European Institute of Peace at 10 – Intergenerational Dialogue on the Future of Peacemaking
04/07/2024
We find ourselves in an era characterised by new forms of warfare, violence and complex, interconnected armed conflicts. These are fuelled by myriad factors, from geopolitical tensions to climate change, socio-economic disparities to digital polarisation.
The skills and capacities associated with peace mediation are needed more than ever – yet they are at risk of being sidelined in the increasingly erratic world of global policy approaches to preventing and resolving armed conflict.
Official support for peaceful conflict resolution is on the decline, weakening global efforts to mitigate conflict-related suffering. The United Nations and other bodies established to save people from the scourge of war and affirm human dignity everywhere are struggling to fulfil their founding purpose. But the space for dialogue and conflict resolution has never been more urgently needed.
Mediators can play an indispensable role in facilitating dialogue and negotiation processes that can lead to sustainable solutions. They create channels of communication, bridge divides, cultivate trust, and work with conflicting parties to find common ground, thereby reducing the devastating human and economic toll of conflicts.
Peace mediation not only helps prevent further violence and suffering but can contribute to security and stability. In a world facing mounting challenges such as ecological collapse and rising temperatures, resource scarcity, terrorism and armed criminal networks, health and pandemic threats, the ability to identify common interests and resolve conflicts peacefully is a linchpin for achieving collective goals, fostering cooperation, and preserving the well-being of nations and their populations.
We live in a world where countries still take up arms against their neighbours, invade their lands, kill their citizens, and cause destruction without respect for international law, or human dignity. In this dark and grim context, fostering dialogue and supporting nonviolent conflict resolution is crucial and even urgent. These are the only true paths to peace, freedom and lasting security. And that’s why the Institute’s initiatives in conflict regions, along with various mediation initiatives, remains essential and requires significant effort in networking, human resources, and funding. Together, I’m sure we can make a real difference politically in governance, and financially and budget planning.
– Hadja Labib, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium
When, in February 2014, the Institute’s statutes were signed, a long-held ambition was realised: to create Europe’s own peace institute; one that acts independently to resolve conflict where official actors cannot, for the benefit both of Europeans and, crucially, of those worst affected by violence. We have been on a journey for the last decade towards making this ambitious project a reality.
From a modest staff and budget, the Institute has become a global network of over 150 advisors and experts supported by 50 full-time personnel based in Brussels. It now has a wide range of partnerships with actors dedicated to conflict prevention and resolution, both official and independent, local and international.
We work with the most experienced practitioners, including Nobel prize laureates, activists, officials from multilateral organisations, national and community leaders and others that can help influence just and sustainable outcomes. Today, the Institute is a recognised partner in the struggle for peace from Kosovo to Yemen, from Somalia to Venezuela, from Syria to Ukraine.
The European Institute of Peace has grown from being a handful of people back in 2014, to an organisation with 50 full time personnel in Brussels and over 150 advisors and associates. Many of whom are also present today, and who I would like to pay tribute to, including individuals with very specialist skills, very senior people with very senior experience, including as mediators, ministers, and managers. Today, the Institute is working in about 20 countries, engaging with parties to conflict, building backchannels, facilitating dialogues including track 1 and track 2, exploring new ways of bringing adversaries together, and catalysing initiatives that are designed to prevent violence and increase the agency of those most affected or at risk of conflict.
-Helga Schmid, Secretary General of OSCE and President of the Institute’s Board of Governors
We are engaged with individuals and groups on the front lines of armed conflict to hear and amplify their concerns and connect them with those that can make a difference. We reach people and places that official actors often cannot or will not, complementing and supporting the work of local conflict resolution actors. We are creative in designing and supporting dialogue, negotiations and peace processes, ensuring that the interests of people directly affected by violent conflict are front and centre.
Investing in peace mediation is a pragmatic way to address the complex challenges of our time, build relationships and contribute to strategies for achieving security and to help build a more peaceful world. However, mediators and conflict resolution practitioners are facing strong headwinds, operating in a rapidly changing political environment in which short term and military approaches to security are prioritised.
