International Alert

Violent conflicts are at their highest level since WWII. 📣 It is urgent and vital that more people and leaders understand what truly creates lasting #peace, and the right tools are used in the right way. #Peacebuilding, peacekeeping and peacemaking are processes that can complement each other and often overlap, so they are frequently mentioned together. But there are differences in their goals, outcomes and approaches. 💡 As a peacebuilding organisation, we focus on creating conditions where people can peacefully coexist in the long run – and find ways to resolve the root causes of their conflicts without resorting to violence. We don't provide a physical presence on the ground to maintain a pause in conflict. Our work also extends far beyond negotiating peace agreements. ❓ How exactly does peacebuilding differ from peacemaking and peacekeeping, and why is it essential to #SustainableDevelopment? ➡️ Swipe through this carousel for a clear and concise explanation you can use to talk about this with your colleagues, partners and friends. Don’t forget to 🔁 share this post with your networks. Find out more about our work and approach to peacebuilding: https://lnkd.in/e9QshR_T

Last week, Emmy Auma and Daisy Kosgei from our Horn of Africa team participated in the Water, Climate and Peace conference organised by the Dutch trade mission in Kenya. The event coincided with the state visit of Their Majesties, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, to Kenya. ➡️ The focus? Improving collaboration between different sectors to address the country’s climate security challenges.  With its unique ecosystems, Kenya is also among the most water- and climate-stressed countries in the world. Population growth, governance challenges and unsustainable resource management power competition for water and land and trigger more conflicts. Our Hub Director, Emmy Auma, accompanied the royal couple during the second day of their visit as they explored seven climate security projects in Kenya.  Our Senior Project Officer, Daisy Kosgei, explained how we tackled these challenges as part of the Water, Peace & Security partnership in the Lake Turkana region in a panel with speakers from IOM - UN Migration, University of Nairobi, and Kenya's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.  Our approach has empowered communities to create resource-sharing agreements and strengthened cooperation between authorities on water management and #ConflictResolution. “There is a gap between policy discussions on climate security and the realities on the ground. We need to use knowledge sharing to deliver practical solutions that are tailored to communities’ needs,” said Daisy. Understanding and addressing climate security risks effectively must be high on the agenda of international and national decision-makers and partners in Kenya. We’re proud to contribute our #peacebuilding expertise to this ongoing conversation. 📸 Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Kenya ____________ Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken | Government of Kenya

🌍 Interested in connections between #ClimateChange, conflict, and political instability? Join our Climate and Peacebuilding Advisor Svenja Wolter on 31 March (Monday) online and in-person as she explores the connections between these challenges with leading experts at an event by XCEPT.   Svenja and other panelists will discuss: ◾ How climate change is linked to violent conflict and can deepen fragility, ◾ Where and when these risks are most acute, ◾ How #peacebuilding can contribute to boosting the climate resilience of communities in fragile contexts. 📅 Date: 31 March 2025 ⌚ Time: 15:00 - 17:00 GMT 📍 Location: 1 Birdcage Walk, London, SW1H 9JJ & Virtual Register to attend: https://lnkd.in/e3vtPAfh More about the event ⬇️

💧 On #WorldWaterDay, watch our Senior Project Officer Daisy Kosgei explain how we transformed water-related conflicts in Kenya’s Lake Turkana region into opportunities for cooperation: https://lnkd.in/ex7nMTjj 👏 We're proud to contribute our #peacebuilding expertise to the Water, Peace & Security (WPS) consortium. Since 2021, WPS has engaged local communities and partners to reduce conflicts and harness water resources as a foundation for lasting #peace. WPS's comprehensive approach to managing water conflicts includes: ✅ Equipping decision-makers and local leaders with conflict-sensitive resource management strategies ✅ Establishing opportunities for communities to discuss issues and solutions over water stresses ✅ Data-driven tools like water and conflict mapping to analyse root causes and predict potential conflicts ✅ Working across sectors to gain maximum impact for communities Discover how water challenges are becoming opportunities for peace. Learn more about the partnership: https://lnkd.in/ey4HEXj

