Author: Alex Williams

Founding member of the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership becomes first woman in Libya to hold the position of Mukhtar al-Mahalla (Head of Locality)

Posted on January 20, 2022 by -

Sumaya Abushagour, a civil society activist and founding member of the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership (established in 2017) became passionate about working with marginalised groups (such as women, youth and people living with disability), when employed by the Ministry of Education and the Tripoli Centre Municipality, Social Affairs Unit. As a member of the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership, Sumaya further developed her valuable network of contacts – and benefitted from the mentoring and skills training provided in Social Peace and Local Development (with support from PCi) that added to her experience and encouraged her to continue to support women, youth and people living with disability in the community. She was recently appointed to the position of Mukhtar al Mahalla (Head of Locality) in the Omar al-Mukhtar neighbourhood within Tripoli Centre; she is the first woman in Libya to be appointed to this position.

Through the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership, Sumaya works to raise awareness in the community, to shift social perceptions about women’s abilities and contributions in society. In Libya, social norms and perceptions around gender roles are a key barrier to women’s empowerment and women are often excluded from livelihood and economic regeneration projects. Specifically, Sumaya arranged vocational trainings in sewing, cooking, and nursing for over sixty women across Tripoli; she also mentored young women who aspire to leadership positions in the community. An inspirational role model, Sumaya said: “Through the Social Peace Partnership, I have spoken to many young women in Tripoli who expressed their dream of being appointed to a leadership position – but they don’t know how to go about this and are often very afraid of how society will perceive them.”

Sumaya Abushagor presenting to participants during a
workshop with the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership

Abdul Salam Ben Saoud, is the Tripoli Social Peace Partnership coordinator, working closely with the Municipal Council. He says that Sumaya has the vision and skills to be appointed Mukhtar al Mahalla (Head of Locality), noting her track record in delivering vocational training to women – and the production of a plan to repair and revive one of Tripoli’s busiest commercial streets damaged by the conflict.

Sumaya is currently working to deliver vocational trainings for women and youth, involving a collaboration between the Tripoli Centre Social Peace Partnership and the Omar al-Mukhtar neighbourhood. Sumaya said: “Youth unemployment and the financial dependence of women on men are two main challenges faced by our community. It is important that we give youth and women the space to find their talents and be able to earn an income, use their time wisely, and be good role models for future generations, as we work on breaking stereotypes and building a peaceful and prosperous Libya with equal chances for all! We are also working on activities for people with disabilities, as they too have a crucial role in our society and deserve to be represented.”

Sumaya is also working with the local Municipality to identify community priorities. There is an urgent need to repair the power station that provides electricity to her neighbourhood, recently damaged by heavy rain and flooding. She has sent her report to the Ministry of Electricity and the Tripoli Municipal Council, with whom she has good working relationships. The Mayor of Tripoli Centre, Ibrahim Al-Khalifi (interviewed by Alhadath TV1), recently commented on Sumaya’s appointment to Head of Locality: “Sumaya is hardworking, competent and an educated woman who meets the requirements for Head of Locality; she also obtained one of the highest grades in the relevant exam.”

For more on the Libya Social Peace and Local Development (SPLD) programme, click here.

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In Libya, PCi supports women’s inclusion through four pillars:

 Leadership

  • Provide space and opportunities for women to strengthen and practice leadership skills
  • Fund and support women-led initiatives
  • Facilitate knowledge sharing, peer support and mentoring of young women

 Participation

  • Ensure women feel confident and safe to speak freely and participate meaningfully
  • Work with men to behave as allies and advocate for women’s inclusion
  • Ensure women’s interests and needs are considered in decision making

Representation

  • Ensure at least 30 per cent female membership in Social Peace Partnerships and gender-balanced participation across programme activities
  • Include representatives of women’s diverse social groups
  • Support female representatives through training and coaching

Visibility  

  • Support communication strategies and media campaigns that amplify the voices of women leaders
  • Facilitate networking among women leaders in different regions and sectors
  • Support role models with diverse social backgrounds

The Peacemakers Network – Libya, Launches Video Campaign to Improve Public Awareness of Electoral Process in Libya

Posted on January 13, 2022 by -

The Peacemakers Network, a group of individuals from Libyan civil society, local government, media and academia, who work to find solutions to promote sustainable peace (supported by PCi) worked on a video campaign at the end of 2021, to improve public awareness of electoral process in Libya. Elections were scheduled for the 24 December 2021 but have been postponed.

