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This week in peace #43: July 26

Tara Abhasakun
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This week in peace #43: July 26

This week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress, with hopes for peace remaining distant. The leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) announced that he had accepted a US invitation to peace talks in Switzerland next month. 

Peace remains distant in Israel and Gaza after Netanyahu Addresses US Congress

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the US Congress, passionately defending Israel’s actions in Gaza. Netanyahu stressed that Israel’s fight was a proxy war with Iran. Over 5,000 pro-Palestine protesters demonstrated near the Capitol. 

It has been reported that 111 Israeli hostages remain in Gaza, and nearly 40,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed since October 7. Families of Israeli hostages had wanted a cease-fire deal to come out of Netanyahu’s speech, saying that not bringing home the hostages is a failure. 

The event highlighted the divide between Democrats and Republicans on the conflict, with many Republicans applauding Netanyahu, and many Democrats remaining silent. Representative Nancy Pelosi was a no-show, and said in a social media post that Netanyahu should be spending his time working for a cease-fire deal that would bring home the remaining hostages held by Hamas.

​​Jeremy Ben-Ami, the president of J Street, a liberal pro-Israel advocacy group, criticized the speech for lacking “an actual plan for ending the war and bringing real security and peace to the region.”

Sudanese general leader accepts US invitation to peace talks in Switzerland

General Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, the leader of Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), announced on X that he had accepted an invitation from US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to attend peace talks in Switzerland next month. The US and Saudi Arabia will host the talks in a bid to bring an end to 15 months of intense fighting. 

Blinken said the talks would begin on August 14, with representatives from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, the African Union and the United Nations attending as observers.

Sudan’s civil war began on April 15, 2023 when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF. The group’s leaders, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, had originally collaborated to overthrow longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir in a 2019 coup. However, they became engaged in a power struggle against one another. 

Since the start of the civil war, around 15,000 people have been killed. As of June 2024, around 12 million people were displaced. In April, it was reported that 18 million people were facing severe hunger, with 5 million of them at emergency levels. Meanwhile, 3.5 million children- every seventh child in Sudan- had acute malnutrition. 

In January, Peace News Network wrote about how civilians had been deliberately targeted, with both sides committing war crimes, including sexual violence. We noted that the nature of the conflict made a simple media framing difficult, as both sides were guilty of war crimes, and worked together to overthrow a civilian government. Neither side was working to protect civilians or working towards civilian rule.

Peace is desperately needed to preserve civilian lives in Sudan, and the upcoming peace talks are a crucial measure.

‘Unfit to Work in the Field’: The Marginalisation of Mothers in Peacebuilding

Eleanor Gordon
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‘Unfit to Work in the Field’: The Marginalisation of Mothers in Peacebuilding

The highly gendered, undervalued and unsupported nature of unpaid care work is a key – yet overlooked – factor in the continued underrepresentation of women in peacebuilding. Lack of organisational attentiveness to care is, subsequently, a driver of gender inequality, peacebuilding failures and harmful workplace cultures.

The underrepresentation of women at the recent NATO Summit in Washington and the organising committee for the forthcoming COP29 Climate Change Conference in Azerbaijan has highlighted the persistent barriers to women’s meaningful participation in public and political life, especially in leadership positions. The persistence of these barriers calls into question rhetorical and policy commitment to gender parity and gender equality.  

So too in the peacebuilding sector. Women continue to be underrepresented, especially at the senior levels, in field sites, in security-related roles and – critically – from the mid-35-40 age range. This is the age at which many people have children. 

It is typically women rather than men who leave the sector when they have children. This is due to the highly gendered nature of unpaid care work, with women and girls taking on a disproportionate share of unpaid care work globally. It is also due to gendered assumptions about care work, women with children are often regarded as not possessing the requisite skills, capacity or commitment to work in the sector, especially field sites – even regarded as being ‘unfit to work in the field’. Assumptions about men’s capabilities rarely shift after having children. The gender pay gap may also have a role to play in women rather than men leaving the peacebuilding sector due to childcare responsibilities.

