RSS 1.0Life and Peace Institute Collection
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This collections contains publications of the Life & Peace Institute, such as the serials "New Routes: A Journal of Peace Research and Action", and the "Horn of Africa Bulletin" and others. The Life & Peace Institute (LPI) is an international and ecumenical centre that supports and promotes nonviolent approaches to conflict transformation through a combination of research and action that entails the strengthening of existing local capacities and enhancing the preconditions for building peace.
Recent Submissions
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Horn of Africa BulletinThe articles in this thematic issue of the Horn of Africa Bulletin address different aspects of the problem of terrorism in the Horn of Africa in general and Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) as an emerging approach. The Horn of Africa has witnessed its share of attacks by movements designated as terrorists. The rising incidence of these attacks, the endurance of the al-Shabaab in Somalia, and the expansion of its activities into Kenya, point to the continuing relevance of efforts to counter terrorism. Prevailing socio-economic and political conditions in the Horn also provide many of the structural pre-conditions for terrorism. International intergovernmental organizations and Western countries have lent support for CVE efforts in the Horn. A key mantra in the discourse on CVE and the justification for regarding it as a seismic shift in the effort against terrorism is its supposed emphasis on the ‘drivers’ or ‘root causes’ of terrorism. The emphasis on root causes is in many ways a case of ‘re-inventing the wheel’. The articles in the current issue of the Horn of Africa Bulletin address different aspects of the problem of terrorism in the Horn in general and CVE as an emerging approach.
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Horn of Africa BulletinThe latest Horn of Africa Bulletin on the role of the Diaspora in peace and security addresses some of the critical issues, definitions and intricacies of the Horn's Diaspora. Interesting dilemmas and issues that policy makers at the national and international level concerned with the migration crisis and who wish to draw on Diaspora resources to mitigate socio-political and economic problems in the Horn, should pay attention to.
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Horn of Africa BulletinThis thematic issue on mobility in the Horn of Africa includes Maru’s comprehensive survey of the legal and institutional frameworks on migration in the IGAD region. The co-authored article by Farah and Toure surveys the ‘push’ and ‘pull’ factors that drive migration in the Horn region. Van Reisen departs from the general theme of the issue in that it is a masterful survey of the key problems besetting the European Union’s policies and interventions in the face of increased migration to its shores and also identifies the evolution of EU policy overtime. The article by Kwesi Sansculotte-Greenidge surveys the neglected subject of labour migration from the region to South Sudan.
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Horn of Africa BulletinIn this very timely Djibouti-themed (and bilingual) issue: Patrick Ferras describes the patterns and dynamics that gave rise to the growing non-African military presence in Djibouti; Aden Omar Abdillahi analyses the legislative elections of 2013 and the political transformations it unleashed; Djama Omar Idleh’s examines the unfolding of Djibouti’s political and economic links with the Arab world and Zelalem Tesfaye studies the expanding economic and infrastructural collaboration between Ethiopia and Djibouti and the ramifications (political and economic) for the rest of the region.
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Horn of Africa Bulletin (January-February 2015)In this first issue of 2015: The 40th anniversary of Ethiopia's TPLF; religious institutions and control in Kenya; ensuring responsible oil production in Somalia; and US-Somali policy on remittances....
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Horn of Africa Bulletin (November - December 2014)The latest issue of the Horn of Africa Bulletin is a must-read. In this issue we ask: Federalism trends in the Horn of Africa-will it deliver on its promises of enhancing peace and local participation? Tegbaru Yared lays out Ethiopia’s grand federal system, Najum Mushtaq examines federalism amid political and military chaos in Somalia and Fred Otieno asks whether devolution will bring lasting peace in Kenya.
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Horn of Africa BulletinIn this issue of Horn of Africa Bulletin find articles about the civil war in South Sudan and the spillover effect in Gambela, Ethiopia; about the reasons for radicalisation in Kenya; about the African Union's counterterrorism policy in relation to the US government's war on terrorism. In addtion, find useful tips about Horn of Africa resource material.
