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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From September 19-20, 2023, members of the Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding (SVNP) hosted the Regional Policy Conference, "West and North Africa at the Crossroads of Change: Examining the Evolving Security and Governance Landscape," in Accra, Ghana. The West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP), SADEQ Institute, and the Wilson Center jointly co-hosted the conference. This regional conference focused on the changing security and socio-political dynamics in the Sahel-Maghreb region, examine the role of external actors, discuss the impacts of the reemergence of military coups in the region, and offer policy recommendations that can inform the actions of national and international government, non-government actors, and the private sector. More information is available here.
2022 SVNP Regional Policy Workshop: "Peacebuilding Processes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa"
The Women’s International Peace Centre (The Peace Centre); the Centre d’Etudes pour l’Action Sociale (CEPAS); Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR-Rwanda); the Centre for Conflict Management (CCM) of the University of Rwanda; and the Wilson Center co-hosted the 2022 SVNP Regional Policy Workshop "Peacebuilding Processes in the Great Lakes Region of Africa" from June 16-17 in Kampala, Uganda. This regional conference aimed to interrogate peacebuilding in the region by focusing on the root causes of the conflict in the region and the various attempts to build peace. More information is available here.
The Africa Technology Policy Studies Network (ATPS), in collaboration with the African Institute for Development Policy (AFIDEP), Kenya; the Center for Media, Democracy, Peace & Security (CMDPS), Rongo University, Kenya; the Women’s International Peace Centre (WIPC), Uganda; the Centre for Conflict Management (CCM), University of Rwanda, Rwanda; the Institute of Policy Analysis and Research (IPAR), Rwanda; the Institute for Peace and Security Studies (IPSS), Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, and; the Wilson Center Africa Programa co-hosted the SVNP Eastern Africa Conference on “Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism in the COVID-19 Era” from December 7-8, 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya. This conference addressed some of the critical issues facing Eastern Africa in the context of both rising violent extremist activity as well as the ongoing uncertainty resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. More information is available here.
From February 6-7, 2020 the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, African Center for Economic Transformation, the Initiative for Public Policy Analysis, the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, and Wilson Center Africa Program co-hosted the regional policy workshop, "Progress & Retrogression on Electoral Processes and Transitions in West Africa: Peace and Security Concerns and Consequence" in Accra, Ghana. The discussions focused on the current dynamics of electoral processes in West Africa, the management of complex elections in the region, support to civil society organizations in organizing credible elections, as well as an assessment of institutional strengths and gaps for managing electoral processes. Participants also developed recommendations for improving the electoral environment in West Africa leading into 2020 and beyond. Participants included representatives from the SVNP, high-level representatives from election monitoring bodies in the region, the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division, the ECOWAS Network of Election Commissions (ECONEC), political party officials, in addition to policymakers, practitioners, civil society organizations, and the media. More information is available here.
2019 SVNP Regional Policy Workshop: "Youth and Peacebuilding in the Sahel"
From July 22 to 23, 2019 the Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR) and the Wilson Center Africa Program co-hosted a Southern Voices Network for Peacebuilding regional policy workshop in Dakar, Senegal under the theme: "Youth and Peacebuilding in the Sahel." Workshop deliberations focused on three sub-topics: Security in the Sahel: Issues and Challenges for Senegal; Peace and the Governance of Natural Resources; and Youth, Migration and Peace. Participants included representatives from the SVNP, Senegalese researchers and practitioners, organizations working on development, youth, and security, policymakers—including several members of Parliament—as well as several youth organizations. More information is available here.