open to the public until May 10.
Are you working to build peaceful, just and inclusive societies? Have you been supporting local-level work to improve opportunities for peace? The United Nations committed to achieving peaceful, just, and inclusive societies through Sustainable Development Goal 16+ (SDG16+), which is part of the 2030 Agenda’s call to achieve peace and sustainable development in every country around … Continued
The inclusion of local civil society in peacebuilding initiatives is vital to building sustainable peace. The U.S. Congress is considering a new policy initiative which will take local voices into consideration. The U.S. House of Representative and U.S. Senate have introduced the Global Fragility Act of 2019 earlier this year. It demonstrates significant progress towards international recognition of the critical role played by local people. The initiative brings the United States closer to a more focused, high-level policy response to address violence and instability in the world’s toughest places; one that places locally-led peacebuilding at the forefront.
The 2019 general elections in Nigeria are set to take place on Saturday 23rd February, after being postponed from the 16th. In the run up to the event, we urge against pessimism and look to signs of hope for the country’s future. Our local peacebuilding partner, Michael Sodipo, was recently interviewed by All Africa magazine, and we echo his thoughts on how young people are our best hope for a peaceful future in Nigeria.
Peace Direct and the Alliance for Peacebuilding are compiling a report to highlight the impact of local peacebuilding efforts around the world. This is to support our advocacy with policymakers, in line with the policy consensus that locally-owned and -led peacebuilding is essential for violence reduction and long-term stability. We are keen to review evaluation … Continued
Inclusive peace, or the idea that all stakeholders in a society should have a role in defining and shaping peace, is receiving widespread global recognition. Still, despite the progress made through the increased recognition of inclusive peace at the theoretical and policy level, it has proven difficult to achieve in reality. We teamed up with the Inclusive Peace & Transition Initiative and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict to explore the dynamics of inclusivity and peacebuilding in further detail in our latest report.
Today marks the first ever UN International Day of Education. The day celebrates the role of education in development and is intended to be a demonstration of the world’s commitment to providing quality education for all. Education is a basic human right. But for young people living in countries affected by conflict, attending school is … Continued
Asmin works for Kapamagogopa Incorporated (KI), a local peacebuilding organization based on the Philippine island of Mindanao. We spoke to Asmin to hear about her work, how violence affected her family, and her hopes for a peaceful future.
2018 has been a year of growth, successes, challenges and learning for Peace Direct. We’re proud to have continued supporting local people to build peace in 12 countries around the world, and to shine a light on the efforts and resilience of grassroots action in many more.