Swisspeace

Swisspeace researches the causes of wars and violent conflicts, develops tools for early recognition of tensions, and formulates conflict mitigation and peacebuilding strategies for state and non-state actors through analysis, consultancy, training and networking services. swisspeace contributes to the formation of political opinions on current national and international peace and security policy issues. It supports Swiss and international actors in their peacebuilding activities. Topical focal points of swisspeace are: Dealing with the past, Conflict Sensitivity, International Mediation, Statehood, Gender & Peacebuilding, Business & Peace, Early Warning.

Swisspeace is a practice-oriented peace research institute in the area of conflict analysis and peacebuilding. swisspeace contributes to the formation of political opinions on current national and international peace and security policy issues. It supports Swiss and international actors in their peacebuilding activities.

  • Civil Society
  • Community Conflict Resolution
  • DDR
  • Gender
  • Good Offices and Peace Support
  • Media
  • Transitional Justice

Good Offices and Peace Support
Swisspeace provides tailor-made mediation support services that respond to very specific needs of mediators and mediation organisations. We see ourselves as a “supporter” and not primarily as a “mediators”. All the services that we provide are based on a solid academic foundation.
Between 50.000 to 1 million CHF per annum
  • Capacity and development training
  • Direct project implementation
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Policy advice
  • Project support services
  • Research and policy development
Description of activities
• Set-up and implementation of a “Mediation Support Network”, a coordination group of the major actors engaged in providing mediation support services. • Regular roundtable discussions on specific mediation processes or topics relevant for mediators
• Short (i.e. 2 days) negotiation and mediation trainings for mediators and conflict parties (in Switzerland and in conflict regions). • Longer (i.e. 2 weeks) negotiation and mediation trainings for mediators and conflict parties (in Switzerland)
Informal track 1.5 dialogue activities and problem solving workshops (different regions).
Evaluation of specific mediation engagements (different regions).
• Strategic policy papers on mediation and mediation support (different regions and different actors), operational guidance notes for mediators on selected topics.
• Tailor-made operational support for mediators
Background research on different mediation processes (in different regions).
• Set-up and implementation of a “Mediation Support Network”, a coordination group of the major actors engaged in providing mediation support services. • Regular roundtable discussions on specific mediation processes or topics relevant for mediators

Gender
• Facilitating the transfer from theory (research) to practice (and practitioners). • Providing a platform for dialogue between different actors • Capacity Building
Between 50.000 to 1 million CHF per annum
  • Capacity and development training
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Policy advice
  • Project support services
  • Research and policy development
Description of activities
Providing dialogue between actors of the civil society and the state.
• The KOFF Gender-Roundtable is bringing together gender-experts from Swiss NGO’s, the federal administration and the academic sphere on a regular basis • Coordination of the Working group on UN Resolution 1325 that brings together several NGO’s and the Gender Adviser of the PDIV • Gender-Trainings on regular basis (for Federal Department of Defence, Akademie für Konflikttransformation, University of Geneva, odcp consult Colombia, etc.)
• Project evaluations • Monitoring of the Swiss performance in implementing 1325 in the context of the above mentioned working group
Long-time Gender Backstopping Mandate for PDIV / Policy advice for member organizations and other short term mandates.
Consultancies for member organizations
Our gender specialist Dr. Cordula Reimann holds a position as a senior lecturer at the University of Basel (Europainstitut) and has last year been engaged as a visiting professor at the University of Graz. She also published a vast number of articles on the topic: http://www.swisspeace.ch/typo3/en/publications/publications-by-staff-members/cordula-reimann/index.html
Providing dialogue between actors of the civil society and the state.

Transitional Justice
• The relation, inter-dependence and synergies between science and operations (programs/projects), at the policy as well as operational levels; for instance, a PhD on ‘Transitional Justice and State Building’ (in preparation) • The institutional link between state actors (see above) and NGOs • The systematic use of the ‘Joinet Principals’ (frame/diagram), in theory and practice
Between 50.000 to 1 million CHF per annum
  • Capacity and development training
  • Monitoring and Evaluation
  • Policy advice
  • Project support services
  • Research and policy development
Description of activities
The organization of specific Roundtables, where state actors, i.e. the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the PDIV, NGOs, the diaspora, the academia and others exchange views and try to identify policy- and operational synergies. Specific country expertise includes: • the Balkans • Nepal • The Caucasus • The Great Lakes • Guatemala
• Yearly trainings on ‘Transitional Justice’, for instance on 20/21 October (see www.swisspeace.org) • Tailor made trainings for NGOs and others, on demand
Assessment and implementation missions, including their monitoring and evaluation, of programs and projects, in particular for the PD IV, currently in the Balkans and recently in Nepal. Assesments of programs and projects for NGOs.
Based on a mandate by the Swiss Foreign Ministry – Political Directorate, Political Affairs Division IV: Human Security (PDIV), regular exchanges, inputs and reports on specific ‘Transitional Justice’ topics, i.e. the right to know, the right to justice, the right to reparation and the guarantee of non-recurrence - Based on the swisspeace / KOFF (Center for Peacebuilding) mandate, regular collaboration with NGOs that work in ‘Transitional Justice’.
Specific advice to NGOs on the entire project cycle management (PCM) related to ‘Transitional Justice’ projects, including, for instance, the relation between ‘Transitional Justice’ and Development Cooperation.
• the production of working papers, such as “Dealing with the Past, Critical issues, Lessons Learned, and Challenges for Future Swiss Policy” (2004) or “Dealing with the Past in Post-Conflict Societies: Ten Years after the Peace Accords in Guatemala and Bosnia-Herzegovina” (2007) • the involvement in the drafting of Transitional Justice Resolutions, in particular at the UN Council for Human Rights in Geneva, for instance on “Transitional Justice and Archives” • the recent participation at an expert’s seminar, organized by the OHCHR in Geneva, on the preparation of a OHCHR report on Transitional Justice, in application of UN Resolution 9/10 para. 13
The organization of specific Roundtables, where state actors, i.e. the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the PDIV, NGOs, the diaspora, the academia and others exchange views and try to identify policy- and operational synergies. Specific country expertise includes: • the Balkans • Nepal • The Caucasus • The Great Lakes • Guatemala
  • Africa
    • Central Africa
      • Democratic Republic of the Congo
      • Angola
    • Eastern Africa
      • Ethiopia
      • Burundi
    • Southern Africa
    • Western Africa
      • Cote d’Ivoire
  • Americas
    • Central America
      • Guatemala
  • Asia
    • Central Asia
    • South Asia
      • Sri Lanka
      • Nepal
    • Western Asia
      • Georgia
      • Azerbaijan
      • Armenia
      • Palestine
      • Israel
      • Iraq
  • Europe
    • Southern Europe
      • Serbia
      • (The former Yugoslav) Republic of Macedonia

