Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace - Abbreviated Version - Interpeace
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©UN PHOTO MARCO DORMINO - MALI
Strategy 2021 - 2025
A Resilient Peace
Abbreviated Version
© Steve Tickner - Timor Leste 2 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace
Table of Contents
4 President’s Foreword
5 Strategic Context
7 Mandate
7 Vision and Strategic Aims 2021-2025
7 Vision
7 Strategy 2021-2025: A Resilient Peace
8 Resilience for Peace A red thread
9 Interpeace’s “Track 6” Approach
10 Strategic Aims: 2021-2025
10 Strategic Aim 1: Rethinking Peace
12 Strategic Aim 2: Enhancing Resilience for Peace
15 Strategic Aim 3: Embedding Peace
17 Organizational Objectives 2021-2025
17 Organizational Objective 1
“One Interpeace”
18 Organizational Objective 2
Raise our profile, impact and resources through partnerships and outreach
19 Organizational Objective 3
Strengthen systems, standards, accountability and governance
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 3
President’s Foreword
I nterpeace’s Strategy for the next five years comes
at a time of profound change and stress at the
global level, but equally of opportunity for peace-
We will seek to Embed and Institutionalize Peace in
institutions of the State in order to take our impacts
to scale and ensure their sustainability. And we will
building and for Interpeace as an organization. The have a multiplier effect by seizing opportunities to
COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated a multi-fac- influence the work of other, larger organizations in
eted global crisis, causing a sharp global econom- fields such as health, food security, education, hu-
ic decline, straining multilateral cooperation, and man rights and humanitarian affairs.
triggering new conflicts while exacerbating exist-
All of this will require us to work as ‘One Interpeace’1,
ing ones. Even as reliable vaccines start to emerge
with a greater presence on the ground, and to build
in 2021, we can state with some certainty that the
on our International Organization status, which en-
next five years - the period of this Strategy - will be
ables us to secure stronger political engagement
profoundly influenced by the secondary effects of
at national and international levels. Innovation,
the pandemic and by tensions related to the re-
adaptability and accountability will be the guiding
sponse effort.
principles of our organization’s management. We
In the midst of such volatility, our intention is to en- will not achieve this alone and plan to expand our
hance Resilience for Peace - at the grass-roots, at partnerships internationally and locally, and to di-
the level of States, and within the international sys- versify and grow our resource base.
tem at large – in order to underpin more peaceful
This document reflects a careful prioritization
and prosperous societies worldwide. The dividend
grounded in a realistic assessment of anticipated
of this emphasis on resilience is a peace that deliv-
resources and those we can grow with the support
ers on the aspirations of citizens, that is tailored to
of our donors. This Strategy will be broken down in
its context, and that outlives our own involvement.
more detailed annual workplans, approved by the
We will work with a wide range of partners to Re- Governing Board, that will reflect the evolving con-
think Peace, both to influence how the world con- text and donor environment, and will define more
ceives and implements peace processes, and how precisely our available resources, specific results
peacebuilding is financed. We will also ensure that and the evidence of impact to be achieved each
we demonstrate, with evidence, the central rele- year in progressing towards our five-year Aims and
vance of trust, resilience and inclusion to the social Objectives and our 2025 Vision.
contracts of our societies.
We look forward with enthusiasm to implementing
In that pursuit, we will Enhance Resilience for this Strategy with partners in order to achieve the
Peace and inspire governance systems to become positive, measurable peacebuilding impact that it
more connected and accountable to the commu- offers to communities at the local level through to
nities they serve. We will seek concrete changes the international system at the global level.
in people’s lives by enhancing safety and securi-
ty and ensuring that our peacebuilding efforts de-
Scott M. Weber
liver tangible improvements to their lives and live-
lihoods. To that end, Interpeace will dedicate its President
efforts to improving relationships of trust within di- Interpeace
vided communities and between citizens and their
State institutions.
1 One Interpeace is an Institutional priority designed to ensure that Interpeace and its various teams, offices and
functions operate in a unified way.
4 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace
Strategic Context
I n the past ten years, the world has seen levels of
conflict unprecedented since the Cold War. Two
thirds of all humanitarian crises are now conflict-re-
mate change and for social equality, that transcend
national borders and political parties.
lated. Several key measures of positive peace are in But while we have become more connected and
regression, 2 reflecting a decline in media freedom, globalized, a wave of counter-globalization move-
rising levels of political polarization and increasing ments has fueled a rise in nationalism and pop-
mistrust in economic systems and governance ulism, and a return to Great Power confrontation.
institutions. The perpetuation of systemic polar- Conflicts are more internationalized and this inter-
ization, discrimination, exclusion and inequali- ference makes it ever more difficult for local stake-
ty is increasing social tensions within countries holders to drive their own peacebuilding process-
in the Global North and South. These trends have es. Other trends that will influence peacebuilding
led to an erosion of shared commitment to a set efforts in coming years include: the increasing se-
of commonly held norms and values and especially curitization of peace, dominated by a focus on
commitments to fundamental human rights. countering violent extremism; record levels of
forced migration; the devastating effects of climate
The multi-dimensional crisis unleashed by the change; and rising food insecurity.
COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated mat-
ters, having an impact not only on public health In a world in transition, the principles and opera-
systems and livelihoods but on social contracts tional models of peacebuilding will be compelled
worldwide. In many countries, the response to the to evolve. Peacebuilding, and peacemaking more
pandemic has been instrumentalized to curtail ba- generally, must undergo an important process of
sic rights and freedoms, exacerbating existing in- re-appraisal. In our view, the success and sustain-
equalities and inducing new conflict. ability of peace will depend even more than before
on strengthening local and national resilience for
Despite these troublesome trends, there is reason peace.3
for hope. Poverty rates as well as rates of maternal
and infant mortality have been decreasing The time is ripe for this reset. International nor-
over the last decade, the human development mative policy frameworks for peacebuilding have
indices of nearly all countries are improving, and been strengthened in recent years. The Sustaining
technological advances have enhanced social Peace resolutions of the United Nations, Goal 16
connectivity and access to information around the of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the
world. ‘New power’ social protest movements are Youth Peace Security Resolution (2250) and fol-
intensifying worldwide and are emerging as a pow- low-up to the Women, Peace and Security Resolu-
erful force for social change. These shifts herald tion (1325), and the Triple Nexus discourse emerg-
transformative opportunities for innovative peace- ing from the 2016 World Humanitarian Summit,
building that can leverage citizen participation and have all been significant bright spots that have sus-
agency to shape new social contracts. And young tained momentum and support for peacebuilding
people are making powerful demands for change work.
and voicing priorities, such as the fights against cli-
2 ‘Positive peace’ refers to the attitudes, institutions, norms that support non-violent resolution of grievances and the
legitimacy of political, social and economic systems. ‘Negative peace’ is the absence of violence or the fear of violence.
3 See page 8.
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 5
© Antoine Tardy
The common thread in these positive policy devel- ing organizations to demonstrate, with more ev-
opments is that they all position peacebuilding as idence, that they are improving the lives of citi-
a key approach that a much broader array of actors zens and doing so on a larger scale.. There is also
in other fields can adopt. Peacebuilding is indeed a growing donor interest in blended finance solu-
best understood as a way of doing which ensures tions that bring public and private sectors togeth-
that other priority issues (governance, justice, de- er by designing initiatives that achieve political, so-
velopment) are carried out in a manner that im- cial and economic outcomes in support of peace.
proves people’s lives, building legitimacy and trust.
The opportunity now presents itself to establish If the current context and forecast can be described
partnerships to bring to each of these sectors a fo- as complex, changing, and uncertain, then peace-
cused peacebuilding lens and an operational ac- builders themselves need to become more flexible
companiment designed to improve their actions and adaptable in the years ahead. Successful and
and demonstrate their contribution to peace.4 sustainable peace will continue to depend on ef-
fective engagement at all levels of society: grass-
Financing of the peacebuilding sector will be under roots, national, regional and international. In a re-
great strain in the next five years due to the global source-constrained world, peacebuilding actors
economic downturn caused by the COVID-19 pan- will need to increase further their efforts to forge
demic and diversion of resources to domestic pri- dynamic partnerships, innovate, and reach out ac-
orities and humanitarian imperatives abroad. Yet tively and creatively to key audiences and actors in
the global challenges referenced above will re- their domains. Such an approach will ensure that
quire more peacebuilding work, not less. Mobiliz- peacebuilding continues to be relevant, meaning-
ing political and financial support commensurate ful and impactful in its time.
with these growing needs will require peacebuild-
4 This is the focus of Interpeace’s Peace Responsiveness initiative.
6 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace
Mandate
Interpeace’s mandate4 has two dimensions, in order of priority:
To strengthen the capacities of societies to manage conflict in non-vio-
lent, non-coercive ways by assisting national actors in their efforts to de-
velop social and political cohesion.
To assist the international community (and in particular the United Na-
tions) to play a more effective role in supporting peacebuilding efforts
around the world.
Vision and Strategic Aims
2021-2025
Vision
A world in which enduring peace is evident in the cohesion and resil-
ience of citizens, the diversity and inclusion of communities, and the
responsiveness and trustworthiness of State institutions.
Strategy 2021-2025: A Resilient Peace
Think Rethink Peace. The ways we build, assess, and fund peace.
Enhance Resilience for Peace. We will broaden our reach; seek to
strengthen the resilience of communities and the trustworthiness
Do of State institutions; and champion inclusion, justice, and the
economic dimensions of peacebuilding.
Embedding Peace. We will seek to institutionalise peace in
Sustain State behaviour and in the international system, and put self-
sustainability at the core of every peacebuilding strategy.
4 At the request of the Governing Board, Interpeace is revising the language of the mandate. Once approved, changes will
be reflected in the organization’s statutes and other policy documents.