How does #localisation work in post-conflict contexts which have multiple competing priorities for their recovery?     Lebanon’s vibrant civil society and strong #peacebuilding sector offer valuable lessons.    As the country tries to rebuild from the recent war, understanding how international and local organisations can effectively work together to support long-term #peace, healing and social stability is crucial.    Before the war broke out last year, we explored this as part of our in-depth research with a broad range of civil society and peacebuilding practitioners.     Today, the lessons we learned in that research are even more pertinent. ➡️ Swipe through to see our main insights.    💡 Our findings showed successful localisation is about making smart decisions about where and how to allocate resources. In Lebanon, we revealed three priority action areas:  1️⃣ Transforming power dynamics and building genuine partnerships between local and international actors  2️⃣ Strengthening local capacities through training, knowledge sharing and stronger collaboration between all actors  3️⃣ Prioritising peacebuilding as an integral part of recovery, not an add-on.    For donors, understanding these dynamics means more effective investment. For local civil society, it validates their crucial role and enables greater influence.    🔎 Explore our complete findings: https://lnkd.in/eDNN-v5t ______  We appreciate the kind support of our donor Svenska Postkodlotteriets Stiftelse (The Swedish Postcode Lottery Foundation)

To resolve conflicts peacefully, communities need access to different #justice mechanisms. Our work in Nigeria aims to improve and strengthen these – especially in harder-to-reach areas with a lack of accessible solutions. 👏We're proud that, with our support, Zamfara State is now preparing a crucial reform to help local people get access to timely justice. Together, we’ve been working to establish Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Centres, including advocating for this new mechanism to be formalised in the State’s law. ADR Centre: ✅Handles civil disputes efficiently and affordably with simpler procedures, ✅Operates through user-friendly processes that don't require expensive legal teams, ✅Offers faster resolution times than traditional courts. Why this matters: 1️⃣Increased access to justice for people who previously couldn't afford lengthy court battles or didn’t have the right tools available in their communities. 2️⃣Reduced backlog in higher courts, as suitable cases are now channelled to small claims courts. 3️⃣More than one pathway to justice for local communities. We’ve recently invited legal experts, civil society, media and security forces representatives, community leaders, and women and youth groups to review the bill on ADR and make their recommendations to it before it’s passed into law. 👉 Strong justice systems are the foundation of peaceful, secure societies. We're committed to continuing our work with the Zamfara State Government to advance innovative approaches to #conflictresolution. Interested to learn more about this work? Get in touch with our Nigeria team: https://lnkd.in/e9RcEHmy ________________ This work is part of our project 'Catalysing Change and Building Coalitions for Peace and Resilience' supported by Strengthening Peace in Nigeria (SPRiNG). SPRiNG is an initiative of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and implemented by Tetra Tech International Development. Paul N.

👋 Meet our project participant, Prisca, from Kenya’s West Pokot County. She proves that women ARE too often a missing link in addressing #ClimateChange and conflict impacts. For decades, her community was in conflict with their neighbours in Marakwet over scarce natural resources and land. Climate change only fuelled these tensions. 🙌 But Prisca and other local women chose collaboration over confrontation. Through our "Powering Peace through Climate Action" project, women from Pokot and Marakwet have become allies in the face of shared threats and helped their communities overcome hostilities. Our work supported them with: ☑️ Training on #ClimateAdaptation, natural resource management, and peaceful #ConflictResolution  ☑️ Facilitated women-only platforms to discuss joint climate projects and peacefully resolve tensions.  ☑️ Community sessions that brought together local leaders, men, women and youth around shared climate challenges.  ☑️ Micro-grants for climate adaptation projects that connect communities.   💡 The results are clear and powerful. Women now cross volatile borders to visit each other. They sing and dance together to send a message of peace to their communities, dismantling harmful misconceptions their people had about each other.  🤝 By demonstrating the shared benefits of climate action, we've created spaces where previously conflicting communities can collaborate. Women played a key role in initiating and sustaining positive contact. As Prisca says: Empowering one woman is empowering the whole community. Want to learn more about how #peacebuilding and gender mainstreaming can transform climate action? Read our learning paper: https://lnkd.in/e7QfrEFv _____________  With support from Irish Aid