Burundi

Sectors of activity: 
Transitional Justice
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Description: 

Research (within PhD thesis) on transitional justice in Burundi (ongoing)

Guinea Bissau

Sectors of activity: 
Good Offices and Peace Support
Public Administration and Government Strengthening
Local Governance
Elections
Political Parties
Civil Society
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Direct project implementation
Capacity and development training
Project support services
Monitoring and Evaluation
Advocacy
Description: 

BEFORE is a joint project between the Alliance for Peacebuilding and swisspeace. It was established by a group of renowned conflict experts and organizations engaged in conflict research. Swisspeace took over BEFORE's secretariat functions in 2008. Unlike any other conflict prevention work, BEFORE links political early warning signs with a quick, independent, flexible and holistic response action. Built upon and focused on partnerships, BEFORE connects local stakeholders and international or transnational organizations with the purpose of preventing violent conflicts before they even begin. As a bridge between international and local and regional actors, BEFORE catalyzes continuous action to prevent potential violent conflict. Currently the BEFORE Project is engaged in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Read more about the BEFORE Project, visit http://beforeproject.org/.

Burundi

Sectors of activity: 
Transitional Justice
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Description: 

Research (within PhD thesis) on transitional justice in Burundi (ongoing)

Guinea Bissau

Sectors of activity: 
Good Offices and Peace Support
Public Administration and Government Strengthening
Local Governance
Elections
Political Parties
Civil Society
Types of activity: 
Research and policy development
Direct project implementation
Capacity and development training
Project support services
Monitoring and Evaluation
Advocacy
Description: 

BEFORE is a joint project between the Alliance for Peacebuilding and swisspeace. It was established by a group of renowned conflict experts and organizations engaged in conflict research. Swisspeace took over BEFORE's secretariat functions in 2008. Unlike any other conflict prevention work, BEFORE links political early warning signs with a quick, independent, flexible and holistic response action. Built upon and focused on partnerships, BEFORE connects local stakeholders and international or transnational organizations with the purpose of preventing violent conflicts before they even begin. As a bridge between international and local and regional actors, BEFORE catalyzes continuous action to prevent potential violent conflict. Currently the BEFORE Project is engaged in Guinea and Guinea-Bissau.

Read more about the BEFORE Project, visit http://beforeproject.org/.

Swisspeace
Sonnenbergstrasse 17
Bern 7 CH-3000
See map: map.search.ch, Google Maps
http://www.swisspeace.org
Non-governmental organisation
Bern, Switzerland
More than 10 years
Between 1 million to 50 million CHF per annum
35
2

Partnership

CDA

Type: 
Informal
Location: 
Other
Other: 
International partnership (based in Cambridge, MA, USA)
Main purpose: 
Collaborative learning
Description: 

CDA Collaborative Learning Projects is a non-profit organization, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA). We are committed to improving the effectiveness of international actors who provide humanitarian assistance, engage in peace practice, and are involved in supporting sustainable development.

Partner organisations: 
NGO
Practitioner

FriEnt

Type: 
Informal
Location: 
Other
Other: 
International partnership (based in Bonn, Germany)
Main purpose: 
Other
Other: 
Advocacy/campaigning
Description: 

The Working Group on Development and Peace (FriEnt) is an association of seven German governmental and non-governmental organisations, with the main objective to promote peace building in all areas of development cooperation. To this end, FriEnt's core activities include fostering joint learning, capacity building, advice and supporting networking and co-operation of its members.

Good offices and peace support
Community conflict resolution
Transitional justice
Gender
Civil society
Security sector, governance
DDR

Partner organisations: 
NGOs
Practitioner

Network

EPLO

Type: 
Formal
Type: 
Academic
Main purpose: 
Policy
Geographical scope: 
Global
Description: 

The European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO) is the platform of European NGOs, networks of NGOs and think tanks active in the field of peacebuilding, who share an interest in promoting sustainable peacebuilding policies among decision-makers in the European Union.

Security Sector Governanace
DDR
Civilian Small Arms Control
Transitional Justice
Human Rights
Good Offices and Peace Support
Public Administration of Government and Strengthening
Local Governance
Civil Society
Media Gender
Economic Foundations for Growth and Development

GPP

Type: 
NGO