In fact, having caring responsibilities is one of the key – yet overlooked – causes of women’s underrepresentation in the peacebuilding sector. Little has been done to address this, even though it is broadly accepted that the participation of women is critical to peacebuilding success.

Instead, many people regard the decision to leave the sector as a personal or private matter rather than a political one. It is, of course, a political issue when the drivers of this departure are gendered inequalities and biases and there are things peacebuilding organisations can do to better support people with caring responsibilities to prevent their departure.

Organisations could improve human resource policies to provide adequate maternity leave, increase paternity leave, support the re-engagement of returning staff, enable the transfer of spouses to the same mission, and support flexible work practices. Organisations could also provide crèches and safe spaces for nursing mothers, and introduce training and awareness raising programmes to inform staff of support mechanisms in place for carers and to guard against bias and discrimination.

While there have been recent sectoral shifts in acknowledging the importance of supporting carers, more needs to be done. Otherwise, it is not simply the carer who is ‘forced to leave’ or manage the ‘incredible juggle’ who suffers. There are negative consequences for peacebuilding.

The adverse impact from the lack of women representation on organisational diversity is likely to undermine peacebuilding success. This is because there is not a diversity of skills, experiences and knowledge in the sector without women. It is also because peacebuilding is less likely to be responsive to a diversity of needs, or enjoy broad-based public confidence and trust, when the sector does not reflect that diversity. The underrepresentation of women is also likely to hinder efforts to advance and advocate (with credibility) gender equality in places emerging from conflict. This matters because of the known links between gender inequality and armed conflict.

Gendered assumptions about roles and responsibilities – that women are carers, and mothers are out of place in the field – compounded with lack of organisational support for carers, leads to the underrepresentation of women and subsequent harmful impacts on peacebuilding. However, it is also men and LGBTIQ+ carers who suffer assumptions that they do not have caring responsibilities that need attending to.

While women may be forced to leave the sector when they have caring responsibilities, men may be forced to separate from their families for long periods of time while they continue working in the sector, with little organisational support or recognition. This has consequences for their well-being, which can also harm workplace cultures and the work they are doing. Lack of organisational support for carers can therefore have further negative consequences for peacebuilding.

Assumptions that women are carers first and lose the professional skills, capabilities and commitment they had pre-care roles, are matched by assumptions that men’s caring responsibilities do not supersede or impact their professional roles. An example of these prevailing assumptions is evident in the outrage that greeted the new British Prime Minister’s, Keir Starmer, intention to continue protecting Friday evenings for his family. Another example is the low take-up rate of paternity leave for fear that it harms professional reputation and career progression.

Recent research has suggested that creative approaches to paternity leave – extending or incorporating it into a gender-neutral parental leave – increases the take-up rate, breaking the ‘social stigma around father’s taking time off to care for their children’. Further consequences may include shifting gendered assumptions about care work. In the peacebuilding sector, it may also help to shift gendered assumptions about the place and capabilities of the mother as well as gendered assumptions about peace work – it being predominantly a male domain, particularly in insecure environments, security-related roles and leadership positions. 

More broadly, greater attention to the caring responsibilities and care needs of peacebuilders can help advance an ethics of care in peacebuilding. As well as benefiting carers, this would benefit the broader sector and potentially increase the success-rate of peacebuilding. It would do so by acknowledging people’s connectedness and the importance of care, including care for others and self-care. This can help both peacebuilders and peacebuilding practice: improving the well-being of peacebuilders, potentially helping to address high levels of stress, trauma and safeguarding issues in the sector; and promoting peacebuilding practice that is more attentive and responsive to the needs of others.

Living peace in times of war: Perspectives from a Ukrainian university

Liliya Klos, Sofiya Stavkova and Maureen P. Flaherty
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Living peace in times of war: Perspectives from a Ukrainian university

Following the armed invasion of the independent country of Ukraine in February 2022, universities and other institutions in the country went into crisis mode. First, they did their utmost to continue the courses that had already begun, pivoting to an on-line platform developed during Covid 19. They did this while physically adapting to accommodate a population that was moving westward and seeking safety, whether, across the country or to other nations.