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 7
Resilience for Peace
A red thread
R esilience for Peace is the ‘red thread’ through-
out Interpeace’s Strategy 2021-2025. It is man-
ifest in our programmatic engagements in con-
by identifying and enhancing the diverse attri-
butes, capacities and resources that enable indi-
viduals, communities, institutions and societies to
flict-affected societies and in our efforts to create deal peacefully with grievances in a non-violent
systemic change at international level. way while preventing new patterns of conflict and
violence.
Unlike a natural disaster such as an earthquake or
an extreme weather event – external shocks – con- We also know that in the absence of available chan-
flict is an internal shock to society, affecting rela- nels for the positive expression of resilience – and
tionships of trust and collaboration between groups even where these may exist – resilience has the po-
and between the population and the State. In coun- tential to take negative forms that can foster rath-
tries affected by conflict, the traditional approach- er than prevent violence and conflict. Examples in-
es to resilience advanced by the disaster recov- clude entrenched systems of corruption that trade
ery field seek restoration of the status quo ante, an on crisis, cohesive forms of belonging maintained
outcome that is neither possible nor desirable be- by violence (such as gangs, and militarized and re-
cause it would represent a return to the dynamics pressive responses to crisis), and the ‘othering’ of
that contributed to, or were caused by, the conflict groups held responsible for one’s situation of pre-
in the first place. Resilience for Peace should ulti- carity. Resilience for Peace requires an approach
mately be about transforming one’s circumstanc- that recognizes and enhances positive sources
es for the better while also anticipating new risks, of resilience but also intentionally focuses on the
thereby achieving conflict transformation and more transformation of negative forms of resilience as
effective prevention. Resilience for Peace is not a well.
narrow concept that merely equips individuals and
communities to cope with, endure or survive ad- Practically, Interpeace’s Resilience for Peace lens
versity, but is rather about positively leveraging and means that our programmes and policy will contin-
complementing their capacities to grow from ad- ue to focus consciously on what is positively func-
versity and ‘build back better’. tioning in society, will aim to look forward to the fu-
ture rather than just backward, and will leverage the
Resilience for Peace can be defined as an out- local agency and capacities of communities to take
come and process that addresses sources of risk the lead in transforming their situations.
8 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient PeaceInterpeace’s “Track 6” Approach
L ocal communities, civil society and political
elites often try individually to resolve problems
and conflicts that need to be addressed collective-
Track 1: Political elites and decision-makers at
both national and international levels.
ly if solutions are to endure. In the absence of such Track 2: Civil society and local government,
collaboration, success is fleeting at best. Most influencers, think tanks, the private sector and
peacebuilding efforts are pitched at one or anoth- researchers.
er of these levels, but they rarely focus on them to-
gether, let alone on the crucial links between them. Track 3: Local communities and individuals in
Consequently, impactful local processes can lack the broader population.
political buy-in, influence and sustainability, and
national policies can be seen as illegitimate or By this means, citizens gain experience of gover-
disconnected, stymieing implementation. Exter- nance processes that affect them, and have the
nal actors, too, can only foster real change if their opportunity to speak up and contribute to them.
work is rooted in the alignment of local and nation- Civil society, local government and informal insti-
al stakeholders. tutions play a bridging role and compress the dis-
tances between authorities and the people. And
Interpeace’s “Track 6” approach overcomes this leaders recognize that their own success and ac-
deficiency in peacebuilding strategies by (a) ensur- countability is realized and enhanced by the depth
ing local voices are not only audible but influential of ownership of those most affected by national
in shaping policies at national and international lev- policies.
els, while at the same time (b) supporting leader-
ship to engage citizens in the policy process. Strengthening the links, and understanding, be-
tween the different levels of society by means of
A “Track 6” approach deliberately and systemat- this “Track 6” approach is an integral part of Inter-
ically connects people and their perspectives in peace’s peacebuilding.
