Digital resources in the Social Sciences and Humanities OpenEdition Our platforms OpenEdition Books OpenEdition Journals Hypotheses Calenda Libraries OpenEdition Freemium Follow us

Policy Conference: Dealing with conflict, preparing for sustainable peace

Authors: Julia Grauvogel & Christof Hartmann

CC BY-JG 4.0 Participants at Policy Conference 2024

Despite considerable efforts to foster peace, multiple interlinked security challenges persist in Africa. While decentralized forms of violence such as Jihadism, urban riots and smaller insurgencies are a key concern, conflicts with strong regional and international involvement have also increased significantly. Sustainable peacebuilding has been a core agenda of MIASA throughout the last years, and a policy conference in December 2024 discussed sources of and solutions to conflict in pursuit of sustainable peace in Africa by bringing into dialogue research on key challenges, actors and instruments. 

CC BY-JG 4.0: Dr. Julia Grauvogel & Dr. Afua Boatemaa Yakohene at Policy Conference 2024

 

 

 

The format provided the framework for addressing policy-relevant issues and offering a space for discussion between researchers, policymakers and other key stakeholders. It was jointly organized by one of MIASA’s partners, the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre (KAIPTC), and the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD) at the University of Ghana. Out of more than 200 submissions, the program committee – comprised of Emma Birikorang (KAIPTC), Julia Grauvogel (GIGA), Christof Hartmann, (University of Duisburg-Essen) and Afua Boatemaa Yakohene (LECIAD) – selected 28 papers that were presented during the two-day conference, which tool place on 11 and 12 December at the University of Ghana. 

The conference concentrated on three interrelated themes. First, regional organizations, Western actors and the international community, but more recently also China, have all sought to foster peace and security on the continent through instruments such as diplomatic initiatives, mediation, sanctions and peacebuilding initiatives. Yet, citizens’ and policymakers’ perceptions on the legitimacy and effectiveness of these international actors varies considerably, as discussed in a conference contribution about UN peace missions in Central African Republic. Different papers presented during the two-day conference also highlighted how much the mandates and objectives of international actors have further developed, and questions about overlaps, tensions, different types of agencies, but also financing mechanisms have come to the fore.

CC BY-JG 4.0: Keynote Speaker Dr. Aderemi Ajibewa

Second, the conference addressed the nexus between climate change and different violent conflict dynamics affecting communities across Africa, with a particular emphasis on so far poorly understood gender dimensions. The panel dedicated to this theme addressed the complex relationship between climate change, socio-economic factors and conflict while also stressing local actors – and especially female – agency in dealing with key challenges such as water scarcity and waste management. The need for context-dependent analysis and responses to climate change and its impact on armed conflict was also highlighted by policy panel participants from the Forestry Commission of Ghana and the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL). 

A third overarching theme was related to intensifying religious violence. Several papers emphasized how much the proliferation of violent extremism and terrorism has added to pre-existing political, economic as well as social difficulties. Conference participants, however, also discussed innovative strategies of how religious communities, leaders and ideas might contribute to conflict resolution and peaceful interreligious co-existence at both discursive and institutional level in various contributions. Researchers and policy panelists discussed a wide range of cross-national evidence and case examples ranging from Ghana to Kenya, Nigeria and Sudan.   

CC BY-JG 4.0: Prof. Christof Hartmann with Keynote Speaker Dr. Jana Krause

Two keynote lectures and policy panels complemented the discussions from the three thematic blocks. Aderemi Ajibewa, former Director of Political Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, reflected on this time and drew key lessons for how regional organizations such as ECOWAS need to project authority and gain legitimacy to maintain its role in regional peacebuilding. Jana Krause from the University Oslo discussed communal violence, in particular its gendered dimensions, and how local peacebuilding might strengthen the social resilience to violence. The policy panels, which brought together a wide range of practical experiences, nicely added to the discussions by underlining the interlinkages between climate change, violent extremism, and the multi-layered nature of peacebuilding where local, national and international actors and institutions overlap.  

 


OpenEdition suggests that you cite this post as follows:
teammiasa (February 27, 2025). Policy Conference: Dealing with conflict, preparing for sustainable peace. Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa - Blog. Retrieved March 26, 2025 from https://miasa.hypotheses.org/4264


You may also like...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.