Many universities in the east of Ukraine were targeted and destroyed by Russian bombs. Others, such as L’viv Polytechnic National University’s Department of Sociology and Social Work (DSSW), marshaled the faculty, staff, and students seeking to build some kind of normalcy, while continuing to offer quality education to support present and future citizens of Ukraine. Daily, in the early months of the war, this involved interrupting in-person classes several times a day to hustle to air-raid shelters, returning to class once the “all clear” was sounded. By May 2022, the university developed a system that was somewhat functional, with a focus on helping students to complete their courses and degrees. The university administration did their best to keep local students safe, while also freeing up dormitory, classroom, and common area spaces to provide shelter to internally displaced people fleeing to safety in the western part of the country. 

The DSSW was created less than ten years after Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union, with the philosophy that access to education that promotes critical thinking is a sign of peace. Prior to the war, the standard DSSW theoretical and practical courses included not only individual and family-focused work, but also community development work, essentially peacebuilding work. Part of the practical social work training students involves working within, and assisting further development of, community resources. The DSSW has also been instrumental in developing a student accessibility program, “No Limits”. This includes a Veteran’s Hub on campus, providing services to former military members and their families as they reintegrate into community post-service and/or as they complete university degrees. Faculty also serve at a rehabilitation centre outside the city of L’viv. All this work has accelerated and deepened considerably since the onset of the war. 

At the university, there are many ongoing personal and professional challenges associated with basic safety, and with the delivery of education. Stress is continuous. People are responsible not only for their own lives and people they love — close friends, relatives, friends, colleagues — but also for the student’s safety and development. The stresses change by the moment, with faculty, staff, and students experiencing deep anger and disbelief that this war could be possible. 

Now, more than two years after the first invasion, some faculty members, depending on their own physical, mental, and familial challenges and resources, remain stubbornly in place, while a few have moved away from L’viv, even past Ukraine’s borders. Many have been housing family members and friends fleeing the east. In addition to their regular work, most are involved in different kinds of volunteer activities that support both internally displaced people (IDP) and the army in practical ways, including fundraising outside the country.

The university wants to remain viable, prepared for full engagement after the war: in addition to course preparation and delivery, faculty members are still required to write and publish academic articles, participate in conferences wherever they can, and continue to seek funding support and project engagement from outside sources. There has also been a demand to keep our university in the public eye, to entice new students. Without students, there are no programs. Faculty feel this responsibility personally. 

In the first fall after the beginning of the war, the 2022-2023 academic year, there were many applicants to the DSSW program. So many people who had absolutely no connection to social work applied to the Master of Social Work (MSW) program with their degrees from aeronautics, engineering, information technology, etc. The DSSW accepted many, with some succeeding in making the shift to sociology and social work from these technical programs. 

The content of the DSSW program itself has also undergone changes. Professional practice courses have been filled with new topics related to the actual issues of the work of social workers in wartime conditions. Topics that reveal the essence of social work with military personnel, veterans and their family members and internally displaced people have appeared, with even greater focus on trauma experienced not only by service users, but also service providers in this context. To accommodate the increase in both classes and students, classes have been shortened, with many taught in hybrid form – both on-line and in person.

Social work education includes field placements where students learn in the community, with local organizations. Most of these placements were lost in the early months of the war as people moved to strictly online classes. Now things have again shifted as students who remain in their home territories take classes online. Through these new, different community connections, the DSSW has also connected with local service providers and so students may have practical placements in different resources and areas in the country. Thus, the DSSW now collaborates with other universities and organizations and at the time of writing had taught six different training sessions for people across the country. Their work with universities in cities such as Dnipro, Mykolaiv, and Vinnytsia has developed a course to train veteran’s assistants in a kind of peer-support program through the LPNU Veteran’s Hub, aimed at overcoming trauma and reintegration into civil society. Currently, program participants are not paid for their work, but their expertise is highly needed now. It is a two-sided coin in that doing the work of the veteran’s assistant is also helpful for the assistants themselves. 