various “tracks” (1 + 2 + 3 = 6):
Government
and Political Elites Dialogue
TRACK 1
Civil Society TRACK 2
TRACK 6
Community
and Grassroots TRACK 3
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 9Strategic Aims: 2021-2025 Interpeace will assess its contribution in terms of how it saves or improves the lives of ordinary citizens in countries affected by conflict. This work will be done at scale, seeking to create systemic change that will positively affect the lives of as many people as possible. Whenever possible, Interpeace will embed and institutionalize change that is achieved (in traditional, local, regional, national and international systems) so that it outlives the organization’s involvement Strategic Aim 1: Rethinking Peace The ways we build, assess, and fund peace. Despite significant achievements in the peace- actions. At the same time, funding for peacebuild- building sector over the last decade, the parame- ing, currently of very limited scope and delivered ters that determine how peace processes are de- in short-term increments, remains misaligned with signed, implemented and monitored need to be medium and long-term peacebuilding processes reassessed and adjusted. Needed with equal ur- and the scale of need. Innovative financing solu- gency is a framework that can assess whether se- tions will be required that incentivize the private curity, development and peacebuilding efforts in and public sectors to work together to leverage conflict-affected countries truly contribute to resil- their resources for change. ience for peace and apply evidence to shape better Objective 1.1 - Re-frame peace processes Some of the fundamental underlying assump- Our Principles for Peace initiative will seek to reset tions that govern peace processes are disproven the parameters and reference points for the con- by practice, yet they stubbornly perpetuate them- ception and execution of peace processes in the selves from one context to another. As a result, future. Having confirmed funding for the initiative, countries become victims of peace processes that Interpeace launched the Principles for Peace ini- are poorly designed and executed. Subsidiary in- tiative in 2020 just before the term of this Strategy terventions, such as peacekeeping or stabilization began. The enthusiasm it has attracted from a wide missions, are then destined to fail because there spectrum of organizations and partners across the can be no peace to keep. If we are to significant- peacebuilding space confirms our analysis that ly improve the effectiveness of peace processes, the current frames of reference for the conduct of a fundamental re-examination is needed to make peace processes are often out of tune with what them fit for purpose on the basis of lessons learned the field of peacebuilding and peacemaking has about what makes peace sustainable. learned over the last 25 years. Objective 1.2 - Assess trust, resilience and inclusion At ground level in conflict-affected societies, ef- stability. In the absence of such measurement, forts in the areas of governance, security, develop- authorities (and donors) lack a method to assess ment, justice and peacebuilding are unable to as- what is moving in the right direction and what is sess whether their cumulative effect is to increase not. Most important of all is to assess how the re- peace (understood in broad terms) or sustain in- silience of society evolves, for example by analyz- 10 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace
ing the prevalence of core life skills, task-specific of intervention and will use TRI findings to support
competences, access to resources, adaptive in- its own programming. Increasingly, it will also use
stitutions, and social cohesion. Cutting across all the findings to assist governmental authorities, lo-
of these are other factors, including trust between cal communities and international supporters to
communities and between the people and their adjust their strategies to enhance the same fac-
State, and the degree of inclusion of minorities tors. A special emphasis will be placed on the in-
or excluded groups, such as women and youth. If clusion of women and youth. Interpeace will devel-
such a method were contextualized in each coun- op a TRI Barometer methodology, building on (a)
try, it would significantly shape our collective un- our Frameworks for Assessing Resilience work and
derstanding of ‘progress’ and help us to prioritize its more recent enhancement, (b) our Governance
effort and investment. Barometer methodology, and (c) our SCORE meth-
odology for assessing the quality of reconciliation,
Interpeace will establish and roll-out a Trust, Resil- and other relevant methods.
ience and Inclusion (TRI) Barometer in its countries
Objective 1.3 - Changing the way peace is funded
As development cooperation budgets shrink, it is ic effect. To achieve this, innovative structures, new
projected that in coming years funding for peace- programming approaches and new partnerships
building will be curtailed. Given this trend, and the will need to be established.
fact that donor and recipient countries alike are pri-
oritizing transitions from aid to trade and to other Over the next five years, Interpeace will build on ex-
counter-dependency entry points for growth and isting and new partnerships to promote innovative
development, now is the time to create oppor- financing for peace and peacebuilding. In particu-
tunities for the private sector to invest in peace- lar, it will explore the possibility of drawing in private
ful change. Drawing in the private sector as an in- and institutional investors as well as stimulating
vestor as well as a donor, and creating incentives development agencies to orient funding towards
for economic development strategies to comple- peace-related development and growth.
ment social and political ones, can have a catalyt-
©JUOZAS CERNIUS
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 11Strategic Aim 2: Enhancing Resilience for Peace
We will broaden our reach; seek to strengthen the resilience of communities and the
trustworthiness of relevant State institutions; and champion inclusion, justice and the
economic dimensions of peacebuilding.
Resilience for peace is central to the ability of com- Overcoming the barriers to inclusion that keep
munities to manage their divisions and tensions le- youth and women from participating fully in soci-
gitimately, inclusively and non-violently. Peace- ety - and from making their contributions to peace
building at community level could be far more - will be another important focus. Long overlooked,
impactful if it harnessed, organized and support- inclusive economic and development solutions to
ed the energy and commitment of local people to buttress peacebuilding efforts will be integrated
make their own communities more cohesive and into our work. Similarly, Interpeace’s programmes
prosperous. At the same time, Interpeace will not and policies will focus more on the central impor-
invest its efforts solely at local level, but will also tance of justice and human rights to the pursuit of
seek to enhance transformative resilience at insti- lasting peace.
tutional and national levels, giving special attention
to the relationship of security services and citizens.