At the same time, there is a growing gap between the younger generation and government policy makers on how global challenges to peace are prioritised and addressed. Young people are disproportionally affected by insecurity and escalating conflict, yet most feel excluded from policies and decisions that will shape their future in decisive ways.
The voices of the young generation are increasingly politicised and loud when it comes to security and peace initiatives, both in countries affected by conflict and in protests and online discourse in the West. There is a pressing need and opportunity to address the gap between them and current decision and policy makers.
Young people, from Christians, to Jews to Muslims, they took to the streets united, asking for an end to the war and a true path to the peace. This is not just a couple of protests happening in Europe, for real change and real action to end atrocities and violence and war. It is a global movement of young people shaping and asking and demanding their leaders to change the structures that are creating these atrocities. Until the leaders and politicians, the Western world and also in the Global South […] take decisions and policies with empathy, with justice and commitment to human rights this generational gap will grow wider, and the cries for change from young people will be louder than ever before.
– Aisha Khurram, youth activist, Afghanistan
The bravery and resilience of young people in conflict zones underscores their role and potential as agents of change. Their vested interest in peace and security is driven by aspirations for a better future and the dire consequences they face if violence spreads and armed conflicts persist. This demographic, increasingly connected and tech-savy, harnesses digital platforms to mobilise, advocate, and innovate for peace.
We have seen young people being absolute catalysts and drivers of disruptive change in other parts of public life like environmental causes, we see them raising their voices in theatres of war and in campuses far away from that. It makes some of the older generations that hold the infrastructure of peacemaking and conflict resolution uneasy to see that – to see that force. We see them utilising new means of communicating and advancing and growing their voice, means that are unfamiliar perhaps to the people who govern the existing peacemaking and conflict resolution system.
-Martina Stevis Gridneff, Brussels Bureau Chief, The New York Times
Social media, online campaigns, and digital dialogues facilitate their involvement in peace processes, from grassroots movements to international fora. At the same time, the online space is fertile ground for hate speech, incitement and dehumanisation of ‘the other’, contributing to further polarisation and real world violence.
The perspective of young people is crucial to address these threats, as they bring fresh ideas and a sense of urgency to the peacebuilding table. The participation of young people in dialogue and peace initiatives is increasingly recognised as essential by global organisations and policymakers.
It is important for older generations to not only allow young people in the rooms, but hire young people, listen to young people and hear them not just taking notes, but making effective change. Give a young person a chance. I think that’s very important. And it’s even more important for young girls to see that messaging, see those investments in themselves in mentorship and an education, because it’s just such a crucial thing to not allow young girls to fall through the cracks.
– Alliyah Logan, education advocate and consultant at UNICEF, United States
As both victims and crucial stakeholders in the fight for peace, youth participation in policy discussions and practical initiatives is indispensable. Their involvement and common interest in a safer world can mitigate the worst impacts of violent conflicts but also lay the foundation for sustained global peace and security. Youth empowerment should be a priority for the international community.
This was the primary reason behind our decision to dedicate the 10th Anniversary of the European Institute for Peace to intergenerational dialogue on the future of peacemaking and bring young leaders from various contexts to the table with decision makers from governments and multilateral institutions.
This dialogue sought to explore how can we all as a global community, but Europe in particular, address global challenges that are crucial to peace, such as the erosion of political support for non-violent conflict resolution, the militarisation of responses to insecurity, failure to address the impact of climate change as a driver of crises, and the impact of social media on public discourse around conflict and peace.
Echoing the critical point emphasised by Finnish President Alexander Stubb in his video address to mark the occasion, “if you do not talk about peace, you cannot achieve it.”
Our aim was to catalyse a constructive discussion on what can be done to expand the space for dialogue and conflict resolution in a world marked by increasing violence and declining political support for peace initiatives. Our conference was not just an event but the beginning of an ongoing intergenerational dialogue which seeks to spark comprehensive discussions on the critical issue of global peace in a world marked by diverse challenges.
We clearly need to reimagine political leadership for peace. Our hope is that the conversations we initiated during the celebration of our 10th anniversary contributed to this in a meaningful way.
Michael Keating, Executive Director at the European Institute of Peace