Berlin
Peace Dialogue
2023
Thursday, 5 October 2023
9 a. m. – 5 p. m. CEST
at the Federal Foreign Office (Weltsaal) and online.
„Zeitenwende“ for Civilian Crisis Prevention?
Annual Conference of the Advisory Board to the Federal Government for Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding
Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has brought about a turning point in German security policy. Does this also apply to the approaches of civilian crisis prevention and peacebuilding, the effectiveness of which is crucial for the course of crises worldwide?
In the light of an increasing number of parallel global crises, the Berlin Peace Dialogue 2023 will be addressing the question of what the “Zeitenwende” means for the future of civilian crisis prevention in Germany and internationally. This year’s conference will offer insightful testimonies and perspectives from academia, politics and practical peace work.
The conference language is English (with simultaneous translation into German). Registration for participation is closed. You can follow the conference via the livestream. If you have any questions, please contact the coordination office of the advisory board: koordination@beirat-zkp.org.
Gallery
Recordings
Speakers
Parallel Sessions
-
1. Hope in the Climate Crisis? Environmental Peacebuilding as an Instrument of Prevention and Conflict Management
In the last 60 years, more than 40 per cent of all intrastate conflicts have been linked to natural resources. Meanwhile, areas experiencing violent conflict make up 14 of the world’s 25 most vulnerable countries to climate change. This overlay of political and environmental challenges is becoming increasingly relevant, and should be considered by policymakers and peacebuilders alike. Therefore, during this workshop, we will discuss the effects of climate change and environmental issues in conflict contexts, and explore how environmental peacebuilding can be an effective tool for conflict prevention. We will invite experts in environmental peacebuilding to share their experiences and insights on the challenges and opportunities on this emerging practice.
Moderation:
Shirin Reuvers
Head of Strategic Partnerships, Berghof Foundation -
2. Launch Event of the Study “Germany's Contribution to Civilian Conflict Management and Peacebuilding in the EU’s Eastern Neighbourhood: Past Experience and Future Prospects
Russia’s war against Ukraine buried Western illusions about „frozen“ conflicts in the EU’s Eastern neighborhood and the possibilities of containing them. During this session, we will present and discuss a new study published by the Advisory Board analyzing the past experience and future prospects of Germany’s contributions to civilian conflict management and peacebuilding in the region. What lessons can be learned from Germany’s engagement in a geopolitically contested region? What has changed since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and which windows of opportunities have emerged? What leverage could be used for peace, and how can diplomatic, economic, developmental, and civil society incentives be interlocked better?
Moderation:
Dr. Jana Puglierin
Member of the Advisory Board, Senior Policy Fellow & Head of the Berlin Office of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) -
3. Challenging Racism and Discriminatory Power Structures in Civilian Crisis Prevention
The new German National Security Strategy contains the keyword „discriminatory power structures“. But what is the relevance of decolonisation to sustainable peacebuilding? Recent reports note that local peacebuilders believe that international peace interventions are primarily motivated by the interests of Global North actors and external geopolitical interests, leading many to distrust Global North actors leading peace efforts. What potentials can the feminist foreign and development policy offer for a decolonial process of change in the future? Peacebuilding funding is oftentimes perceived as opaque, inaccessible to most peacebuilding groups/organisations in the Global South, and mostly inadequate in terms of flexibility and duration. This reinforces the unequal power dynamics between Global North and Global South actors. As a result, the effectiveness of peace efforts suffers, and their sustainability is reduced. This leads to the question: can decolonisation guide future action to dismantle discriminatory power structures in the future? And how can this inform the revision of the Guidelines? In the workshop we want to discuss which strategies and resources from a decolonial perspective are necessary for successful peacebuilding.
Moderation:
Marianne Pötter-Jantzen
Campaigning Officer, Misereor