http://www.gppac.net/ Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict en-us http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2915  We are aware that some of the sections on the website require updating. We are currently revising our entire on-line presence, and part of it is this website. Our apologies for any inconvenience.  Best wishes, the GPPAC Team http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2915 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2911 On Thursday 2 February 2012 from 13.00 - 14.00hrs – please be punctual! – at the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office in Brussels Andre Kamenshikov will give a short presentation on the main sources and challenges created by growing inter-ethnic tensions and xenophobic manifestations in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. His presentation will be based on the work of the Eastern Europe branch of the GPPAC. This network, which includes NGOs from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania and Bulgaria has lately been engaged in a number of monitoring and peacebuilding projects, addressing key issues that affect regional stability. http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2911 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2773 On 15th-16th November leaders and high level representatives of regional intergovernmental organisations and civil society organisations from around the world will meet in Madrid for the conference “Strengthening Global Peace and Security for Development: the Role of Regional International Organizations and Civil Society.” This unique meeting, hosted by the Organization of American States (OAS) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC), will take place in Madrid, Spain.   For those of you who are not in a position to travel all the way to Madrid, different means and tools will be made available to still follow the presentations, weigh in on the discussions and ask pertinent questions. You will be able to: follow the conference live, since the entire first day of the conference will be broadcast live on-line, at www.partners4peace.com/webcast. participate in the on-line discussion forum, and even send in questions to be asked to any of the speakers. follow the live tweets straight from the conference, by following @gppac and respond or pose questions through #partnes4peace.  Both in the lead up and during the conference, different forms of content will be posted on-line at www.partners4peace.com/latest, including videos of interviews with some of participants, blogs, articles and statements.   To participate and engage, you need to become both a member of the Peace Portal and of the community of the conference in particular. You can do so by following the following two sets of instructions; create an account on the Peace Portal. Here is a simple guide http://www.peaceportal.org/guidelines.  become a member of the community and use the discussion forum. Here is how to do it http://www.partners4peace.com/help. http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2773 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2772 23-24 October 2011, Kathmandu, Nepal  – The Centre for South Asian Studies in Kathmandu in collaboration with the GPPAC South Asia Regional Secretariat organized  a two-day seminar  titled “Building Bridges and Promoting People to People Interaction in South Asia” in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 23 to 24 October 2011. The roundtable aimed to share experiences and lessons learnt from other regional organizations and to promote greater interaction among South Asians as well as encourage wider participation in SAARC's activities as a means to contribute to the progress of member states of South Asia. The inauguration of the roundtable was held on 23 October and was graced by H.E. Uz. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed, the Secretary General of SAARC.  Delivering the keynote address, the Secretary General elaborated on the various efforts made by SAARC in facilitating Regional Corporation in diverse areas. However, it was also highlighted that the regional body had not always met the hopes and aspirations of South Asians. Her Excellency stressed on the need for strengthening SAARC and its institutional mechanisms and also of the importance of promoting people-to-people contacts within the region. For a full transcript of her speech, please click here.  The roundtable was attended by members of various civil society organizations in Nepal and across South Asia. On 24 October, the participants visited the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu and met with Secretariat officials where the role of SAARC in the region as well as possibilities for greater CSO engagement with SAARC was discussed. The participants also visited the United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament (UNRCPD) in Kathmandu where they were briefed on the UNRCPD activities as well as on how civil society organizations can collaborate with the Centre on peacebuilding and conflict prevention activities. A report on the roundtable proceedings together with the papers presented will be published by the Centre for South Asian Studies and RCSS. For more information, click here or check out an article in the Telegraph Nepal about the roundtable. http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2772 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2770 The campaign to gather considerable citizen support to the peace talks between the Goverment of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has gained added momentum with the endorsement of the campaign by the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC). The public opinion backlash to the recent encounter in Albarka, Basilan and the continuing impasse over the implementation of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) emphasizes the need to mobilize citizen support for dialogue and consensus building. The One Million Voices for Peace in the Philippines Campaign aims to gather the support of people from all over the Philippines and the rest of world, to signify their desire for an end to the conflict in the country and present these to the conflict actors to press them to work for a peaceful, just and comprehensive political settlement to the armed conflicts in the Philippines.  A website for the One Million Voices for Peace (www.onemillionvoicesforpeace.org) allows for the "voices" to be expressed in a variety of ways: including your name and email on the form provided, subscribing to the OMV4P YouTube channel, "likes" from Facebook accounts, and following the campaign on Twitter. Please visit the One Million Voices for Peace in Mindanao website, and add your name to the "voices" calling for peace in Mindanao.  http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2770 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2768 NEW YORK, NY – Thursday, October 27, from 3:30 – 6:00 p.m., on the 10th Floor of the United Nations Church Center at 777 United Nations Plaza, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict, headquartered in The Hague, is organizing a public roundtable to present concrete conclusions from the “Taking Women Beyond 1325” discussions in New York.     