Objective 2.1 - Expanding our global scope of our engagement and the breadth of our
local networks
As the number and complexity of conflicts increase logue Clubs in Rwanda and in the Democratic Re-
in the next five years, Interpeace’s Track 6 form of public of Congo; (b) The Espaces Régionaux de Di-
peacebuilding, linking bottom-up engagement alogue in Guinea-Bissau; and more recently (c) a
with top-down political influence strategies, will national network of local Change Agents across
have greater relevance and potential. Interpeace Libya. Carefully composed of trusted members of
will broaden its geographic engagements beyond local communities, these networks have success-
Africa and diversify the contexts in which it con- fully defused or resolved local conflicts before they
tributes to peacebuilding and enriches its learning. could escalate. A longitudinal evaluation of the UN
Interpeace will prioritize exploration in the Middle Peacebuilding Fund’s programming since its cre-
East, but will also give attention to opportunities in ation in 2005 echoes this experience. It revealed
Asia, Latin America and developed countries. that the UN Peacebuilding Fund’s most consistent-
ly impactful work embedded conflict resolution ca-
Community resilience for peace requires an em- pacities in local communities. Building on these
bedded capacity to identify tensions early and facil- positive experiences, Interpeace will formalize this
itate processes of conflict prevention or mitigation. practice and establish networks of local change
Government structures and strategies for conflict agents across local communities in our countries
prevention are important, but so too are compara- of intervention.
ble capacities at local level where problems often
begin. Interpeace’s experience, and that of other The growth of Interpeace’s geographical coverage
organizations, shows that local community mem- worldwide and the range of actors with whom it will
bers are very ready to contribute their time and engage in future, especially young people, will re-
reputations to the work of local peace committees quire the organization to adapt its methodologi-
and other forms of conflict management. cal approaches and tools. In particular, the digital
space has become a new geography and we will
In the last 15 years, Interpeace has successfully pi- need to explore the options it offers to be mean-
loted a range of country-specific models of local ingfully active, consultative and engaged, and
peacebuilding. They include: (a) Permanent Dia- reach target audiences and peacebuilding stake-
12 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace©SIMONE DALMASSO
holders. Interpeace will start to explore integration ital space can be navigated to the best effect and
of peacebuilding strategies in the digital space at with the most impact in support of peacebuilding
systemic level, and will also examine how the dig- programming, policy and thought leadership.
Objective 2.2 - Safer communities and more trustworthy security institutions
Violence in communities can have complex, struc- trust and resentment and escalating the problem
tural origins that must be understood and acknowl- further. What may begin as a deficit in governance
edged if effective solutions are to be found. This is can quickly spiral into a multi-faceted conflict too
all the more important because violence mutates complex for national actors to solve themselves,
as circumstances change and misaligned securi- which can spill over porous borders into neigh-
ty strategies can be counter-productive. Whenev- boring countries. Efforts to address deficient gov-
er possible, efforts must be made to engage the ernance and security relationships between the
individuals who perpetuate violence with a view to State and communities make an essential contri-
transforming them into agents of peace. It is also bution to conflict prevention and enhance resil-
imperative to work with local and traditional author- ience for peace.
ities to assist them to develop genuine human se-
curity strategies that align with national security Interpeace will build on its former work to establish
plans. partnerships with security institutions (police, mil-
itary, etc.) and influence their behaviour vis-à-vis
At the same time, where government is absent or the population (especially youth). Effecting change
neglects to protect communities, a void is creat- in such institutions requires access to, and the trust
ed that self-defence groups or violent extremists of, their leaderships; the change process needs to
will seek to fill. The presence of such insurgent ele- be led by officials from within the institutions.
ments then sets off a chain reaction of hard-fisted
interventions by the State, further reinforcing mis-
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 13Objective 2.3 - Enhancing inclusion and justice
Recognizing that political, social and economic ex- egies and their Youth, Peace and Security strate-
clusion and injustice are at the origin of most con- gies. We will build on our experience of youth pro-
flict dynamics, it is important to identify and ad- gramming and strengthen our ability to integrate
dress the structural barriers to inclusion of different entrepreneurship and skill-development with civic
groups in society, especially youth and women. As engagement opportunities and life-skills training
envisaged in the UN’s The Missing Peace: Indepen- as well as peace education. Interpeace will cham-
dent Progress Study on Youth, Peace and Security, pion diversity and inclusion in all its programmatic
young people will be in the driving seat of efforts and policy work.
to encourage their engagement. Beyond any one
form of exclusion, sustainable peace must be un- We will also focus deliberately on the relationship
derpinned by determined efforts to advance plural- between human rights and peacebuilding, both at
ism and equality, eliminate discrimination, and pro- the programmatic level and when shaping policy
mote justice and reconciliation. frameworks, in order to demonstrate their inter-de-
pendence, overcome the separation between
Interpeace will assist countries to define and/or these two fields, and pursue opportunities to ad-
implement their Women, Peace and Security strat- vance their common objectives.
