PartnersGlobal announces PEACE-WAY, a fellowship program intended to support aspiring peacebuilders in West Africa

PartnersGlobal, in partnership with the West Africa Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) and with support from the United States Department of State, is launching the PEACE-WAY fellowship program for young peacebuilders in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, and Togo.

The goal of the PEACE-WAY fellowship is to enhance the knowledge, skill-set, and networks of young West African peacebuilders committed to the prevention and resolution of violent conflicts found within their own communities. The program strives to support these young leaders to implement practical solutions to promote peace.  

A cohort of 350 promising young changemakers will have the opportunity to participate in learning exchanges with national and international peacebuilding and conflict resolution experts. They will grow their professional networks within their countries, the wider West African region, and internationally. Among this cohort, a select group of PEACE-WAY fellows will be awarded seed funding to carry out their own innovative peacebuilding initiatives and participate in a two-day conference in Accra in November 2024.  The funding for this program is provided through the U.S. Department of State under the U.S. Strategy to Prevent Conflict and Promote Stability.

“We are honored to lead this regional initiative with the United States Department of State and our implementing partners in five countries. PEACE-WAY presents a unique opportunity to amplify the voices of young leaders who are committed to contributing positively to their communities and promoting peace. We look forward for PEACE-WAY fellows to share their knowledge and experiences, make regional contacts, and nurture their joint passion and commitment for a more peaceful world,” said Kyra Buchko, PartnersGlobal’s Co-Executive Director. She added, “Partners is deeply committed to supporting youth who are on the frontlines of bridging divides and building more peaceful societies for the future.”

PartnersGlobal advances peacebuilding and democratic resilience by promoting open civic space across the globe. Through authentic partnership and accompaniment, inclusive processes, and conflict sensitivity, we help to bring about more peaceful, secure, and accountable societies. For more than three decades, our mission and vision for a more peaceful and prosperous world has centered on the preeminent role of local leadership and locally led problem-solving. PartnersGlobal is implementing PEACE-WAY in partnership with the West African Network for Peacebuilding (WANEP) offices in Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Ghana, and Togo. To learn more and contribute, please visit the PEACE-WAY Fellowship project page.

PartnersGlobal, en partenariat avec le RĂ©seau Ouest-Africain pour la Consolidation de la Paix (WANEP) et avec le soutien du DĂ©partement d’État des États-Unis, lance le programme de bourses PEACE-WAY pour soutenir des jeunes leaders pour la paix au BĂ©nin, en CĂŽte d’Ivoire, en GuinĂ©e, au Ghana et au Togo.

L’objectif de la bourse PEACE-WAY est d’amĂ©liorer les connaissances, les compĂ©tences et les rĂ©seaux des jeunes leaders pour la paix en Afrique de l’Ouest engagĂ©s dans la prĂ©vention et la rĂ©solution des conflits violents au sein de leurs propres communautĂ©s. Le programme s’efforce d’accompagner et de soutenir ces jeunes leaders Ă  mettre en Ɠuvre des solutions pratiques pour promouvoir la paix.

Une cohorte de 350 jeunes acteurs du changement prometteurs aura l’opportunitĂ© de participer Ă  des Ă©changes de connaissances avec des experts nationaux et internationaux de la consolidation de la paix et de la rĂ©solution des conflits. Ils dĂ©velopperont leurs rĂ©seaux professionnels au sein de leur pays, de la rĂ©gion et Ă  l’international. Les jeunes prĂ©sentant des idĂ©es les plus novatrices et impactantes pour contribuer Ă  prĂ©venir et rĂ©soudre les conflits violent dans leurs communautĂ©s recevront un financement de dĂ©marrage pour mener Ă  bien leurs propres initiatives. De plus, ils auront l’occasion de participer Ă  une confĂ©rence de deux jours Ă  Accra en novembre 2024.Le financement pour ce projet provient du DĂ©partement d’État des États-Unis par sa StratĂ©gie pour la prĂ©vention des conflits et la promotion de la stabilitĂ©.

Kyra Buchko, co-directrice exĂ©cutive de PartnersGlobal, a dĂ©clarĂ© : « Nous sommes honorĂ©s de mener cette initiative rĂ©gionale en partenariat avec le DĂ©partement d’État des États-Unis et nos partenaires de mise en Ɠuvre, WANEP, au Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cote d’Ivoire, et en GuinĂ©e. PEACE-WAY offre une occasion unique d’amplifier la voix des jeunes leaders qui s’engagent Ă  contribuer positivement Ă  leurs communautĂ©s et Ă  promouvoir la paix. Nous attendons avec impatience que les boursiers de PEACE-WAY partagent leurs connaissances et leurs expĂ©riences, Ă©tablissent des contacts rĂ©gionaux et nourrissent leur passion et leur engagement communs pour un monde plus pacifique. Au sein de PartnersGlobal, nous nous engageons pleinement Ă  soutenir les jeunes qui sont en premiĂšre ligne dans la lutte pour combler les fossĂ©s et bĂątir des sociĂ©tĂ©s plus pacifiques pour les gĂ©nĂ©rations futures. »

PartnersGlobal fait progresser la consolidation de la paix et la rĂ©silience dĂ©mocratique en promouvant un espace civique ouvert dans le monde entier. GrĂące Ă  un partenariat et Ă  un accompagnement authentique, Ă  des processus inclusifs et Ă  des actions sensibles aux conflits, nous contribuons Ă  l’avĂšnement de sociĂ©tĂ©s plus pacifiques, plus sĂ»res et plus responsables. Depuis plus de trois dĂ©cennies, notre mission et notre vision d’un monde plus pacifique et plus prospĂšre sont centrĂ©es sur le rĂŽle prĂ©Ă©minent du leadership local et de la recherche de solutions locales aux problĂšmes locaux. Pour en savoir plus et contribuer, rendez-vous sur www.partnersglobal.org

2nd Annual PartnersGlobal Arts4Resilience Awards recognizes vital role artists and activists play to strengthen resiliency in the face of conflict

Washington DC, — PartnersGlobal presented eight awards to outstanding artists and art activists from six countries for their achievements fostering resiliency during its Arts4Resilience (A4R) Honors event on December 7, 2023, held at Studio Theatre. Arts4Resilience is an annual event series hosted by PartnersGlobal that celebrates the importance of artists’ contributions to building resilience and spotlighting critical issues related to social, political, environmental and health justice, and inclusivity.  

Now in its second year, the 2023 A4R day began with a screening of the award-winning documentary, Four Winters, followed by a Director’s Talk with celebrated activist and playwright, Julia Mintz, as a part of an international tour of the film. This screening, featuring the story of Jewish partisans in WWII, was followed by an evening of honors and performances celebrating activist art representing a variety of mediums — from photography to graphic arts to music and theater. Honors were presented in areas ranging from art that calls attention to indigenous voices, human rights, identity and inclusivity, and the climate crisis.  

The A4R Honors also included live performances by internationally acclaimed cellist and composer, Tanya Anisimova; ASL artist and choreographer, Brandon Kazen-Maddox; and singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Rachael Sage. Arts4Resilience was generously underwritten by Eva Haller; Anne Labovitz Studio, LLC; My Petite Gallery; and the International Human Rights Arts Movement. 

“These artists and their work represent the transformative power of the arts to build resiliency in the face of tragedy, division, and conflict,” said PartnersGlobal Co-Executive Director, Roselie Vasquez-Yetter.  

The 2023 PartnersGlobal Arts4Resilience honorees are:  

  • Lifetime Achievement Award, presented to Eva Haller 

Eva Haller is a Hungarian-American philanthropist, activist, executive and Holocaust survivor. Born in 1930 in Budapest, Hungary, in 1942, she joined her older brother underground in the Hungarian resistance where she created anti-Hitler leaflets. Later, Eva convinced a Nazi officer that she was too young and too beautiful to die and to let her escape; she remained in hiding throughout World War II. Eva eventually reached New York, where she cleaned houses and concurrently earned a master’s degree in social work from Hunter College. In 1965, she joined Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the Selma march. Along with her late husband, Murray Roman, Eva co-founded the Campaign Communications Institute of America. With help from the proceeds of their successful business, they continued the pursuit of their philanthropy supporting a variety of social justice issues. After Murray died, Eva married Yoel Haller and has pursued her philanthropic career, widely revered, and honored with numerous awards. 

  • Capturing Resilience Award, presented to Julia Mintz 

Julia Mintz is a filmmaker and activist whose diverse body of work focuses on narratives of bravery and resistance against unimaginable odds. She has been on the producing team for films that have been shortlisted for the Academy Awards, have premiered at Cannes, Sundance and TriBeCa, won Emmy and Peabody awards, and can be seen on HBO, PBS, American Masters, Netflix and Amazon. Her most recent film, the award-winning documentary, Four Winters, dispels the myth of Jewish passivity during World War II by sharing the stories of surviving partisans and illuminating the many ways in which the Jewish people resisted the Nazis. This award was presented to Julia for her two decades of work as an activist and filmmaker. She has used her craft and her skillful storytelling to reach audiences with messages encouraging tolerance, freedom and dignity across topics such as: HIV-AIDS; women’s rights; LGBTQI and civil rights, among others. 

  • The Csekö JĂĄnos Art of Resistance Award, presented to Kateryna Sukhomlynova and Journalists of Gaza 

Kateryna Sukhomlynova is a volunteer, public activist, and a trainer in medical rescue. Before the hostilities started in Ukraine in 2014, she worked as an engineer and commercial director. However, following the shelling of Mariupol, Kateryna’s hometown, she made a complete shift in her occupation to focus on training people in first aid, volunteering, and engaging in political and civic activism.  

The journalists of Gaza have dedicated not only their time, career, and energy, but also their lives to be the voice of Palestinians living under terror and siege. The collective dedication, commitment, and passion for fair and just media, as well as and their responsibility to educate people and shed light on what’s happening on the ground represents their ultimate sacrifice for freedom and dignity. 

The Teatro del Embuste (“Theater of the Lie”) Collective is a Colombian stage creation was formed by actors, playwrights, directors, producers, musicians and visual artists from diverse backgrounds, who come together in their desire to explore new forms of expression and perception of the theater. The group seeks to involve the audience and take them out of their routine role of passive spectator. 

  • Art of Indigenous Voices, presented to Enea Lebrun and Andrea Lino Machi 

Lebrun and Lino Machi collaborated on JenenĂ©, a photo and video series about the relationship between the Chagres River and its inhabitants. The collaboration explores the issues of this complex Panamanian territory and offers a reflection on the consequences of development and alternatives to the hegemonic management of the use of natural resources. 

The Arts & Climate Initiative uses storytelling and live performance to foster dialogue about our global climate crisis, create an empowering vision of the future, and inspire people to take action. Through its work over the last 15 years, the Initiative has created a model that has inspired radical life changes among citizens, demonstrating that we can address pressing social and environmental issues in novel ways, using art as a catalyst.    

Mbizo Chirasa is a Zimbabwean internationally published spoken word poet. His illustrious poetry, hybrid writings, political commentary, short fiction, book reviews, and arts features have been published in more than 400 spaces. He has curated and edited the Zimbabwe We Want Poetry, which offered a platform for artists to speak on the numerous issues affecting the country during the Mugabe regime. 

  • Art for Marginalized Communities Inclusivity, presented to Brandon Kazen-Maddox 

Brandon Kazen-Maddox is a choreographer, dancer, director, actor, acrobat, activist, Voiceover, and ASL Artist. Brandon creates work with and for the Deaf and Disability communities, and highlights and empowers BIPOC and LGBTQAI+ artists, building bridges of collaboration and community among people of all backgrounds and abilities. 

During March, we celebrated the powerful and resilient women who have strived to make changes for the sake of making an equal and fulfilling space for all of us. Women have been the backbone of many political, economic, and social movements. They have been the faces and voices that have made us look inward and ask ourselves, “Are we the best of who we can be?” As we leave March 2022 behind us please take a moment to reflect on this question. And check out all of the ways we celebrate women in peacebuilding and civil society resiliency spaces.

Resilient Conversations

Resilient Conversations is a forthcoming podcast organized and hosted by PartnersGlobal that explores different facets of individual, organizational, sectoral, and systemic resiliency. The short video series above includes clips from different episodes. Featured guests on the podcast will include our own staff like Co-Executive Directors Roselie Vasquez Yetter and Kyra Buchko; ResiliencyPlus colleagues and coaches Alexa Brand, Olivia Baciu, and Susan Njambi Odongo; and civil society colleagues such as Zuza Fialova of Partners for Democratic Change Slovakia and Carole Frampton de Tscharner and Heloise Heyer of Peace Nexus Foundation.

MENA Women’s Roundtable

Recently, MENA and Civil Society Strengthening Director Rasha Abdel Latif of PartnersGlobal sat down (virtually) with women peacebuilders and Partners Network colleagues from Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan, and the US to talk about women’s role as leaders and peacebuilders in the MENA region. Enjoy this 20 minute conversation between these incredible women as they reflect on what inspires them to work in this space.

Co-Leadership Model as a Resiliency Approach

We are on our own resiliency journey at PartnersGlobal as we navigate the shifts on our operating environment. One way to shore up our resilient capital is to build in innovative leadership and operating models like co-leadership. This approach both builds in redundancies AND creates space for inclusion and diversity of thought, which contributes to more effective problem solving and organizational management. Get to know our co-Executive Directors Roselie and Kyra by watching the short video above!

Women Peacebuilders Blog Series

Below are a series of blog posts by staff and partners at PartnersGlobal that depict the real stories and impacts of various women peacebuilders across our portfolios. Enjoy!

Demilitarizing Water Sources in Taiz through Dialogue
Women Driving Change: The Journey towards Women’s Legal Empowerment in Bahrain
Oluwakemi Okenyodo, Executive Director at Partners West Africa Nigeria, on the challenges of policing in Nigeria during the pandemic
NULAI Program Director Odi Lagi on the use of mobile courts and the impact of COVID-19 on pretrial detention
How Yemeni media can change the narrative on women

  April 23, 2021

George Floyd’s life mattered.

After less than a day of jury deliberations, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd last May. For Floyd’s family, their surprise and relief at the verdict was expressed poignantly in his brother Philonise’s words, “Today we are able to breathe again.”  Many across the nation glued to televisions and Twitter feeds took a collective breath as we realized that our justice system had finally validated that this Black man’s life mattered — and that a system that allowed a White police officer to kill a Black man by kneeling casually on his neck for 9:29 minutes was indefensible and criminal.  Yet however uplifting and validating the verdict, it is worth remembering that many other victims have not yet and may not see justice served. 

Just moments before the verdict was announced, police in Columbus, Ohio fatally shot a 16-year-old Black girl, Ma’Khiah Bryant. It is also not lost on us that just last week, less than 10 miles from where Chauvin stood trial,  Daunte Wright was shot and killed by police during a routine traffic stop. These lost lives are more tragic reminders of the power disequilibrium that systemic racism produces across our nation. Indeed, many police practices reinforce the narrative that Black and Brown lives are threats to society that must be remanded, contained, or even brutalized. This dehumanization wrought by white supremacy in the US places BIPOC at the bottom of a racial hierarchy, where systemic violence perpetuates human rights violations upon communities of color. From mass incarceration to the militarization of police forces that disproportionately target Black and Brown people, these communities have been left at the mercy of the state, and their fury becomes their voice.

The civil resistance in America today is the result of hundreds of years of pain, anger, and fear – and it is our duty to ensure that the Chauvin verdict is a step toward healing the communal trauma of centuries of institutional oppression. The powerful, Black-led movement that organized the largest and most persistent demonstrations in US history is a reminder of how positive social change in this country happens.  We must push our lawmakers to uphold this outcome through a wholesale redesign of our criminal justice system and accountability mechanisms.

Much work and healing remain as we continue to organize and advocate for equitable justice and accountability. We can already see the ramping up of a dangerous counter-narrative from those who portray the verdict as “mob justice” – suggesting that jurors were persuaded not by testimony and evidence but by fear of the potential consequences of a not–guilty verdict – and discussion of passing laws that could target protestors. This is where organizations focused on peacebuilding and democratic reform must demonstrate resolve, vigilance, and leadership. We must amplify messages of social transformation, accountable justice, and healing through a collaborative approach that unifies our voices and networks to truly effect changes in the system that center human life and dignity.

It can seem overwhelming to know where to begin to constructively change an oppressive, abusive system. As peacebuilders, we at PartnersGlobal know that rebuilding trust is one of the cornerstones to any long-term criminal justice reform. Our organization is committed to advocating for change by first acknowledging the collective and personal trauma that our staff is experiencing and allowing ourselves as a team the time to grieve. We also acknowledge that this trauma is felt differently by our Black and Brown colleagues who experience levels of violence and historical marginalization very differently than those with lighter skin. While we know our individual experiences with injustice vary, we believe strongly that we each have a role to play in ensuring that reforms and social transformation will be legitimate, inclusive, and lasting. The Chauvin trial resulted in a guilty verdict because average citizens of all ages, colors, and races took risks to film, speak, organize, and shout about a repugnant murder by law enforcement of a citizen on a calm street in Minneapolis on a typical summer afternoon – and because a jury of peers did its civic duty to hear evidence from all sides and render a just decision that upheld the laws of the state and the principles of our country.

PartnersGlobal will make every effort to uplift and assist our peer organizations working on the front lines of racial injustice and social reform in the United States, offering support to these groups to stay resilient in this long struggle. We recognize that expressing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and others working to end the dehumanization of people of color is not enough. Yet it represents a critical start for collaborative advocacy and restorative justice. As we call for police to end the use of illegal force and brutality—beatings, racial abuse, unlawful killings, torture, or indiscriminate use of riot control agents —we know that the verdict doesn’t equate to the greater justice we need without systemic change. And we recognize that it will take many different groups and constituencies – activists, community leaders, policymakers, and police themselves – to achieve these kinds of structural reforms.  

We encourage our extended Partners family to join us in supporting the struggle for Black lives whether by donating money, attending protests, amplifying Black voices online, or being willing to have difficult conversations about race and racism in the US.

We honor the memories and legacies of those killed by police. To read their stories, visit:

  February 23, 2021

In honor of General CissĂ© , PartnersGlobal, Partners West Africa Nigeria and Partners West Africa Senegal are awarding research fellowships to two young African women researchers and practitioners working in the civil society and security sectors. Each fellow will receive a grant equivalent of 1,500,000 CFA (West African franc) to fund innovative research around the prevention and peaceful resolution of conflicts in Africa with a central focus on women, peace and security.

With these fellowships, the Partners Network aims to cultivate the next generation of leaders in women, peace and security and make progress toward realizing UNSCR 1325.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

Only future or ongoing research projects are eligible for the Fellowship.

The selection criteria applied for the project appraisal are:

  1. Applicant’s capacity to carry out quality research (level of education, professional experience, published work, academic support);
  2. Relevance and originality of the issue in relation to current security and gender issues;
  3. Link to the themes selected for the Fellowship, as specified in Article 3;
  4. Methodology and structuring of the work;
  5. Analytical development of the project narrative and the planned fieldwork;
  6. Interest of the results and the practical impact of contributions.

Application requirements

Submit the complete application file electronically by March 15, 2021 to [email protected]

The application must contain the following files:

  • 1 Resume/CV (contact details including home address and possibly institutional address, training, career path and professional project, photograph);
  • 1 transcript of the Master’s degree and/or the doctoral research proposal approved by the committee members/ or a transcript of the doctoral/PhD diploma;
  • 1 Letter of recommendation;
  • 1 Copy of a research work already carried out (thesis chapter, scientific article, etc.);
  • 1 research proposal for the General Lamine CissĂ© Fellowship (10 pages) including the following sections, in .doc or .docx format:
    • Aim/goal of the research;
    • Research problem;
    • Research methodology;
  • In the appendix of the research project:
    • Indicative references;
    • Research timeline;
    • Estimated research budget.

Incomplete applications or those arriving after the Closing Date will not be considered. See the flyer below for more details.

  January 15, 2021

PartnersGlobal and PartnersYemen strongly urge the U.S. Department of State to reverse the designation of Ansar Allah, commonly known as the Houthis, as a terrorist organization.

Because of this decision, desperately needed humanitarian aid, as well as goods and personnel coming from the United States of America, will be prevented from entering northern Yemen, where 70 percent of the population lives. Today, after six years of war, nearly 80 percent of Yemen’s population is living below the poverty line; 120,000 have died and 500,000 have been wounded; and more than 7 million have been displaced both internally and outside the country. Those that remain lack access to basic necessities—food, water, and medicine. Every day this designation remains, the suffering of the most vulnerable families in Yemen will mount. The lives of millions are at stake.

Further, this designation counteracts years-long peacebuilding efforts by the international community and impacts the United Nations-led political peace process. This is not in the interest of Yemenis, the international community, or the United States. Therefore, we call on President-elect Biden and his administration to freeze and revoke this decision upon taking office; and we call on Congress to respond immediately to reverse this designation.

For over a decade, PartnersGlobal and PartnersYemen have been working with communities most besieged by the conflict in Yemen, including those in northern Yemen. We have gained the trust of actors on both sides of this conflict and together worked to mediate disputes, improve governance and service delivery, and, most importantly, lay the foundations for long-term stability and peace. PartnersGlobal and PartnersYemen are part of a network of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding organizations working throughout the country to similarly build the foundations for lasting stability and peace. This new designation threatens this work and only serves to prolong the conflict.

Scott Paul, Humanitarian Policy Lead at Oxfam of America, said, “Secretary Pompeo’s designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization is a dangerous and useless policy, and it will also endanger the lives of innocent people. This designation will not help in resolving the conflict, nor in achieving justice for the violations and abuses committed during the war; this will only escalate the suffering for millions of Yemenis who struggle to survive.”

One former minister and businessman said, “The decision will return us to the starting point of the conflict at a time when the various parties had entered a phase of fatigue and found a willingness to make painful concessions.”

Unfortunately, this sentiment has been echoed by Yemeni leaders throughout the country as well as those in the international community most familiar with the conflict.

We are calling on the United States to play a constructive role in resolving Yemen’s devastating conflict and mitigating the disastrous effects on the population. The United States is uniquely positioned to do this, but this new designation does the opposite.

by Julia Roigj and Liz Hume   November 10, 2020

2020 has been a historic and tumultuous year in the United States. The pandemic, mass mobilizations for social justice, and a bitter and polarizing Presidential election finally culminated in the highest voter turnout in our country’s history. While 74 million Americans are celebrating Biden and Harris’s election, 70 million Americans are not, and many are filled with existential dread.

Reflecting on President-elect Biden’s message of healing and unity, what will it take for us to come together? It feels impossible after the last four years of vitriolic divisiveness. However, the deepening divisions in the US have been building long before the 2016 election. According to a report from Brown University this year, the US is polarizing faster than other democracies. If we are indeed at an inflection point, as Biden declared in his acceptance speech, then we must decide how not to cause harm and also contribute meaningfully to depolarization. Building a peaceful society will require addressing the structural inequalities and grievances that drive conflict and polarization AND prioritize restoring relationships and rebuilding trust.

Here are four ways Americans can start building peace today:

1. None of us are immune to the dynamics of polarization. A progressive celebrating the Biden win called on his Twitter followers to reach out to at least one Trump supporter to offer empathy and to find an issue of common ground. He received thousands of outraged responses declaring “the other side” irredeemable. Polarization experts believe in-group and out-group dynamics in a polarized society cause all of us to become the most extreme versions of ourselves, assigning increasingly sinister motives to all those we consider as “other.” Outrage makes us feel closer to our in-group. But each of us can interrogate the effects of polarization on our perceptions. We should now seek our connections as parents, as music fans, or as sports aficionados irrespective of our political leanings.

2. Bridge-building can make polarization worse. Bridge builders can fan the flames of polarization by giving a platform that fuels polarized viewpoints. Researchers caution against efforts to build bridges in deeply polarized environments but rather advise highlighting stories of everyday people who do not necessarily reflect either extreme. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) also tweeted after the election: “So many Trump voters are also working families and believed that he would improve their lives. We must see that they are hurting and fight attempts to divide us as we work to rebuild our beloved nation.” She did not receive the same vitriol, most likely because she highlighted the commonalities of working families trying to improve their lives and called out the people seeking to divide.

3. Time to complexify the narrative. We all draw on deeply entrenched narratives that our unconscious mind often manifests as common sense. What is a narrative? They are “a foundational framework for understanding both history and current events, and inform our basic concepts of identity, community, and belonging.” Many live by deep narratives of freedom, faith, and patriotism, while others bring to the foreground narratives of historical oppression, systemic racism, and runaway capitalism that drive inequality and injustice. The divided mainstream and social media also fuel misinformation and can exacerbate seemingly black and white narratives. For example, a viral video of a young man in a MAGA hat in front of the Lincoln Memorial in a perceived confrontation with a Native American man received intense public outrage before a fuller picture of the incident emerged. A peacebuilding approach to social justice must include a commitment to interrogating our own biases, acknowledging different ways of making sense of the world, and promoting more complex narratives that are factual and inclusive of diverse lived experiences.

4. Instead of calling out, calling in: Some activists are already questioning our new President-elect’s focus on national healing as a moderate’s suspicious call for “civility” — or code for not making too many waves in the fight for systemic change. Human rights activists will and should continue to work tirelessly to confront insidious racism, misogyny, xenophobia, anti-gay and transgender discrimination, and inequality in our society. And yet, during this time of such polarization, we must seek to uncover healing tactics for the change we want to see that brings more supporters to our cause(s).

There is a need for human rights activists and peacebuilders to reflect together on how to “call in” those who could join our coalitions and refrain from “calling out” potential allies who may make mistakes or don’t hold the same world views on all issues. For example, a mistake in calling someone by the wrong pronoun is an opportunity for education and dialogue. No one responds well to being criticized or belittled without the follow-up of how they can better understand and participate in societal change on which we agree. Peacebuilders stand up for what is right, but we do so in a way that recognizes the power of restorative justice, what is redeemable in all of us, and the inherent worth and dignity of all human beings.

PartnersGlobal, the Alliance for Peacebuilding, and Humanity United are launching a new initiative to unite Social Justice Activism with Peacebuilding through applied research on polarization, narrative engagement, and taking lessons from effective depolarization initiatives in other deeply divided countries. This inflection point will require all of us to self-reflect on the role we are playing and will continue to play in healing our nation.

Julia Roig is the CEO of PartnersGlobal and the Chair of the Board of the Alliance for Peacebuilding. @Jroig_Partners

Elizabeth (Liz) Hume is the Vice President of the Alliance for Peacebuilding. @Lizhume4peace

  November 10, 2020

We are pleased to share with you an opportunity for local civil society organizations interested in participating in a capacity building process to strengthen their resiliency in the face of potential impacts of growing restrictions on civic space. The Resiliency+ Process, developed out of the need for a new organizational model to combat the rise of changing civic spaces around the world, will take selected organizations through a structured process to increase their organizational resilience over a period of 12 months. This opportunity is part of a larger initiative under the USAID-funded Enabling and Protecting Civic Spaces (EPCS) – Illuminating New Solutions and Programmatic Innovations for Resilient Spaces or INSPIRES activity.

Organizations based in Ecuador, Georgia, Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, and Serbia will be eligible to apply. At a minimum, organizations must be a locally registered civil society organization, have at least four years of experience, and be committed to the 12-month process. Please see the attached documents for more details.

If you’re interested in participating in this opportunity, please fill out this Google Form Application by 11:59 pm EST on the following dates:

  • Kenya: November 6th
  • Nigeria, Serbia, and Senegal: November 16th
  • Ecuador: November 27th
  • Georgia: December 1st

Please feel free to contact us at [email protected] with any questions or concerns.

Check the documents below for more details:

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