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Innovation in the Digital Sphere Annual Report 2020

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Innovation in the Digital Sphere Annual Report 2020 Die Stiftung Innovation in the digital sphere Annual Report 2020 Schweizerische Friedensstiftung Fondation suisse pour la paix Fondazione svizzera per la pace Swiss Peace Foundation Impressum Publisher: swisspeace Steinengraben 22 CH-4051 Basel Editors: Fabian Hofmann, Sanjally Jobarteh, Maria Vogelbacher Layout: swisspeace Print: Schneider AG, Bern Circulation: German 330, French 60, English 60 Cover picture: swisspeace swisspeace is an associated institute of the University of Basel and a member of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS). 2 Annual report 2020 Table of contents 4 Editorial 5 The Foundation Opportunities and limits of digitization 6 Mediation A shift towards digitalized peace mediation 8 Dealing with the Past Archives in a secure digital space 10 Statehood & Conflict Institutional reforms for peace 12 Business & Peace Responsible business conduct in fragile states 14 Analysis & Impact How adaptive approaches improve peacebuilding interventions 16 Policy & Platform Peace and Migration: Tools for Practice 18 Research & Training Debates on gender equality despite armed conflict 20 Basel Peace Forum When roads turn into borders 21 Continuing Education Continuing education in a virtual format 22 Financial report 2020 24 Donors & Clients 25 Staff 26 Foundation Board & Advisory Boards 27 Publications Annual report 2020 3 DieEditorial Stiftung Dr. Jakob Kellenberger The strengthening of civil society in politically keeping of archives at risk in 2020 and intends led peace processes, promoting conflict sensi- to establish a foundation for non-state actors' tivity in state bodies and companies, and pre- endangered archives in Basel. serving archives in the secure digital space characterized swisspeace's work in the year The evaluation of peacebuilding interven- under review. Despite the extraordinary circum- tions is a quintessential and demanding task. In stances, the continued quality of teaching could Cameroon, a new approach was adopted with be assured, and swisspeace was commissioned the use of adaptive monitoring. After monitoring with new research projects. changes, the question is asked whether and how the peacebuilding projects have contributed to It is a fact that civil society suffers most them. from armed conflicts. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that civil society actors have no say in po- swisspeace is an institution where re- litical peace negotiations. The people with the search is conducted in view of real-world needs. most explicit visions of lasting peace are too Thus, the foundation has developed models often excluded in the crucial moment. In 2020, aimed at harnessing the peacebuilding potential Syrian civil society representatives continued to of institutional reform processes for peace. prepare for the moment when negotiations that have been in prospect for years should begin The 2020 pandemic-related restrictions between the conflicting parties. A Civil Society were overcome primarily through the use of Support Room was established in Geneva, where digital technologies. Order volumes decreased the talks are scheduled to take place. The link to slightly but are expected to increase again in the UN mediation process has been ensured. In 2021. In essence, the 2021-2025 strategy ad- Cameroon, swisspeace is also supporting the opted at the end of 2020 continues the 2016- role of civil society in the peace efforts since 2020 strategy. 2020. The securing of archives in the digital Dr. Jakob Kellenberger space continued in 2020. This is important for President of swisspeace dealing with the past processes. Dealing with the past is essential for reconciliation as a pre- requisite for sustainable peace. The search for missing persons is, in addition to its personal aspects, also indispensable for peacebuilding. swisspeace drafted guidelines on the safe- 4 AnnualJahresbericht report 2020 2020 The Foundation Opportunities and limits of digitization Digitization shaped swisspeace's past year in two ways: On the one hand, we identified the opportunities and challenges of digitization as a central compo- nent of our strategy for the next five years. On the other hand, due to the pan- demic-induced constraints, we immersed ourselves in the digital world on a daily basis – in a way that we could hardly have imagined not so long ago. These experiences have confirmed our con- abled us to continue essential dialog processes viction that the use of digital media will be of with partners from conflict areas. At the same great importance for our future work. Simulta- time, the impression that the virtual world is neously, they demonstrated that even sophisti- only a supplement became more firmly estab- cated