Objective 2.4 - Integrating economic peacebuilding
Economic peacebuilding is the search to align the stabilize it.
economic development vision of national actors
with political peace and the greater social good of Interpeace will integrate an economic peacebuild-
the community. It presumes a determined effort ing dimension in its Country Strategies and will ex-
to economically include otherwise marginalized plore partnerships to advance this agenda. In ad-
groups through the provision of tailored develop- dition, Country Strategies will include development
ment and growth opportunities. Communities feel components in their dialogue processes, while tak-
that their participation and commitment to the ing care to ensure that our change processes are
process of building peace has had positive out- never driven by an economic or development im-
comes if they obtain development outcomes as a perative, so as not to create negative incentives.
result. They will also be motivated to defend and Partnerships with national and international devel-
protect the peace from those who may seek to de- opment agencies will also be explored.
©UN PHOTO UNAMA - AFGHANISTAN
14 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient PeaceStrategic Aim 3: Embedding Peace
We will seek to institutionalise peace in State behaviour and in the international
system, and put self-sustainability at the core of every peacebuilding strategy.
To build, maintain and nurture peace, peace must the needs of the most vulnerable, including in con-
be embedded in the behaviour of a State’s formal flict contexts. To achieve behaviour change and
institutions towards its citizens, and become nat- have a cumulative effect on peace, it is essential
ural to its manner of governing. A culture of peace to adapt collaborative approaches and focus on in-
requires a sustainable national infrastructure for fluencing the institutional requirements and incen-
peace, that allows societies and States to resolve tives of each organization. It is necessary to em-
conflicts internally using their own skills, institu- bed resilience-oriented, participatory and local
tions and resources. If peacebuilding is to be last- approaches in the actions and behaviours of devel-
ing, have impact and be anchored in engagement opment and humanitarian actors so that their ac-
with authorities, it must therefore go beyond work tions more effectively contribute to peace.
with civil society and communities. Formal part-
nerships with State institutions are crucial to a suc- Ultimately, Interpeace must ensure that its impact
cessful Track 6 strategy and to peacebuilding that is designed to last beyond the organization’s in-
lives up to its own values and principles. volvement. This means that, in addition to embed-
ding change in institutions, our strategies must
Peacebuilding outcomes are not only achieved include self-sustainable business planning. By
by peacebuilders; collaboration between sectors modelling this ourselves, we hope to influence the
is essential. It is what ensures, for instance, that way the wider peacebuilding, development and hu-
structural shifts in the ODA5 system inform the way manitarian sectors do their work.
aid is planned and financed and whether it meets
Objective 3.1 - Anchoring change in States
Peacebuilding processes have traditionally fo- Given that in the next five years issues of State sov-
cused more on civil society and grassroots com- ereignty are likely to become more manifest and
munities, and have struggled to anchor change in more governments will seek to transition from aid
political processes at senior level and in State in- to trade, Interpeace’s approach, which recogniz-
stitutions. Ultimately, however, any hope of taking es that local and national leaders are always ‘in the
change processes to scale and of sustaining an driving seat’, positions us well as partners of those
improved social contract requires the State to own governments.
such policies, not just meaningfully participate in
them. It is also worth noting that most governments Whenever possible and appropriate, Interpeace
in conflict countries lack a dedicated ministerial or will seek direct partnerships with State institutions
para-statal capacity to advance a national agenda and will bequeath sustainable national capacities
of peace and social cohesion. Where these agen- for peace. We will seek to become the key partner
das do exist, States often lack the technical capac- of governments that seek to strengthen their na-
ity or experience to design and implement peace- tional capacities for peace at local and national lev-
building capacities at local, regional/provincial and els. Our partnerships with national institutions for
national levels. peace will allow us to convene meetings regular-
ly to share lessons and create a global network of
such institutions.
5 Official development assistance (ODA) is defined by the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) as government
aid that promotes and specifically targets the economic development and welfare of developing countries.
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 15Objective 3.2 - A Peace-Responsive international system Peacebuilding must be more than a sector on its As an international organization and strategic part- own. It should be understood as the way develop- ner of the UN, Interpeace is uniquely positioned to ment, security, governance, justice and other ac- partner with a range of international agencies to tions build legitimacy and trust. If we can influence improve their peace responsiveness. This will help organizations in these other sectors to seek peace to build bridges between the sectors of internation- outcomes in addition to their technical objectives, al assistance by bringing to each of them a focused we can have a multiplier effect. Doing this will re- peacebuilding lens, supported by an operational quire a dedicated capacity to engage with those accompaniment designed to improve their actions organizations and understand the internal incen- and demonstrate their contributions to peace. tives and requirements that govern their actions, their funding and their personnel. The Peace Re- Interpeace will grow its Peace Responsiveness ca- sponsiveness team that Interpeace established in pacity not only to influence the policies and actions 2020, supported by long-term funding from do- of far larger organizations with wider footprints nors, is poised to extend the organization’s influ- than our own, but also to open the door to joint pro- ence and impact across the international network gramming and funding for our engagements on the of agencies. ground. Objective 3.3 - Modelling peacebuilding’s success and sustainability Many would argue that the work of peace is never over time. This effort will be greatly aided by the in- done and that the longer an organization remains formation that the Trust, Resilience and Inclusion in a country the greater is its access and ability to Barometer will generate. influence the situation. Such attitudes perpetuate an organization’s presence and allow the availabili- Interpeace will very deliberately plan self-sustain- ty of donor funding to decide whether an organiza- ability in each component of its Country Strategies tion continues or exits. To be true to our values and and in its resource mobilization requests. Learning principles, we must define success by our ability from this exit strategy process will be gathered and to institutionalize the practices of peacebuilding in shared with stakeholders, including donors, in the societies. Modelling a responsible exit strategy will interest of modelling good peacebuilding practice require us, from the inception of a Country Strate- and strengthening donor confidence in the value gy, to set benchmarks of success for each activity for money of their investment. and define a business plan that works towards exit ©IMRAP 16 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace
Organizational Objectives 2021-2025
We will strengthen One Interpeace; raise our profile, impact and resources through
partnerships and outreach; and strengthen systems, standards, accountability and
governance.
