Published in the July 2011 issue of the United Nations Chronicle, the quarterly publication of the United Nations Department of Public Information, Dr. Babbitt points out that the peacebuilding community cannot assume human rights are “not our issue.” Human rights, she argues, are key components of parties’ interests and concerns, significant indicators of power asymmetry and sometimes power abuses, and often both a cause and a consequence of the conflicts we are trying to settle or transform.

Though the two communities have similar goals of assisting societies in taking steps to prevent future violence and ensuring that rights are respected, conflict resolution practitioners and human rights advocates have differing methods and underlying assumptions. Examining cases from Colombia, Sierra Leone and Northern Ireland, Dr. Babbitt shows how the two practices have conflicted and developed contradictory and even mutually exclusive approaches to the same problem.

Dr. Babbitt also depicts two crucial dilemmas that need to be addressed for better synergy between human rights and conflict resolution in peacebuilding efforts: 1) the tension between establishing sustainable non-violent relations between contending groups within a country, and prosecuting the members of such groups for human rights abuses and/or war crimes; and 2) the role that the international community plays in supporting or undermining norms that would help to integrate human rights and conflict resolution practices.

To read the entire article, visit the United National Chronicle online.

The tragic and deadly events of September 28, 2009 at the stadium in Conakry resulted in a climate of mistrust between the civilian women and women of the military that threatened the 2010 presidential elections. Ms. Nanfadima Magassouba, the Minister of National Solidarity and the Promotion of Women and Children, saw this and put out a request for support. In early 2010, BEFORE and its local and international partners quickly responded to this request. The resulting project, the Women’s Caravan for Reconciliation, National Unity and Social Peace, was focused on mitigating any potential electoral violence and promoting national reconciliation. The Women’s Caravan consisted of a series of dialogues, media campaigns and reconciliation efforts with local military and civilian women’s groups in major cities throughout Guinea.

The Women’s Caravan involved more than 950 women from varying regions, organizations, and backgrounds, and facilitated their reconciliation through participatory dialogue and meetings across the country. Response from Guineans was encouraging, and the Women’s Caravan received attention from the international media and officials from within the Guinean government, including Minister Magassouba. To read the final and complete report on the Women’s Caravan in French, click here.

This process of this participatory dialogue led to many recommendations and an action plan from the Women’s Caravan participants. In line with the recommendations from the Women’s Caravan and the follow-up activities, BEFORE is currently working with local partners to institutionalize women’s participation in the political sphere, protect their rights and foster a more sustainable peace process.

The Cape Ann Forum, an independent, non-partisan community organization, founded in 2001 to increase public understanding of national and international issues and their connection to us at the local level, will feature BEFORE CEO, Dr. Heinz Krummenacher on Sunday, May 15th.

Based on his peacebuilding experience in Central Asia, the North Caucasus and West Africa, Dr. Krummenacher will outline the cornerstones for an effective peace policy to address today’s and tomorrow’s security threats.

The evening is free, open and accessible to the public. For more information, visit the Cape Ann Forum website.

When: Thursday, April 14, 2011
What: Article on BEFORE’s Follow-Up Workshop to Consolidate Peace in Guinea
Where: Guinéenews, or translated into English

On April 14th 2011, fifty-five local political, civil society and business representatives gathered at the People’s Palace in Conakry to review BEFORE’s National Action Plan for Peace in Guinea. Developed in 2009 National Action Plan for Peace in Guinea, in the light of recent social, political and economical developments, including the democratic election of Alpha Condé.

BEFORE’s CEO Heinz Krummenacher, BEFORE’s partner Ms. Elizabeth Coté, Director of IFES-Guinée, and Hadja Mariama Sow, President of the Guinea Council on National Transition (CNT), opened the workshop.

Many Guineans are hopeful the country will continue on its path of stability and growth despite the challenges ahead. To help Guineans foster lasting peace, take action today. You can make a difference.

In February 2011 BEFORE and the United Nations Integrated PeaceBuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) organized a training for the 15 moderators of these 8 local conferences. The moderators were provided with support by means of a four-day workshop enabling them to prepare for the regional conferences, ensuring that these would produce meaningful results to be consolidated at the time of the national conferences. The aim is to create the basis for the development of a national peacebuilding strategy for Guinea-Bissau.

At the workshop, the moderators were able to exchange their experiences in the earlier consultative conferences, in an effort to identify the challenges likely to be encountered with the regional conferences. Alain Sigg, the lead trainer, whose experience includes participation in peace processes in Rwanda, South Africa, Bosnia-Herzegovina as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, described various reunification processes to the moderators. The moderators discussed the lessons that might be applicable in the case of Guinea-Bissau. This was followed by exercises and role playing in relation to the direct application of various moderation techniques and conflict analysis methods. Finally, the moderators discussed and prepared various approaches for moderation of the regional conferences.

When: Tuesday, February 18, 2011
What: Article on BEFORE’s Workshop to Train National Conference Facilitators in Guinea-Bissau
Where: Portuguese News Network on Bissau Digital, or translated into English

On February 22nd more than 15 Bissau-Guineans will begin a two-day workshop to improve their facilitation techniques and knowledge on how to facilitate a conflict analysis. The workshop, organized by the BEFORE Project and the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNOGBIS), is the first step in preparing for a nation-wide conference on consolidating peace and development in Bissau.

The “Paths to Consolidation Peace and Development” Conference, initiated by the Bissau-Guinean National Popular Assembly with support from the country’s President Malam Bacai Sanhá, will identify the roots and causes of violent conflict and national strategies needed to foster peace.

President-Elect Conde takes his oath to become Guinea's first democratically-elected president.

As thousands of people and more than 13 Heads of State from South Africa, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Sierra Leona, Liberia and Senegal to name a few, headed to the inauguration ceremony of Guinea’s first democratically-elected president, traffic paralyzed the city of Conakry. The inauguration was also broadcast live on across the country on radio and state television.

The swearing-in ceremony of Alpha Condé begin at 11: 00 am at the People’s Palace, the headquarters of the National Assembly which a military junta dissolved in late 2008. A minute of silence was held in memory of the 157 people massacred by forces loyal to former junta leader Captain Moussa Dadis Camara on September 28, 2009.

Preparations for the celebration, which included squads of women sweeping the area around the People’s Palace and arranging an official luncheon and cocktail hour with visiting heads of state, were done by a committee composed of members of the government and the ‘Arc-en-ciel’ (Rainbow) Alliance that rallied around Condé during the run-off presidential election in November.

A New Era for Guinea
The inauguration of former opposition leader and professor signaled the official end of more than half a century of military rule in the west African nation.

During his speech, Condé said “I say loud and clear: poverty and underdevelopment in the Republic of Guinea does not have be our destiny.” Despite massive bauxite reserves and mineral resources, the majority of Guineans do not have access to education, clean water or formal jobs.

Newly-sworn in President Conde with General Sekouba Konate, the man credited with bringing Guinea through its political crisis.

Alluding to the divisive events of the run-off presidential election, Condé also made a clear call for national unity, “The change we advocate is not led by a political party, nor is it against an ethnic group, or a social or socio-economic class.”

Guinea’s former interim leader Sekouba Konaté, who took power in January 2010 and is largely credited for leading the country through its democratic transition, stepped down last week and urged the army to back Condé and remain apolitical. Konaté described the inauguration as “Guinea’s act of rebirth” and called for “an end to impunity” in the country.

For a closer look at the formerly media-shy Condé and more information on BEFORE’s work to support Guinea’s historic transition to peace and democracy, visit these posts.