The Peacemakers Network distributed four videos across a broad range of Libyan media and social media and a fifth video will be released shortly focusing on the process of candidate selection. Click on the links below to view the videos:

For more on the Peacemakers Network, click here.

The Peacemakers Network – Libya, collaborates with the Italian NGO – Agency for Peacebuilding – to comment on Libya’s postponed elections

Posted on January 13, 2022 by -

The Peacemakers Network, a group of individuals from Libyan civil society, local government, media and academia, who work to find solutions to promote sustainable peace (supported by PCi) have collaborated with The Agency For Peacebuilding (www.peaceagency.org) and produced an article commenting on Libya’s postponed elections, that were scheduled for December 24 2021. This was published by Huffington Post Italia on December 24, 2021 which can be read in Italian here.

Click here to read an edited English version of the article on the Agency For Peacebuilding website; an extract is outlined below:

“Members of the Peacemakers Network truly believe that holding an election is the only way to save Libya, get it out of its current crisis, and put an end to the state of division. And they are not the only ones. The elections will pull the rug out from under all parallel bodies created since 2011, as well as those who want to impose their views and control the country, including the many actors are standing in the way of realizing the Libyan people’s aspirations and desire to build a civic and democratic state.

There are, indeed, high expectations for the anticipated elections, which many Libyans see as a historic and pivotal event that shall end the conflict, and it would be a mistake to think that these expectations can simply be ignored. Past and recent events have, in fact, left the country’s three historic regions and various ethnic groups (Arabs, Tebu, Amazigh, and Tuareg) dissatisfied with the current situation. Each group is a volcano on the verge of erupting as a result of what it perceives as marginalization and an attempt to control its rights.

Elections are therefore important to stability and peace, and in order for them to be rescheduled shortly, Libyan actors and the international community must commit to and support its results and endorse what the Libyan people vote for in the ballots boxes.”

For more on the Peacemakers Network, click here.

New Research on Civil Society in Serbia and Kosovo

Posted on December 16, 2021 by -

Peaceful Change initiative is pleased to present new research, jointly undertaken by the Universities of Belgrade and Prishtina, which explores the current landscape of cross-community initiatives in Serbia and Kosovo. 

The research – which was undertaken as part of the UK-government funded project, ‘Amplifying local voices for equitable development’ – sought to explore two key dimensions. First, the standing of civil society organizations (CSOs) amongst the very constituencies and communities that they claim to represent. Second, the new issues which have mobilized citizens who had not previously been civically engaged, the reasons for why such mobilizations have been successful.

One of the key recommendations deriving from the research is that civil society should continue to promote equality, solidarity, and reciprocity, and to counteract divisive and ethnicized narratives on identity and dealing with the past. As such, civil society organisations should be encouraged to engage with difficult topics and issues that concern communities, and not only foster issues deemed less political in their cross-community initiatives.

As Dr. Jelena Loncar, an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Political Science, University of Belgrade, and one of the research leads, concluded, ‘in Kosovo civil society is more forward looking, more optimistic than in Serbia, with more developed intra- and inter-community co-operation at the local level. On the other hand, in Serbia, the main impression is a lack of hope and motivation for activism, with participants insisting on the lack of expertise, resources and visions of the future. At the same time, we noticed there are emerging youth organisations that give hope that grassroots activism is possible.’

Dr. Vjollca Krasniqi, a Profesor of Sociology, at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Prishtina, who also spearheaded the research, emphasized that, ‘the history of conflict has left a difficult legacy, both in Kosovo and in Serbia, and also for civil society organisations. They have to restore trust – promote tolerance and co-operation – between communities. One important finding is that civil society organisations believe cross-community initiatives are important and relevant to foster inter-ethnic relations, even despite the fact the main narratives remain divided.’

Dr. Orli Fridman, head of the Center for Comparative Conflict Studies at the Faculty of Media and Communications (FMK), Singidunum University, and an advisor on the researcher, added that ‘the strength – even the beauty – of the research is its rich empirical data. There are some excellent quotes from participants demonstrating the presence of the fieldwork itself. As a result, the report reflects a complex and more nuanced reality on the ground, which challenges what is out there in terms of daily discourses.’

The research is available to download from the PCi website by visiting:

On Civil Society in Serbia and Kosovo

For further information about the research, please contact Ian Bancroft (ian.bancroft@peacefulchange.org).