This UN-focused roundtable will highlight specific recommendations on how the United Nations can move beyond 1325 and promote the role of women in conflict prevention and peacebuilding. These recommendations will be fed into the Open Debate on 1325 in the UN Security Council. The International delegates, based on direct international experience in conflict zones, will discuss what can be done to change the way women are portrayed in the media regarding their role in peace and security. The recommendations will be presented to and reflected on by Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Former Under-Secretary-General and High Representative of the UN.    Biographies of all the international participants can be found here: http://www.peaceportal.org/web/taking-women-beyond-1325/home    Some of the international delegates participating in the roundtable will include: Nighat Said Khan, prominent feminist activist and academic in Pakistan, founder of the Women's Action Forum and Executive Director of the ASR Resource Centre. Visaka Dharmadasa Parua, founder and chair of the Association of War Affected Women and Parents of Servicemen Missing in Action, based in Kandy, Sri Lanka.Carmen Lauzon-Gatmaytan, Program Manager of the Initiatives for International Dialogue and anchored the Asia Circle 1325.Nana Berekashvili, the Head of Program on Minorities and Gender at the International Center on Conflict and Negotiation.Maja Vitas, Communications and PR coordinator at Nansen Dialogue Centre in Serbia. “Women play a crucial role in reducing violent conflicts around the world, but the coverage on women in the media often reinforces the image of women as the victims of war,” said GPPAC's Marte Hellema. “While there is no question that women all over the world suffer the consequences of conflict and violence, focusing on their victimhood takes away the possibilities for empowerment and the ability to play a proactive role in conflict prevention and peacebuilding.”   “Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to three women for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women's rights to full participation in peace-building work is an indication of that same challenge,” Hellema continued. “They are receiving the prize together as women, not as individuals that have made great contribution to peace. The United Nations, primarily through UNSCR 1325, is working on changing this misconception about women in relation to armed conflict and war, but more focus is needed on women's role in conflict prevention, including how this is portrayed in the media.”   “We need to use community media platforms - including social media where appropriate - to produce content that highlights the values and diversity of women's viewpoints,” says Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls of femLINKPACIFIC: Media Initiatives for Women, a Fiji Island based feminist women's NGO that uses a community media platform, including a mobile radio station and a rural women's media network.    “Despite women's productive efforts, their participation in peacebuilding, post-conflict recovery, and efforts to enhance the oversight and accountability of the security sector, is still a matter for debate,” continued Bhagwan-Rolls. “Women still struggle to be heard at the negotiating table and in leadership roles, and are not given sufficient recognition and resources to do their work.” http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2768 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2767 Starting today, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) and the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) are holding an online dialogue on the topic of  “UNSCR 1325 in Europe and Beyond”. The dialogue runs from 3 to 7 October 2011 on the Peace Portal. Civil society representatives from all continents have signed up to participate in this event to share their views and experiences and to evaluate progress on different strategies to implement UNSCR 1325. The participants will exchange lessons learned and identify ways forward towards an effective and full-fledged implementation of the Resolution. The outcomes of the dialogue will be summarized and recommendations circulated widely.  To follow the dialogue and discussions, click here.   http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2767 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2766 Today is the International Day of Peace. A day that is celebrated, honoured, remembered and observed throughout the world as a day of ceasefire and peace. We hope that you have joined in one or more of the many activities that are being organized.  Many members of the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) have or are organizing events and festivities for the 21 September. To see some of examples of these activities from Asia Pacific, the Middle East and North Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean, click here! http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2766 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2762 On 19 and 20 August 2011, the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) Southern Africa Regional Steering Committee Workshop met in Durban, South Africa, to discuss developments in the Southern African countries, emerging themes, and a strategic plan for the region. The workshop was conducted as part of ACCORD's role as the GPPAC Regional Secretariat for the Southern Africa region and was organised to provide a platform for a more active and revitalised Southern Africa GPPAC Regional Steering Committee.  Civil Society Organisations (CSO) presented on the history and current state of conflict in the countries of Angola, Madagascar, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe. The first day of the workshop allowed for a very open discussion on each country and the current and potential issues. The following day was then aimed at identifying emerging themes and developing a strategic plan for the region.  The workshop was a chance to further engage CSOs in the area and work to collaborate more effective around conflict issues within the region. The group is actively working to create a short and long term work plan for the region with focus around electoral violence and early warning response mechanisms. It will also work to engage the Southern African Development Community more effectively in the coming months around these key areas. ACCORD is actively working to create an information sharing platform that would provide a working space for CSOs throughout the region. See http://www.accord.org.za/news/3-peacebuilding/909-accord-hosts-gppac-southern-africa-regional-steering-committee-workshop-in-durban http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2762 http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2761 One year on after the 10th anniversary of UNSCR Resolution 1325, its implementation in the EU and beyond remains a challenge. So far, 26 countries, including 13 EU member states have developed National Action Plans. Earlier this year, the EU released a report based on indicators of the implementation of UNSCR 1325 and 1820 in its policies and practices. The UN is currently fine-tuning its own set of indicators. Yet, much remains to be done.   To evaluate progress since 2010 and exchange lessons learnt on further implementation of UNSCR 1325, the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) and the Global Partnership for the Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC) invite you to take part in a 5-day online dialogue, from 3 to 7 October 2011, hosted by the Peace Portal, bringing together civil society organisations from Europe and beyond.  If you would like to join us please register with Gesa Bent, Coordinator Gender at the GPPAC Global Secretariat, by 20 September 2011.    For more information, please click here. http://www.gppac.net/page.php?id=1#par2761