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Voices of Peacebuilders from the Middle East: a new project in collaboration with ALLMEP

By
Peace News Staff
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The October 7th attack on Israel and devastating war in Gaza point to decades of failure to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. While many blame this on political leadership, long-lasting peace must also involve societal change. To that end, for any agreement to last, it  must also involve Israelis and Palestinian societies coming closer together and seeing the other as legitimate partners for peace. Any solution to the conflict must recognize the shared humanity of the millions of people living in Israel and the Palestinian territories and discuss the Israelis and Palestinians working together to find a peaceful long-term solution.

In pursuit of that goal, Peace News has partnered with the Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP), a network of over 160 peacebuilding organizations, made up of thousands of Israelis and Palestinians, which seek to find a long-term resolution to the conflict and break the cycle of violence. Over the next few weeks, we will be highlighting the work of peacebuilders on the ground, who work to bridge the divide and engage people on both sides, in pursuit of a shared goal. By sharing their work, we hope to change the narrative of division and hopelessness, presenting an alternative view of those working towards a brighter future. 

Using art to build trust in violent extremism research

By
Fathima Azmiya Badurdeen
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Whom do we produce knowledge for in violent extremism (VE) research? Despite an array of rich knowledge emanating from VE research, very few studies venture into the experiential journey of building trust between the researcher and the researched. Identifying ways to foster trust while adhering to values and ethics is critical to the research’s integrity. This article is based on findings from a workshop on building trust between researchers and those being researched using art-based approaches. The workshop revealed complex nuances surrounding the processes of building trust between the research participants and the researchers based on localities, life experiences, and lived realities with the multifaceted phenomenon of VE.

Trust-building is important when we  study topics like ‘violent extremism’. Just like the term ‘terrorism,’ the definition and meaning of the term ‘violent extremism’ depends on who defines it. This is further embedded with the questions, Where is the term violent extremism defined? How is it defined? And why is it defined? These questions are power-based and integrated with who has the power to define these terms. This means that the researcher is often in the position of having to consider multiple actors with various interests, including the donor, government, or other institutional expectations, with community perceptions usually playing only a minor role in the definition equation. 

At the same time, researchers working on VE are attuned to dominant interpretations of Islamist extremism rather than local realities in the construction of the term where extremism can also be defined as political violence led by the state. Value-laden biases influence discussions on VE, particularly when questions are designed to interrogate Islamist extremism rather than an open approach to understanding local perceptions. In stigmatized communities in the coastal regions of Kenya, fatigued about research on Islamist extremism and perceptions of the researcher as representing positions from outside the community make the trust-building exercise difficult. Therefore, the need for prolonged trust-building in the research process can take months or even years.

Competence-based trust is important for studying complex topics such as VE. Prior experience in conducting such research makes researchers more credible. Novice researchers need to first gain acceptance via trusted gatekeepers in the field if they are to venture into complex areas marked by suspicion or bias towards outsiders. The key is to take time and explore the context before embarking on the research. A researcher’s social and emotional skills in interactions, which are bolstered by cultural literacy and empathy strengthen trust. However, it needs to be acknowledged that the process of building trust is complicated and involves ups and downs. Therefore, innovative methodological approaches are needed in studying trust in VE research.

Trust-building in VE research faces similar challenges as conflict and development research fieldwork when academic research  fails to bring local benefits.  Even when academics try their best to make it clear to potential interviewees that they will receive no direct benefit from participating in the research, it can be challenging to be confident that the participant understood the message, as often the expectations are different. For some community members, participation in research appears to only benefit the  academic, with little benefit for the community. Paying participants is often viewed as unethical; however, taking the time of participants for granted is also unethical.  Exploiting community members and their stories can also create ethical challenges for those who benefit from the knowledge-building processes. Overall, the feeling of negativity towards researchers in some over-exploited, research-fatigued localities can impede trust-building for researchers.

In research conducted in volatile areas, trust-building processes between the researcher and the researched participant remain critical. However, trust-building is less emphasized as a key criterion in the progression of knowledge-building due to the time and effort that need to be put in place for building trust. The pursuit of trust-building needs to be factored into the field research process for better research outcomes. Trust-building entails  strengthening relationships, which need to be enhanced as key facets of knowledge-building experiences. 

This article is based on reflections from the research workshop, ‘Trust-Building, Gendered Nuances and Decoloniality in Researching Violent Extremism,’ conducted by Dr. Fathima Azmiya Badurdeen, Department of Social Sciences, Technical University of Mombasa. Different art-based methods were used to stimulate discussions in the workshop. The workshop was comprised of researchers working on the topic of violent extremism, and participants who had been subjects researched on the topic of violent extremism. The workshop enabled both the researchers and the researched to reflect on the research process on topics such as gender, decoloniality, and violent extremism. This workshop is part of a larger collaborative project:  Values, Ethics and Trust in Peacebuilding Network, in collaboration with Dr. Michaelina Jakala (PI) Dr. Miho Taka (Coventry University, UK), and Dr. Kyoko Okumoto (Osaka Jogaukin University, Japan), funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) Networking Grant of the United Nations Year of Trust and Peace. The project is part of a five-workshop series carried out in the UK, Kenya, and the Philippines.  

This Week in Peace #22: February 23

By
Peace News Staff
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Pope Francis, who supported a peacebuilding initiative by Catholic bishops in Mexico. Image credit: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk

Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding. 

This week, there has been non progress on finding a peaceful end to the war in Gaza, as civilians continue to suffer one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. In Mexico, a group of Catholic bishops attempted to negotiate peace between organized crime groups and the government. Ukraine’s Foreign Minister met with his Chinese counterpart, urging Beijing to join Ukraine’s peace efforts. In Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro’s government expelled a UN human rights agency, in a blow to hopes for a peaceful and democratic future. 

This series is also offered as a weekly newsletter. You can sign up here to get future editions sent to you directly every week, and stay up to date on peacebuilding around the world. 

Bishops work towards peace in Mexico

Mexico continues to experience significant conflict, as drug trafficking organizations fight each other for control of territory and smuggling routes, and confront the federal and state governments. In an attempt to find a peaceful resolution, a group of Catholic bishops recently met with cartel leaders. The talks were unsuccessful, but received the approval of Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador. López Obrador was elected promising “hugs not bullets”, aiming to present an alternative to the previously militarized drug war. However, during his term violence has not markedly decreased, with criminal organizations maintaining their hold on territory.

The military has become more prominent than ever before, continuing its role in fighting criminal groups. The expansion of the military into the civilian arena, with López Obrador tasking it with everything from fixing highways to running a state-owned airline, has raised some concerns, especially given its previously apolitical nature. While unlikely to lead to any short-term change, the public support given to the recent talks is a positive sign, as it received public support from López Obrador and Pope Francis, and could help lead to more coverage of peacebuilding initiatives.

Ukraine continues to urge China to help find peace 

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi this week at the Munich Security Conference, continuing Kyiv’s push for China to join an effort to negotiate a “just and lasting peace”. As American aid is held up for political reasons, Ukraine continues to push for a negotiated peace settlement as it faces growing military difficulties. Tomorrow will mark 2 years since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion, and the Kremlin continues to reject good-faith peace negotiations. Recent Russian military success, accompanied by reported unlawful killings of prisoners, has been accompanied by the death of the most prominent opposition leader,Alexei Navalny, in a penal colony. The death of Navalny, who survived an earlier Russian assassination attempt, is the latest blow to internal dissent in Russia, and is a signal of the Kremlin’s belief that it can act with complete impunity.

Facing military difficulties, Ukraine’s outreach to China is a key part of its diplomatic strategy. China is a key strategic and economic partner of Moscow, but wishes to present itself as a major diplomatic actor dedicated to non-interference in other states. It has presented a peace plan that received little support, and Wang said China would not sell weapons to either side, and would continue to push for dialogue and a peaceful resolution. Further participation in Ukraine’s plans for a peace summit would be beneficial to both sides, and could help lead to a peaceful resolution. Russia is unlikely to accept a peace deal that does not legitimize its illegal annexation of Ukrainian territory, but Chinese participation would be an important step, given the close ties between Beijing and Moscow.  

Read more stories about Ukraine here. 