In pursuing the Strategic Aims, all staff in all locations worldwide will seek to be stronger as a ‘One Inter-
peace’ team: to be inclusive, to embrace and celebrate our diversity, to be united and to be supportive
of each other. Interpeace staff will also aim to: strengthen the linkages and coherence of programmatic,
policy and operational efforts; strengthen and diversify the supporting resource base; lift the organiza-
tion’s profile and impact, adapting to changes in the global communications and media landscapes; and
achieve ‘best in class’ standards of accountability and governance to the greatest extent possible, shar-
ing and giving practical effect to these goals with partners wherever possible.
Organizational Objective 1
“One Interpeace”
Interpeace’s greatest asset is its staff. We there- example, external counselling and whistleblow-
fore aim to continue to model the peacebuilding ing services). In addition, induction, organizational
approach that we advocate externally by being learning, and skills development will be enhanced
strongly inclusive and consultative, taking views in a mutually reinforcing way, using on-line tools
into account about institutional direction-setting, and connectivity. Interpeace will also lift the quality
decisions and change wherever possible, while of staff performance evaluation and management.
bearing in mind that Interpeace is an internation-
al organization with responsibilities and account- The adoption in 2020 of a Gender Equality Poli-
abilities to a range of external stakeholders and cy reflected progress towards creating and sus-
investors and most obviously to the Governing taining gender responsiveness. Similarly, a Diver-
Board. Efforts will continue to be made to strength- sity and Inclusion Working Group was established
en this underlying approach and achieve the ob- in 2020 to help the leadership and senior manage-
jective of a stronger, collective and consultative ment to strengthen further the culture of diversity
‘One Interpeace’. It is the institutional cornerstone and inclusion internally and enhance the quality of
of success. Interpeace’s field-based peacebuilding and pol-
icy work. A headline outcome is the creation of a
Interpeace has made progress in bringing con- Diversity and Inclusion framework to guide the or-
sistency and quality to the recruitment, induction, ganization’s human resources policies and proce-
professional development, and retention of its dures and ensure that Interpeace is more diverse
staff. Investment in staff will be increased, includ- in its staff composition. The framework will be un-
ing through a suite of regularly updated human re- derpinned by evidence, in order to drive collective
sources policies and procedures, a contemporary understanding of the change that is required and
remuneration framework, and other support (for achieved.
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 17Organizational Objective 2
Raise our profile, impact and resources through
partnerships and outreach
Thanks to its status as an international organiza- in Brussels, in the field, and in the capitals of EU
tion, its historic partnership with the United Na- member States. Given the location of much of In-
tions, and its sound reputation in the diverse mul- terpeace’s current and potential programmatic
tilateral environment of Geneva, Interpeace is able work, the African Union will also be an important
to be a key partner for peacebuilding policy and partner.
programming. This is evidenced by its fruitful past
and present strategic partnerships with several It is to be expected that strong social movements
governments that have shared values and peace- will continue to intensify worldwide in the years
building objectives. ahead. These movements vary in their agendas
and activism, but many tend to affirm fundamen-
Whilst competition for limited resources is inevita- tal aspects of the social contract: equal rights,
ble in peacebuilding as in other sectors, it is pos- justice, accountability, the fight against racism
sible to explore and promote synergies to mutual and discrimination, the role of youth and wom-
benefit, thereby creating more resources for In- en in decision-making, and so on. Amplified by di-
terpeace and for peacebuilding at large. In 2020, verse media channels, these demands are no lon-
with a range of partners from the peacebuilding ger monopolized by political parties or established
and other sectors, Interpeace successfully creat- organizations. Interpeace will adapt its messag-
ed a platform for practical collaboration in support ing and outreach to learn from and influence new
of the Principles for Peace initiative. Further collab- forms of social organization and reach non-tradi-
orative partnerships for mutual and collective ben- tional audiences seeking peaceful change. The
efit will be explored and advanced. Peace Talks have been a flagship for Interpeace: to
sustain and increase their relevance, value and im-
The Interpeace Advisory Team (IPAT) of external pact, they will be adapted to meet the changing de-
peacebuilding consultants continues to add signif- mands of the communications landscape.