digital formats are no substitute for face- lished. This is just as true for building trust with to-face human interaction. partners as it is for creating an identity within our own organization. Peacebuilding happens with specific people in specific spaces. Digitization impacts both: It enables the inclusion of more people, Prof. Laurent Goetschel, Matthias Boss expands existing spaces, and even creates Management of swisspeace new ones. It thus increases the reach of peace- building and gives it access to the virtual world. Therefore, digitization broadens our horizons. But digitization not only enables inclusion and participation. It also holds the potential for new tensions that spread at breathtaking speed via social media. Finally, there is also the danger Read our strategy of confusing the virtual with the analog world: for the years 2021 - "Friends" and "followers" may influence elec- 2025. tions or fundraising campaigns. But they have yet to decide an escalated conflict in their favor. The course of the Arab Spring in Egypt or Syria, or the events in Myanmar, provide sad illustra- Click or scan the QR code tions of this. When we explore the significance of the digital world for peacebuilding, it is thus a matter of accurately grasping both its possibilities and its limitations. Last year also provided us with an im- pressive demonstration of the potential of digital tools for education and training. They en- Annual report 2020 5 Mediation A shift towards digitalized peace mediation The COVID-19 pandemic further complicated the peace process aimed at end- ing the nearly decade-long Syrian conflict. The "Civil Society Support Room" (CSSR) – the inclusion platform in the UN-led peace process – relied on the use of digital technologies, which has shown great promise, far beyond the sole aim of overcoming the pandemic-induced constraints. Since 2016, swisspeace has been working with The digital platform choice also raised many the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Syria questions, including privacy and confidentiality, (OSE-Syria) to implement the CSSR. This pio- user-friendliness, language options, and tech- neering initiative aims to establish a consultative nical and legal accessibility in different coun- process by engaging Syrian civil society actors tries. Consequently, the CSSR team developed a in the UN-led Syrian political talks in Geneva. multifunctional platform that would allow CSSR The objective is to ensure an inclusive and le- participants to engage directly with each other, gitimate political process with sustainable out- the OSE Syria, and swisspeace. comes. The project brings together civil society actors to foster exchanges between themselves Peace mediation has increasingly turned and the mediation team, relevant UN agencies, to the importance of digital technologies in and member states. recent years. The digital transformation of the CSSR will remain part of the process even after Fears that COVID-19 would severely in- the end of the pandemic-related restrictions. terfere with the CSSR's meetings, which had previously been conducted mostly physically, did swisspeace.ch/mediation not materialize. The continuity of the space was successfully ensured in 2020. And not only that: new opportunities arose from the use of modern technologies. "We have gone from a 100 percent physical to a 100 percent digital process", says Ahmed Eleiba, who heads the Syria portfolio The "Civil Society at swisspeace. He witnessed an increased en- Support Room" has a gagement, especially among actors who would new website. Learn more there. not have been able to attend physical meetings. Thanks to this, the UN Special Envoy for Syria also reported several times to the UN Security Click or scan the QR code Council on Syrian civil society's concerns from the CSSR consultations in 2020. Nevertheless, the transition to a digital process was not without difficulties because peace mediation must occur in a personal and confidential atmosphere. Gaining the trust of new partners required additional efforts online. 6 Annual report 2020 Mediation 2020 at a glance → Start of a new phase of the "Mediation Support Project", carried out by swisspeace together with the "Center for Security Studies" of the ETH Zurich, financed by the FDFA → Start of the four-year research project "Good Peace", financed by the Swiss National Science Foundation → Conduction of consultations on the impact of social media on me- diation, together with the UN Department of Political and Peace- building Affairs → New two-year Canadian- and Swiss-funded project in Cameroon to strengthen civil society's role in peacebuilding efforts → Publication of an innovative research report on financing peace ne- gotiations and mediation → Continuation of the partnership with the Colombian peace organi- zation CINEP, including support for
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