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New Routes“Think globally and act locally”. In many contexts this phrase is heard quite frequently, and to some extent it is true and relevant. But sometimes it is even more important to “think locally and act globally” in order to avoid top-down attitudes and efforts that are neither anchored in nor respectful to local realities. There is no shortage of good intentions when it comes to peacebuilding, often with external actors stepping into a local context. But it should be remembered that people, even in a vulnerable situation, most probably are fully capable of making their own decisions and planning their own future. They should be listened to with respect and with a sensitive ear. They are the ones who know best what kind of assistance would fulfil their needs. This issue of New Routes, produced jointly by the Life & Peace Institute and the Church of Sweden, lifts up the need to better understand the interrelatedness between the global and the local. It does not present any quick solutions but aims to give food for thought and reflection on this topic. The following articles are found in this issue of New Routes: Time to address the “glocality of peace” by Niklas Eklöv and Tore Samuelsson Churches help change arms trade by Joseph Dube and Jonathan Frerichs Bridging the local with the regional by Hannah Tsadik and Lidet Tadesse Shiferaw Persistent work gives hope for peace by Héctor Fabián Rodríguez Muñoz and Andrea Villarreal Calpa A Journey of healing and reconciliation by Eva Palmquist Local to global protection – not one without the other by Peter Sjöberg Gap Between local and external perception of needs by Rafael Eguigueren and Luna Saadeh Business as usual or entangled in conflict by Joakim Wohlfeil Responsible investors or ruthless spoilers? by Kjell-Åke Nordquist The Paradox of Heineken in the Congo by Hason Miklian and Peer Schouten
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Horn of Africa BulletinA new issue of the Horn of Africa Bulletin is out! It includes three new and very timely analythical articles about the war in South Sudan, radicalization of youth in Kenya and the layers of conflict in Somalia.
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Why local dynamics of conflict are never only localLand issues are an example of the larger argument about conflict layers in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There is need, however, to understand local as well as supra-local levels of dispute in a comprehensive analysis, not overlooking the interconnectedness and complexity between the different layers of dispute.
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Women in post-civil war BurundiWomen’s involvement in peacebuilding activities and reconciliation in Burundi is the focus of this article. Although the social fabric of the society was destroyed during the civil war, women continued to play a key role as peacebuilders, peacekeepers and peacemakers. Much thanks to their efforts the country reached its current level of reconciliation and stability.
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Women’s participation strengthens peace workPolitics and conflict resolution in the Democratic Republic of Congo are areas reserved for men. But a new project, strengthening women at the local level, aims to break this pattern of discrimination.
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Peacebuilding in Congo needs to be reconsideredThe situation in Congo is continuously unsettled, even though its civil war has officially been over for years and the United Nations’ largest peacekeeping mission is based there. The international community has failed to help Congo achieve peace and security because it fundamentally misunderstands the causes of the violence.
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Media in Great Lakes Region fostering social dialogueFostering dialogue in societies torn apart by ethnic conflicts is a contribution to peacebuilding processes in general and to reconciliation, trauma healing and positive changes in particular. This article lifts up some of the media initiatives of organisations in the Great Lakes Region that contribute to engaging the traumatised communities in this process.
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Conflict transformationIt was a warm, sunny day in Bukavu, capital of the South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Tharcisse Kayira, coordinator of a local conflict transformation organization, took a deep breath and strolled past a fragrant rose garden, toward the conference room where some sixty community representatives from the province were filtering in. This was it, the Inter-Community Dialogue, which would bring his own community, the Banyamulenge, face to face with other communities in a secure environment for the first time. Preparations had been ongoing for nearly four years to get to this point, where these four communities were ready to sit down together and talk through the conflicts that had been troubling them for so many years.
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Elements of sustainable peaceThe question whether religion is a promoter of peace or conflict is a recurrent item on the agenda, both in high politics negotiations and in the local village talks. With no definite answer in sight, what is more obvious is that for peace to be systematic and sustainable, it needs to come from the ground up.
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The Catholic ChurchCivil society, and particularly the Catholic Church, plays a leading role in the democratization process in the Great Lakes Region. This article presents an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of different civil society functions in the region. The church’s potential in peacebuilding and conflict resolution has, however, never been fully utilized.
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The missing paradigmStarting off with a retrospect of DR Congo’s history from 1960, this article describes the role of the Catholic Church in peacebuilding and development in the country, through the dismantling of the society during the civil war, onto the still ongoing reconstruction period. The author also presents two framework theories, which contribute both to the understanding of the church’s role and suggests possible ways forward.
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Spaces for difficult dialogueDuring a recent tenure as Visiting Fellow at the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame, USA, I was approached by Daniel Philpott, Professor of Political Science and Peace Studies, with a request to co-host a conference on peacebuilding in Africa. – What would be different this time? There have been so many of these conferences, I asked Dan. His response, that this conference would focus on comparing bottom-up approaches to facilitate post-conf lict socialisation through religious and cultural initiatives, not only convinced me that it would be worth pursuing. It also cohered perfectly with the mandate and vision of the organisation with which I had been associated for the past thirteen years, the Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR).
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Gaps in the peacebuilding processWhy have local and international actors failed to bring lasting peace in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo? Most responses to this question highlight the lack of good will from local and regional authorities and disparate economic interests. There is need for a greater role to be played by religion and traditional practices in the peacebuilding process.