The faculty and staff of the DSSW realize that they must support each other through these very trying times, remaining as positive as they can in interactions with each other while also doing their best to look after themselves as they continue this grueling work. They know that they and their students will have a part in rebuilding Ukraine after the war. Creating a vision of peace, with the accompanying practical work is part of peace education. They, and we, pray for a just peace, and that the world around will not forget Ukraine during the process of building this peace both now and after the war.

** This essay was adapted from the following article: Klos, L., Stavkova, S., & Flaherty, M. (2024). Teaching Peace in Times of War: Perspectives from a Ukrainian University. Peace Review, 36(1), 6–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402659.2024.2306400

This Week in Peace #42: July 19

Peace News Staff
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This Week in Peace #42: July 19

This week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Russia to a second Peace Summit, while Colombia ended a promising ceasefire with a FARC splinter group and a hardline Israeli minister made a controversial visit to the Temple Mount as negotiations for a ceasefire in Gaza continue. 

Zelensky continues to work for peace, despite Russia’s ongoing invasion

As Russia continues its war against Ukraine, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky continues to work for a diplomatic solution, inviting Russia to a potential second Peace Summit. The first, held in Switzerland, aimed to develop a framework for a peaceful end to the war and brought together dozens of countries. However, many countries that have remained ties with the Kremlin, notably China, India, and Brazil, did not attend or participate in the summit, which made peacebuilding efforts difficult. Zelensky’s invitation, coming weeks after what appears to have been an intentional Russian attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv, demonstrates that Ukraine continues to hope for a peaceful resolution to the war, despite the high cost to lives and infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin is unlikely to accept, considering his position that any diplomatic solution must legitimize Russia’s illegal occupation of Ukrainian territory. However, it is an important sign that despite over 2 years of brutal war, Ukraine is willing to work towards a peaceful solution, despite the ongoing frequent attacks on civilians. 

Yet another setback for negotiations in Colombia 

Colombia’s ongoing negotiations with armed groups continue to hit roadblocks, as the government ended a ceasefire with one rebel group. The EMC, one of the largest FARC splinter groups which refused to sign a crucial 2016 peace deal, has now split into two different factions, complicating ongoing negotiations. One faction has been in conflict with the government in some remote regions since March, and the end of the national ceasefire means that fighting might spread nationwide. The other faction continues to negotiate, with a ceasefire in place until October. While the EMC was not a large group to begin with, and the faction fighting the government does not pose a significant threat, it is still a setback for Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s hopes for “total peace” in the country. 

Gaza negotiations continue despite new threats 
As negotiations between Israel and Hamas continue in Doha to find a ceasefire in Gaza, provocative actions and statements from extremist Israeli politicians are one of many challenges to an eventual agreement. This week, hardline far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir visited the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, a provocative action that was accompanied by statements calling for a continuation of the war until “victory”. Ben Gvir is known for his ultranationalist views, and frequently visited the compound, a sensitive religious site managed by Jordan. His visit was condemned by the Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs and a group representing the family of Israeli hostages, but risks complicating the negotiations even further. This event highlights the complicated environment surrounding the ceasefire talks, which are desperately needed to end a war that has killed nearly 40,000 Palestinians, and raised the risk of famine for millions more, while increasing the threat of a dangerous regional conflict.

Peace Prevails: Nigerian, Nigerien Citizens Maintain Harmony Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Mohammed Ibrahim
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Peace Prevails: Nigerian, Nigerien Citizens Maintain Harmony Amid Diplomatic Tensions

Nigeria and Niger, two nations intertwined by shared borders and a long history of regional cooperation through the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU), have long been bastions of peace and economic integration in West Africa.

Cultural, religious, and linguistic ties between ordinary citizens have flourished for generations, particularly in border towns like Jibia and Daura in Nigeria, and Maradi and Tawa in Niger Republic, where intermarriages and daily commerce have blurred national boundaries.

