Peacebuilding from a southern perspective

What if peacebuilding is never experienced as impartial? What does peacebuilding look like from the global south?

The tension between international assistance and local expertise is a central refrain with complex variations, as we debate Kony2012 and peacebuilding in Uganda, violent sites of authority in Colombia, the best hopes for peace and stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The dichotomy disintegrates as Sri Lankans worldwide fiercely debate the future of their country. Read on.

Militarisation as panacea: development and reconciliation in post-war Sri Lanka

Is it possible to secure the dignity, rights and well-being of a conflict-affected population by incorporating them into a military juggernaut that has quickly grown to dominate all spheres of life?

'A slap on the wrist': Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council

An inteview with Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, President of the Tamil National People's Front, who warns that the Tamil genocide has not been curtailed in post-conflict Sri Lanka.

Our voices: Violence against women and impunity

Film: In this series of short films Burundian women look at key issues in the wake of the civil war, which ended in 2005. More than 1 million Burundians were internally displaced or forced to flee the country as a result of the 12-year civil conflict which killed over 300,000 people.

Our voices: Women's political participation

Film: In this series of short films Burundian women look at key issues in the wake of the civil war, which ended in 2005. More than 1 million Burundians were internally displaced or forced to flee the country as a result of the 12-year civil conflict which killed over 300,000 people.

Our voices: Reconciliation and justice

Film: In this series of short films Burundian women look at key issues in the wake of the civil war, which ended in 2005. More than 1 million Burundians were internally displaced or forced to flee the country as a result of the 12-year civil conflict which killed over 300,000 people.

Our voices: Conflict, displacement and land

Film: In this series of short films Burundian women look at key issues in the wake of the civil war, which ended in 2005. More than 1 million Burundians were internally displaced or forced to flee the country as a result of the 12-year civil conflict which killed over 300,000 people.

Discussions in Kampala: another political farce

The government of the DRC and the M23 rebel group talk in Kampala. In Uvira, South Kivu, a group of students explain why they see this as a dialogue of the wilfully unhearing. Français.

Les assises de Kampala: une autre farce politique

Le gouvernement de la RDC et M23, un mouvement rebelle, ont se convoqués en Kampala. A Uvira, au Sud Kivu, un groupe d'élèves explique pourquoi ils les considèrent comme un dialogue de sourds volontairement. English.

La prise de Goma et la prolifération de négociations

Comment les profondes divisions de la politique Congolaise ont permis aux rebelles du M23 de prendre Goma si rapidement. English.

The seizure of Goma and proliferating negotiations

How the deep fractures in Congolese politics aided M23's swift invasion of Goma. Français.

Where we must stand: African women in an age of war

Whether one considers the direct effects of military rule and conflict on women, or the global economic implications of the US war-on-terror, militarism threatens to strip away all the 20th century gains in women’s rights, dispossessing us once more. African women must take a stand, says Amina Mama

International engagement in post-conflict Sri Lanka: lessons from the supposedly “powerless” women of the north

With a recent internal UN report criticizing its operations in the Sri Lankan civil war, international aid groups and donors are grappling with a new way forward. But any reformed policies may be fundamentally flawed if they fail to understand shifting social roles in this 'post-conflict' state.

Real justice, not ephemeral ceasefires

Mohammed Suliman's interview on CNN was abruptly interrupted by an Israeli missile exploding nearby. In a piece originally published in Ceasefire, he reflects on the experience and analyses the continuity of violence before and after last week's aerial bombardment.

La violence du pouvoir, l'exclusion des civils et le M23

Les pays occidentaux décrivent la violence à l'est de la RDC comme un échec cuisant : des personnes et des événements au Congo (ou au Rwanda) ont provoqué l'échec des processus de paix et de développement. Mais le M23 est le résultat direct de processus qui légitiment la violence du pouvoir. Read this in English.

Foreign aid to local NGOs: good intentions, bad policy

International solidarity is a wonderful idea, and the notion of transferring resources from North to South for good causes is morally attractive. The mechanics of doing this properly, however, are far more complex. 

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