icant material value to peacebuilding at large and
to the quality of Interpeace’s work. IPAT is also able Interpeace’s approach to partnerships has
to serve as a ground-breaker. It can establish links evolved; this is especially true of our programmat-
and foster understanding of Interpeace’s approach ic work with local partners in the field. Local part-
to peacebuilding, creating an entry point for future ners continue to be indispensable in ensuring that
programmatic work in the field. peacebuilding is anchored in locally-led design
and implementation. They also play a crucial role
To achieve a number of the objectives of this Strat- in sustaining the investments made in peacebuild-
egy, particularly the pursuit of systemic change ing. Interpeace will continue to tailor its approach
and improved sustainability of political (Track 1) im- to relationships with local partners. Depending on
pacts, in coming years Interpeace will need to raise the peacebuilding context and needs, and the op-
its profile and activity at the United Nations in New timum pathway for achieving sustainability of im-
York. Similarly, the European Union has been one pact, Interpeace will sometimes undertake its field
of Interpeace’s key strategic partners; we have ad- work directly, or together with one or more local
vanced shared values and objectives, each con- partners, and at other times will work in partnership
tributing resources according to our means. In- with local civil society organizations, or alternative-
terpeace will continue to foster its relationships ly with national institutions.
18 Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient PeaceOrganizational Objective 3
Strengthen systems, standards, accountability and
governance
Interpeace aspires to be among the best governed Interpeace’s peacebuilding methods were found-
and administered international organizations. By ed on participatory research, underpinned by sol-
lifting its standards and organizational perfor- id and independent academic analysis. Over the
mance in recent years, especially the coherence, next five years, Interpeace will increase the qual-
transparency and accountability of its processes, ity of its research and analytical frameworks (po-
the organization has gained the confidence of its litical, economic, sociological, etc.) by integrating
key stakeholders, made strong progress in launch- qualitative and quantitative methods. The organi-
ing new and innovative initiatives, and increased in- zation will build its internal research capacity, both
vestment from donors. to ensure consistent quality and to be able to apply
its research in programmatic and policy initiatives.
Historically, Interpeace’s ‘Track 6’ methodology The development of the Peace, Resilience and In-
has emphasized the Track 3 level (local organiza- clusion barometer will be the practical manifesta-
tions and communities). In view of the focus of this tion and centrepiece of Interpeace’s commitment
Strategy on strengthening resilience to achieve to research and to the quality of its research.
sustainable peace at scale, Interpeace will need
to invest more, beyond the community level, in na- The membership of the Governing Board has con-
tional, regional and global levels of decision-mak- tinued to evolve, improving gender balance and
ing at Track 1 level. This thinking will be reflected in geographical representation. Diversity brings ben-
the skills and expertise that Interpeace brings in to efits in both the quality of advice and the direction
the staff establishment, and also in the increased the Board provides. Support for the Board in dis-
use it will make, periodically, of senior political con- charging its responsibilities will continue to be a
tacts and other relevant actors and their networks, core priority.
including members of the Governing Board and
Advisory Council. The Advisory Council reflects Interpeace’s unique
position, straddling the inter-governmental and
New tools and channels for communication and non-governmental domains. By assisting the or-
connectivity open up new opportunities for indi- ganization to achieve selected institutional goals,
viduals and communities to engage personally the Council will be able to strengthen the relevance
and actively in conflict prevention and peacebuild- and impact of its statutory function, which is to pro-
ing. Interpeace will capitalize on this by integrat- vide strategic advice and guide Interpeace in its
ing communications in its programme designs and positioning with governments. The Council will be-
field-based work, in order to sharpen practical im- come larger and more diverse in its membership.
pacts in the field, support learning, and improve
peacebuilding practice. To do this, the organiza- Finally, reflecting Interpeace’s commitment of to
tion will need to embed new core communication the highest possible levels of accountability and
skills and expertise. Likewise, it will strengthen the transparency, and to its own internal culture of
quality of its design, monitoring, evaluation and ‘One Interpeace’, it is planned to review this Strat-
learning (whether these are internal or shared ex- egy at the mid-point of 2023 and at the end-point
ternally). A particular effort will be made to create a of 2025. The reviews are expected to consider in
feedback loop so that results and lessons learned particular the progress and success of the organi-
– especially from innovation – are reflected in fu- zation in achieving the Strategy’s targets. The re-
ture programme design and policy formulation. views are also expected to consider the effective-
This information will contribute to the overall body ness of each of the annual Workplans and Budgets
of evidence-based results made available for com- approved by the Board during the five-year period,
munications, donor reporting, institutional learning which give life in more granular detail to the Strate-
and other purposes. gy in a prioritized and affordable way.
Strategy 2021 - 2025 A Resilient Peace 19©UN PHOTO SYLVAIN LIECHTI - DRC
Interpeace’s peacebuilding efforts worldwide are possible thanks to strategic partnerships with the
governments of the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In partnership with the United Nations www.interpeace.org @InterpeaceTweet @interpeaceYou can also read
