Strategy 20∂6 – 2020 Contributing to the improvement of conflict prevention and conflict transformation Schweizerische Friedensstiftung Fondation suisse pour la paix Fondazione svizzera per la pace Swiss Peace Foundation TABLE OF CONTENts Introduction 2 Objectives and fields of activity 6 Contribution of programs and teams ∂6 Country and regional programs 48 Partners and clients 56 Structures, resources and processes 62 Annex: Organizational chart 70 Publisher: swisspeace Sonnenbergstrasse ∂7, P.O. Box CH-3000 Bern 7 Bernoullistrasse ∂4-∂6 CH-4056 Basel Date: December 20∂5 Design: Irena Germano Print: Schneider AG, Bern SAGW ASSH swisspeace is an associated Institute of the University of Basel and a member of the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences (SAHS) Introduction Opening of the general debate at the United Nations General Assembly’s meeting in September 20∂5 with a particular focus on the situation in Syria. © UN Photo / Loey Felipe INTROductiON INTROductiON Introduction CONTEXT The degree of armed violence is perceived to have increased. Conflicts in Ukraine and Syria stand stARtiNG This strategy is based on the swisspeace Foundation for a renewed importance of geopolitics. POINT Charter, which defines our mandate. It builds on the Simultaneously, new types of actors such as ISIS mid-term strategy 20∂0 – 20∂5 and the achievements or Boko Haram use the display of atrocities as part made and experiences gained during this period. of their warfare strategies. These developments This strategy defines the overall strategic direction are increasing the challenges for peacebuilding, for swisspeace for the years 20∂6 – 2020. It will which is understood as including the whole spectrum guide the staff, the executive management and the of preventing and transforming violent conflicts. In foundation board over the next five years. It will parallel, at the policy front discourses of international influence our work as we make choices over the and national actors are becoming more technocratic direction of swisspeace, its thematic programs, as they are increasingly concerned with strengthening activities, geographic areas of engagement, and the their own structures and financing their programs. allocation of our human and financial resources. As a consequence, the conditions under which conflict prevention and peacebuilding operate have become stOCKTAKING swisspeace has become one of the central more difficult. They need to cope with additional peacebuilding actors in Switzerland and has types of conflicts and with complex strategies significantly improved its standing at the international of international actors. Discussions on international level. The restructuring into thematic areas proved migration complicate the already challenging successful both in terms of external visibility conditions in dealing with organized violence and its and in fostering internal exchanges between research causes. Therefore, while the number of actors and practice. The number of senior researchers involved in peacebuilding has increased, there is less employed has increased and the collaboration with clarity about objectives, strategies and means. the University of Basel was significantly developed. Moreover, cooperation with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and in particular with its Human Security Division has remained strong. Additional partnerships with important international actors were established. swisspeace has also devoted more attention to its organizational development to cope with challenges and benefit from opportunities in the future. 4 5 Objectives and fields of activity Men participating in construction work for a “Food for Work” program in Afghanistan. © UNEP OBJEctiVES AND fiELds OF ActiVitY OBJEctiVES Objectives 2. Advance the peacebuilding field by enhancing the interaction between peace research, policy WHO WE ARE swisspeace is a practice-oriented peace research and practice. institute. We analyse the causes of violent conflicts 3. Broaden spaces for analysis, reflection, dialogue and develop strategies for their peaceful transformation. and trust-building among different actors in conflict contexts, including peacebuilding VisiON Our vision is a world in which a highly effective practitioners and researchers. peacebuilding community prevents or peacefully 4. Contribute to more inclusive and legitimate peace transforms violent conflicts. and state formation processes. 5. Equip peace, security, humanitarian, development, MissiON Our mission is to contribute to the improvement human rights and private sector initiatives in of conflict prevention and conflict transformation by: conflict-affected contexts to be more sensitive to conflict dynamics and thus contribute to peace. – producing and sharing innovative research on topics particularly relevant for effective In support of the work on these objectives, peacebuilding practice; swisspeace will: – shaping discourses of international peace policy with selected partner organizations; – draw closer to local conflict contexts by designing – developing and applying new tools and regional programs, establishing local presence methodologies for effective peacebuilding in and strengthening collaboration with research and specific conflict contexts; practice-oriented institutions; – supporting and advising other actors while they – deepen its collaboration with the University of engage directly in peacebuilding activities; Basel and with other research institutes and – and providing and facilitating spaces for analysis, universities; discussion, critical reflection and learning. – further its institutional capacity in regard to the organizational culture, structure, processes and STRATEgic The swisspeace strategy 20�6 – 2020 concentrates resources. OBJEctiVES on achieving the following five strategic objectives covering the whole spectrum of peace, fragility and violent conflict: ∂. Foster national and international excellence in peace research, teaching and training. 8 9 OBJEctiVES AND fiELds OF ActiVitY fiELds OF ActiVitY Fields of activity EXPERT Expert support to local, international and Swiss suppORT partners covers all thematic programs of swisspeace In order to achieve the strategic objectives, the and encompasses strategy development, process and thematic programs and teams of swisspeace will need program design support, institutional and thematic to excel in the following fields of activity: backstopping, support in conflict analysis, as well as monitoring and evaluation. It focuses on the clients’ RESEARch swisspeace conducts research on insufficiently needs and includes the latest state-of-the-art explored topics relevant for both researchers and knowledge in the requested field. peacebuilding practitioners. The research lives up to the highest academic standards and is widely known swisspeace allows clients to develop innovative amongst peacebuilding scholars. It is disseminated practices and out-of-the-box thinking. through academic publications, teaching, as well as training and contributions at conferences. spACES swisspeace provides multi-stakeholder platforms FOR DIALOguE for exchange, joint analysis, critical debates, and swisspeace particularly promotes exchanges between networking in order to find innovative approaches research and practice by conducting practice-relevant and new strategies to peacebuilding challenges. research and ensuring that peacebuilding policies and This includes the exchange between peacebuilding practice are based on sound and thorough analyses. actors, researchers and practitioners, different sectors (peacebuilding, humanitarian aid, CAPAcitY swisspeace provides capacity building for development and security), and between conflict BuiLdiNG peacebuilding practitioners. This includes academic parties and those affected by conflict. trainings, executive and practice-oriented courses and trainings on specific topics relevant to Our role is to provide spaces to facilitate dialogue peacebuilding, as well as tailor-made trainings processes and, if needed, to support these with for partner organizations. internal and external expertise. This is particularly relevant in situations with high expectations of Capacity building also takes place in collaborative rapid implementation. learning processes on specific context-related topics that draw on the experience and expertise of the participants. 10 11 OBJEctiVES AND fiELds OF ActiVitY WORKING APPROACH Working approach engaging in joint projects and discussions. This involves enabling collaborative learning processes and critical PARTNERships swisspeace works with a wide network of partners both discussion to improve policies and practices. in research and practice. It values partnerships with academic institutions and peacebuilding organizations The light footprint approach implies a shift in to promote joint learning and sharing of experiences – perspective when compared to widespread modes of thereby benefiting from synergies to enhance the thinking in the peacebuilding sector: from partners effectiveness of peacebuilding initiatives. implementing our projects to support partners in their projects, from growing in numbers to making more swisspeace systematically uses a conflict-sensitive strategic and durable contributions, and from being approach and engages with a critical gender a “doing” organization to being a facilitating, enabling, perspective where relevant. and backstopping one. In this sense, the contributions that swisspeace aims to make are explicitly subtle