Colombia’s Peace Process: the Role of Activists, the Government, and the International Community
On Friday July 26th, people in more than 80 Colombian cities and in 58 other cities worldwide participated in the "March for Life," demanding justice for the nearly 500 Colombian human rights activists and peace campaigners who have died since
Colombia: A Divided Country in Search of Peace
The construction of peace in Colombia has not been easy. Although the Peace Accord was signed in 2016 by the guerrilla organization, Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), different events have hindered the country’s progress towards pacification and stabilization. In April
Many Peaces in Iraq: Creating a Foundation for Conflict Transformation Through Peace Studies
“We heard children singing ISIL songs, and saw them role play executions in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp playground. We were distributing humanitarian aid. It was then that I realized, if we don’t do anything about this
The Role of Transitional Justice in Countries Emerging from Conflict
It is difficult enough for a society to emerge from poverty. But it is significantly more difficult when specific individuals and groups, often already among the poorest and most marginalized in society, have in the recent past been specifically targeted
Preventing Violent Extremism: Bridging the Development and Security Divide
SDG16 AND THE GLOBAL EFFORT TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM: BRIDGING THE DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY DIVIDE Violent extremism – here defined as support for, or perpetration of acts of, violence with the purpose of advancing a socio-political agenda – has emerged as
The Role of Business in the Pursuit of Peace: Interview with Rangita de Silva
Editor's Note: This is the second part of an interview on the recently published SDG Fund report. The first part may be found here. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has introduced a number of fundamental changes in the approach to
Israel’s new capital: ‘a recognition of reality’?
Israel was created in 1948. Which means that in the conscious life of every baby boomer, Jerusalem has been Israel’s working capital, while every nation having diplomatic relations with the Jewish state has kept its embassy in Tel Aviv. That
Boko Haram’s Decline: A Positive Opportunity
Today’s release of the 2017 Global Terrorism Index highlights welcome news for Nigeria. The sub-Sahara African nation has been beleaguered by the activity of Boko Haram. The group, which has been active since 2002, became infamous globally following the abduction
Peacebuilding: Is It Cost Effective?
April 2017 marked one year since the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2282 (2016) and General Assembly resolution 70/262. These parallel resolutions holistically recognize that development, peace and security, and human rights are interlinked and mutually reinforcing. They demonstrate an
Progress on the ‘Peace Goal’: Are We Truly Achieving It?
Editor's Note: This is the introduction to the SDG 16 Progress Report by the Institute of Economics and Peace. The full report may be found here. Sustainable Development Goal 16 is dedicated to the promotion of peaceful and inclusive societies for
From Where I Stand: Hajiya Halima Mahdi
EDITOR’S NOTE: THIS PIECE IS AUTHORED BY UN WOMEN AS PART OF THE SERIES “FROM WHERE I STAND”, WHICH CAPTURES PEOPLES STORIES AND THEIR DAILY SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES FROM AROUND THE WORLD. SEE THE FULL SERIES HERE. Inequality is at the root of the
Target: Peace
In March 2017, the Inter-Agency and Expert Group on Sustainable Development Goal Indicators (IAEG-SDGs) published a list of 232 indicators for which there was a general agreement from representatives of the member states for use in monitoring the SDGs. With