However, recent political turbulence following a military coup in Niger in July 2023, has strained this foundation of trust. Border closures, initiated as tensions rose between ECOWAS and Niger’s military leadership, cast a shadow over decades of peaceful coexistence.

Yet amidst diplomatic tensions, hope endures among ordinary citizens who refuse to let governmental disputes mar their personal relationships. Religious and traditional leaders from both nations have played pivotal roles in mediation efforts. Nigerian Islamic scholars like the Emir of Kano are actively engaging Niger’s military leadership for reconciliation. These efforts have contributed to ECOWAS lifting sanctions on Niger, offering a glimmer of hope for bilateral reconciliation. 

Remarkably, despite political discord, Nigerien citizens residing in Nigeria and those residing in Niger Republic continue to peacefully coexist, demonstrating resilience in maintaining their shared cultural heritage. Adamu Hassan , a Nigerian guard in Kaduna, shares a deep bond with his Nigerien friend, Tanja, a local tea seller. Despite border closures and the diplomatic tension, Adamu values their friendship above political differences, illustrating the resilience of cross-border relationships.

“I have never been to Niger, but I hope to visit the country someday due to my friendship with Tanja. I see him as a blood brother rather than a foreigner. That’s why I was disturbed when our two nations had a misunderstanding, and Tanja was stranded in Nigeria for three months due to the border closure,” he told Peace News Network.

Adamu further explained that he is happy to see the reconciliation process between the two nations improving.

In a similar spirit, Tanja emphasizes their enduring friendship, untouched by political turmoil, highlighting the insignificance of governmental disputes in personal relationships. 

“We have been living peacefully even when our governments were having diplomatic misunderstandings but we didn’t allow it to bother us,'” he said 

Similarly, Malam Hamza, a Nigerien caps washer, dismisses attempts to sow discord between Niger and Nigeria, emphasizing the strong historical and cultural ties that bind Northerners in both countries.

“Those who think they can divide us as a people are mistaken because most of the traditional rulers in the north, especially in Katsina state and Maradi in Niger have historical links with each other ,” he said smiling.

He added that some politicians from both countries tried to escalate the situation in the media, without considering the historical connection and the level of peaceful coexistence that exists between the ordinary citizens of the two countries.

Nuhu, a Nigerian artist in Niamey, returned home amid political uncertainty but acknowledges continued understanding between citizens despite governmental changes. 

He added that Islamic leaders and traditional leaders from northern Nigeria also played a greater role in diffusing tension and promoting peace between the two countries.

“The intervention of religious scholars greatly helped to alleviate tension between the Nigerian Government and the Nigerian military government, which also helped ordinary citizens of both countries who refused to allow the diplomatic row to divide them,” he said.

Sidil Ghabit Ahmat Sidi, Secretary General of Nigerien Residents in Nigeria, who lived in Nigeria for 33 years,  stresses that grassroots interactions between citizens of both nations remain unaffected by political rhetoric, emphasizing their shared heritage and peaceful coexistence. He commends Nigerians for advocating against sanctions, affirming the deep-rooted connection between citizens of both countries. 

Sidil Ghabit Ahmat Sidi Nigeriens Residents Secretary General in Nigeria.

“In fact, Nigeriens are peace-loving people wherever we reside,” Alghabi asserted, noting Nigerians’ vocal opposition to ECOWAS sanctions against Niger, which strengthened bilateral bonds despite diplomatic challenges.

Sidi  further explained that their newly commissioned Secretariat in Kaduna will be used to sensitize their citizens on the need for peaceful coexistence with their host communities, to further strengthen the peaceful relationship between the people of the two countries.

This means that the relationship between Niger and Nigeria, rooted in centuries-old ties, remains steadfast. As citizens continue to foster peace through mutual understanding and shared values, their stories illuminate a path towards lasting reconciliation and unity. Despite diplomatic disputes and political uncertainty, the citizens of Nigeria and Niger continue to serve as an example of peaceful coexistence across borders. 

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