Comparative learning project activities
February 2007
A workshop organized by our partner INDEPAZ in Colombia focused on Constructing Substantive Agendas for Peace Negotiations. CR Programme Associate Dr Clem McCartney and consultant Dr Ramasamy Palinasamy participated in the workshop and other events in Colombia.
A new Spanish language publication Agendas sustantivas para un paz posible (Concrete agenda for a realistic peace) co-published by Conciliation Resources and INDEPAZ, February 2007 [pdf download, 1.4mb] looks at experiences and case studies from Northern Ireland, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, El Salvador and Colombia.
The workshop and the publication are part of the Comparative Learning Project in the Colombia and the Philippines. The project also included workshops on the topic of international cooperation in peace processes and dilemmas of third party involvement in peace processes, and the publication of reflections papers on related themes, during 2006. The pilot phase of the project has concluded and an evaluation is currently underway.
June 2006
Activities in the Philippines focused on the topic of third-party involvement in peace processes. The Program on Peace, Democratization and Human Rights of the Centre for Integrative and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines (UP-CIDS) organized workshops and public forums in Manila and Davao. Conciliation Resources’ resource team was programme associate Clem McCartney and Caucasus Programme Co-Director, Jonathan Cohen.
Participants included representatives of local organizations working on peace and development issues and government bodies involved in the peace process. Discussions centred on the roles ‘internal’ third parties can play in supporting peace processes, and the dilemmas encountered.
April 2006
Activities organized by our partner INDEPAZ in Colombia focused on international cooperation in peace processes. CR staff Andy Carl and Celia McKeon acted as resource persons.
A new Spanish publication Cooperacion internacional en procesos de paz, co-published by Conciliation Resources and INDEPAZ, April 2006. [pdf download, 4.22mb] of related Accord articles was also launched, with case studies of international cooperation in peace processes in Angola, Armenian and Azerbaijan, Colombia, Sierra Leone and Tajikistan. It is used as a resource material for people in Colombia involved in peacemaking.
Activities included:
- seminars in Bogotá and Popayan
- a presentation to the UNDP ‘Punto de Encuentro’ meeting
- informal discussions with individuals and institutions involved in peacebuilding work
- television, radio and newspaper interviews
Background materials available upon request
- Presentation by Andy Carl on ‘International cooperation in peace processes: an international non-governmental organization perspective’.
- Presentation by Celia McKeon on ‘International cooperation in peace processes’
- Handout: a spectrum of international responses to armed conflict
August 2005
INDEPAZ organized a week of activities in Colombia with our staff, Clem McCartney and Celia McKeon as resource persons. Activity themes are drawn from the Accord project, Engaging armed groups in peace processes. The Spanish translation (Opciones de compromiso: acercamientos con grupos armados en procesos de paz) produced by INDEPAZ was also launched at the public events.
Activities included:
- a policy forum in Bogotá to discuss and critique the findings of the Accord publication from the perspectives of civil society and governmental representatives
- contributions to a conference in Cali: ‘Encuentro del sur … pongamos de acuerdo humanitario’ (Meeting in the south…. Let’s reach a humanitarian agreement)
- meetings with government officials, NGOs and other institutions involved in mediation, human rights and peacebuilding
- television and radio interviews about peace processes
Background materials available upon request
- Presentation by Celia McKeon on the interaction between humanitarian and political negotiations - available in Spanish and English.
September 2005
The Centre for Integrative and Development Studies of the University of the Philippines (UP-CIDS) organized a week of activities in the Philippines with our staff, Clem McCartney and Celia McKeon as resource persons. Activity themes were drawn from the Accord project, Engaging armed groups in peace processes. The Tagalog, Ilocano and Cebuano translations produced by UP-CIDS were launched at these events.
Activities included:
- a policy forum in Manila to discuss and critique the Accord project findings from the perspectives of practitioners and parties to the peace negotiations
- a workshop in Abra, northern Luzon, to discuss these findings within the context of a specific community’s experiences.
- a public forum in Manila to discuss the findings of the Accord project and specifically the role of citizens in initiatives to engage armed groups.
Background materials
- Presentation by Clem McCartney at the Abra workshop [pdf download]
- Presentation by Clem McCartney at the Manila public forum[pdf download]
- Presentation by Celia McKeon on the Accord publication’s main findings
- Presentation by Celia McKeon on the role of civil society in efforts to engage armed groups in peace processes[pdf download]
- Matrix of questions produced by UP-CIDS to stimulate discussion on the main themes of the Accord publication[pdf download]