👏 In times of war, they stood strong. During crisis, they led. Today, their work on rebuilding social unity and cohesion continues.    Women are at the heart of Lebanon’s recovery. Yet, their path as peacebuilders hasn’t been without its challenges.    We have supported their grassroots #peacebuilding efforts since 2021 through the “Women, Peace and Security” project.    How? By nurturing their #leadership, #mediation and conflict resolution skills that took their essential work to a whole new level.    ➡️ Swipe left to discover seven crucial messages our project participants would like the whole world to hear about women's role and place in #peace processes.    Which message resonates with you most? 👇 Let us know your thoughts in the comments and 🔁 share this post with your network.  ___________  𝘚𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘦 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘭, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘓𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬 - 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦.  𝘞𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 Saint Joseph University of Beirut 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦, 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘜𝘕 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘣𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘪𝘯𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥. UN Women Arab States Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland Jumanah Zabaneh Maria Geagea    #InternationalWomensDay #WomenLeadingChange #WomenPeaceSecurity #IWD2025 #ForAllWomenAndGirls

🙌 Supporting women in conflict is not only an imperative – it's a strategic investment with concrete, powerful results.  Our work with women in Ukraine proves it. Ahead of International Women’s Day, meet three remarkable women – Olena, Kseniia and Tetiana – who experienced the toll of Russia’s full-scale war in Ukraine first-hand. But they didn't let it dictate their future. With tailored support from our local partners – Woman of the Future, Donetsk Women's Council, and Bilozerskyi Centre for Regional Development – they've transformed their circumstances against all odds. ➡️ Swipe through to discover how they managed to rebuild their lives and what made a meaningful difference in that journey. 💪 Investing in women’s well-being and livelihoods is essential – so that they can stand stronger today.   Dream again.   Lift others up in difficult times.   And rebuild their communities and societies tomorrow.  We celebrate these women and countless others who remind us: even in crisis, resilience prevails when women are empowered with the tools to shape their own futures. #IWD2025 #ForAllWomenAndGirls #InternationalWomensDay _______  𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘵, 𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 t𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘜𝘕 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘜𝘬𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘜𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯’𝘴 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘶𝘯𝘥 (𝘞𝘗𝘏𝘍) 𝘮𝘰𝘣𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘻𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯, 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘞𝘗𝘏𝘍 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘯𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘵, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘬𝘦𝘺 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴. 

“We sometimes heard that in times of war we should step aside or only cook. However, this was not our role. We were peacebuilders on the ground in every sense of the word.” Hear from Dr. Daad Azzi, a local peacebuilder from Lebanon, who joined our “Women, Peace and Security” project in 2021. 🙋 Among 200+ women, Daad learned to mediate tensions and resolve local conflicts – so that she could effectively help diverse communities in her region find common ground. Little did she know that these skills would become critical when the war came to Lebanon last year. 👏 Every day, she coordinated volunteers, provided social and medical support, and delivered humanitarian aid – all while promoting understanding and compassion between people with different backgrounds and needs. Her journey exemplifies that women ARE pillars of stability and trusted #PartnersInPeace. Read her full story: https://lnkd.in/ePVNg7qJ ________________________ This remarkable story is part of the “Women, Peace, and Security in the Arab States”, implemented by International Alert and Université Saint-Joseph de Beyrouth Professional Mediation Centre under UN Women Lebanon programmes, with funding from the Government of Finland. UN Women Arab States Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland