Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Conferences
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The Africa Program hosts regular conferences to promote dialogue and collaboration within the network and share important recommendations and ideas with a wider audience. The conferences occur on a rotating basis between Washington, D.C. and on the continent with the goal of enhancing peacebuilding-related policy dialogue among and between the Global North and the Global South.
2024 SVNP Scholars Alumni Conference
From June 4th to 6th, the Africa Program welcomed current and former Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Scholars to the Wilson Center for a conference focused on reimagining the future of governance in Africa. In a variety of group sessions, scholars collaborated, networked and shared their insights on some of the most pressing challenges and powerful successes in peacebuilding on the continent. Scholars also engaged with policymakers during their time in Washington DC, which featured a trip to Capitol Hill to speak with senior staffers from the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Senate Foreign Relations Committee. On the final day, attendees shared the results of their discussions and concluded with a tour of Capitol Hill.
2023 SVNP Annual Conference: "Examining Democracy, Governance, and Peacebuilding in Africa"
Peacebuilding and democratic governance are interwoven, with stable institutions allowing for sustainable peace, and peace allowing actors to nurture the pillars of good governance. Elections in 2023 tested governance institutions and democratic transitions in over a dozen countries in Africa. Meanwhile, peacebuilding continues to be a focus of experts, practitioners, civil society members, local actors, and government officials in Africa and around the world. From September 11-15, 2023, the Wilson Center's Africa Program hosted the 2023 Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) Annual Conference, “Examining Democracy, Governance, and Peacebuilding in Africa.” More information, including the webcasts for the public sessions are available here.
The global peace and security landscape is undergoing significant changes. Consecutive shocks such as COVID-19, economic decline, climate change, and rising food insecurity, along with a degradation in democracy and uptick in violent extremism in some countries have contributed to increasing fragility. Meanwhile, on the African continent, the acceleration of economic integration through the African Continental Free Trade Area and progress toward digital transformation open new opportunities for advancing development goals. What does all of this mean for peacebuilding in Africa? From September 12-16, 2022, the Africa Program hosted the 2022 SVNP Annual Conference, “Business Unusual: A Rapidly Changing World Calls for Adapting Peacebuilding in Africa.” More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.
As in other parts of the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Africa, not only in the realm of health, but in the areas of peace, security, democracy, economy, and international relations. The Wilson Center Africa Program hosted the 2021 SVNP Virtual Annual Conference, “The Political Economy of Democracy and Peacebuilding in Africa in the COVID-19 Era,” from July 19 to 23, 2021. The conference, held virtually, convened 19 representatives from 16 of the 23 SVNP organizations and over 230 members of the public, policymakers, practitioners, experts, and international stakeholders joined the sessions. More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.
2019 SVNP Annual Conference: "Youth and Peacebuilding in Africa"
From July 15 to 18, 2019 the Wilson Center Africa Program, the Centre de Recherche et d’Action pour la Paix (CERAP), and the Centre Ivoirien de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CIRES) co-hosted the 2019 annual SVNP conference in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The year's theme "Youth and Peacebuilding in Africa," took stock of key questions, gaps, challenges, and opportunities regarding youth and peacebuilding in Africa. The conference also shared lessons learned, best practices, and policy options from policymakers, experts, and practitioners on transforming and advancing the agenda for youth and peacebuilding in Africa. More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.
From July 16 to 19, 2018 the Wilson Center Africa Program and the Institute for Peace and Security Studies at the Addis Ababa University co-hosted the 2018 annual SVNP conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The year's theme, “National, Regional, and Global Infrastructures for Peace in Africa," engaged on key issues related to peacebuilding in Africa. More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.
2017 SVNP Annual Conference: “Peacebuilding in Africa - What Works?”
From July 10 to 13, 2017 the Wilson Center Africa Program hosted the 2017 annual SVNP conference. Building on the previous year’s conference in Pretoria, South Africa, the theme of this conference was “Peacebuilding in Africa - What Works?” More information, the conference report, and the webcasts and summaries of conference events are available here.
From March 21 to 24, 2016 the Wilson Center Africa Program, in partnership with the Institute for Security Studies, the Human Science Research Council, the Institute for Global Dialogue, and the University of Pretoria Department of Political Science, hosted the annual SVNP conference in Pretoria, South Africa. More information, the conference report, and the papers presented at the conference are available here.
2015 SVNP Annual Conference: "Peacebuilding, Development, and the New Economic Paradigm in Africa"
From May 26 to 29, 2015 the Wilson Center Africa Program hosted the annual SVNP conference in Washington, D.C. The conference theme "Peacebuilding, Development, and the New Economic Paradigm in Africa," centered on contemporary issues in Africa including peacebuilding, health care, technology, women's rights, democracy, and governance. More information and the conference report can be found here.
Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding Regional Policy Workshops
The Africa Program co-hosts regional policy workshops in collaboration with other SVNP member organizations to promote dialogue and collaboration within the network and share important policy analysis and recommendations on key, regional policy concerns with a U.S. and African policymaker audience. The conferences occur on a rotating basis among Africa's 5 regions with the goal of enhancing peacebuilding-related policy dialogue among and between the the SVNP and Policymakers.
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