Maduro chooses power over peace, expels UN human rights agency

We have previously covered negotiations between the US and Venezuela, which would have led to a thaw in relations between the two states, relieved US sanctions, and led to open democratic elections in Venezuela. The recent expulsion of the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights from Venezuela is the latest sign that Maduro and his government do not plan on following through with those commitments. The main opposition candidate has been declared ineligible, with her supporters facing arrest and violent attacks. The UN, an important source of aid to the country, had criticized the detention of a prominent human rights activist, and the same agency had accused Maduro of complicity in crimes against humanity. The intensifying crackdown on civil society, activists, and pro-democracy figures echoes earlier violent repression of political opponents and protest movements, and dashes hopes for a peaceful and democratic political environment in Venezuela. 

Read past Peace News stories on Venezuela here.

Youth Ambassadors: The Young People Building Peace in Nigeria

By
Mohammed Ibrahim and Marta Morais
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In Nigeria’s Kaduna state, a group of young people have come together to act as peace ambassadors, working to bridge ethnic and religious tensions that can create conflict between different groups. They use mediation, an early warning system, and even sport to bring people together and build a more peaceful community.

This Week in Peace #21: February 16

By
Peace News Staff
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The border between Egypt and Israel. Image credit: Tiia Monto

Welcome back to This Week in Peace, our weekly summary of events in global peacebuilding. 

This week, the crucial Camp David Accords are threatened by the ongoing war in Gaza, as negotiations to find a plan to end the fighting continue without success. The Congolese national soccer team made a public call for peace in the eastern DRC, and a border clash illustrated the many obstacles to a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 

This series is also offered as a weekly newsletter. You can sign up here to get future editions sent to you directly every week, and stay up to date on peacebuilding around the world. 

A landmark peace treaty is threatened by the war in Gaza

While the US and regional partners continue to try to find an agreement that would lead to a ceasefire in Gaza, lay the groundwork for a future Palestinian state, and release Israeli hostages, another agreement is under threat. Egypt was the first Arab state to recognize and make peace with Israel, through the Camp David Accords, which have held for decades and were a landmark step towards peace in the Middle East. Since the start of the war Egypt has insisted that it will not allow Palestinians to be pushed into its territory, which is a growing concern as Israel prepares an offensive into Rafah, the last remaining refuge for over a million Palestinians, and which is on the border with Egypt. Reports surfaced in a number of outlets that Egypt had threatened to pull out of the treaty in the event of an invasion of Rafah. This would be highly destabilizing for the region, and further harm the prospects for long-term peace. Thankfully, Egypt’s Foreign Minister denied that such an action was being considered, but the reports illustrate the potential consequences of an operation in Rafah, which would exacerbate an already dire humanitarian situation. 

We published an article on the 45th anniversary of the Camp David Accords in September, which you can find here.

Congolese national team makes a public plea for peace amid ongoing violence 

Before a recent Africa Cup of Nations Semifinal, the Congolese national team made a public call for peace. Fighting is ongoing in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo between the government and M23 rebels, threatening the major city of Goma. The region has experienced decades of conflict, which began with the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide and involves numerous regional and nonstate actors. This latest fighting has displaced thousands, and signals a significant escalation as tensions between the DRC and Rwanda are at their highest point in decades. Despite the high stakes, the conflict receives little international attention, and hopefully this protest will help to draw further attention to this pressing issue. 

Read our recent story about this conflict here. 

An exchange of fire illustrates challenges facing Armenia and Azerbaijan

Azerbaijan and Armenia continue to negotiate on the terms of a potential historic peace treaty, which could end decades of tensions between the two former Soviet states. This week, four Armenian soldiers were killed in what Azerbaijan said was retaliation for Armenian troops firing on its border. While the negotiations continue, and incidents along the border are not uncommon, it does illustrate the challenges facing both countries. There is a long history of clashes between the two neighbors, who fought an all-out war in 2020. The resolution of the status of the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh (due to Azerbaijani military force) and the ongoing negotiations have opened the door for long-term peace which would prevent further conflict in an unstable region. 

You can read more of our coverage of this issue here, we’ll continue to cover any further developments in the ongoing peace process. 

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