Civil Society in Kosovo and Serbia take Stance against Division

Posted on December 9, 2021 by -

PCi hereby presents in full a joint statement issued by civil society organisations and activists from Serbia and Kosovo laying out a series of calls and commitments that respond to the present context of relations in the region.

Joint Statement of Kosovo and Serbia Civil Society Actors

Witnessing that Kosovo-Serbia relations are not improving despite the ongoing dialogue process, we express our deep concern for the deterioration of the situation on the ground and in the daily lives of citizens. There is a need to safeguard and protect the human rights of minority groups in Serbia and Kosovo.

Concerned that the dialogue is being used to distract from important issues such as the deterioration of the rule of law, corruption, and human rights challenges.

Recognizing contextual differences regarding the levels of democracy, the rule of law, and separation of power, which influence the process of normalisation of relations between Serbia and Kosovo:

We call on the governments of Serbia and Kosovo to:

  • continue the dialogue in a substantial and sustainable manner;
  • promptly implement already reached agreements;
  • refrain from inflammatory rhetoric against minority communities and populist narratives regarding mutual relations and history;
  • commit to transparency and ensure civic participation;  
  • take prompt measures to develop internal processes of integration;
  • respect the rights of minorities; and,
  • work on confidence-building measures to bring communities together. 

We call on the International Community:

  • to support dialogue and the normalisation agreements that not are not at the expense of democracy in Kosovo and Serbia;
  • to focus on substantial solutions instead of resolving daily disputes among the parties in dialogue;
  • to support civil society in the wider sense (CSOs, academia, cultural institutions, media, trade unions, etc.);
  • to work on normalization and sustainable relations between two parties;
  • to foster a wider inter and intra-societal debate  on  possible solutions and priorities in the dialogue.

We commit to:

  • further impel substantial and continuous debate between civil society in Serbia and Kosovo;
  • exchange information about issues, context and developments in both societies in a timely manner;
  • have joint reactions on the alarming issues that deteriorate the situation on the ground and have a detrimental impact on relations between communities;
  • keep in focus on-going challenges not being resolved, which are marginalized due to current issues or incidents;
  • maintain a space for civil society proactive leadership in creating better relations and improvements in human rights and the everyday lives of citizens;
  • recognize differences among processes in Serbia and Kosovo and react in line with those processes asking for steps in the right direction;
  • involve other civil society actors for a continuing dialogue among civil societies actors and enable substantial involvement for each and everyone.

Signatories:

  1. Advocacy Center for Democratic Culture (ACDC)
  2. Advocacy Training and Resource Center (ATRC)
  3. Assist Kosovo Center – ASSIST, Prishtinë
  4. Belgrade Fund for Political Excellence (BFPE)
  5. Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
  6. Balkan Policy Research Group
  7. Crno-beli svet, Mitrovica North
  8. Center for Advocacy and Democratic Development (CADD)
  9. Center for Peace and Tolerance (CPT)
  10. Centar za regionalizam, Mitrovica
  11. Civic Initiatives
  12. Council for Human Rights – Bujanovac
  13. Democracy Plus (D+)
  14. Drita Dibrani, civil society activist
  15. European Fund for the Balkans
  16. Forum for Development and Multiethnic Collaboration (FDMC)
  17. HANDIKOS, Kosovo
  18. Independent Initiative for Blind People, Kosovo
  19. Institute for Development and Integration (IZHI)
  20. Institute for Territorial Economic Development (InTER)
  21. Jelena Lončar, Academic, University of Belgrade
  22. Kosovo Law Institute (KLI)
  23. Kosovo Center for Security Studies (KCSS)
  24. Kosovo Democratic Institute (KDI)
  25. Leadership and Development (LAD)
  26. Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM)
  27. Mitrovica Women Association for Human Rights (MWAHR)
  28. NGO Advocacy for Society Development (AFSD)
  29. NVO “PLEJADA” Prizren
  30. NVO Communication for the development of society CSD, Gračanica
  31. NGO Aktiv
  32. New Social Initiative (Mitrovica)
  33. OJQ “Drugëza”
  34. OJQ “VISION 02” Istog
  35. OJQ Aureola
  36. OJQ Qendra e Gruas “ATO” Vushtrri
  37. OJQ Roma in Action Gjakovë
  38. Open Society Foundation, Novi Sad-Beograd
  39. Rahim Salihi, civil society activist, Bujanovac.
  40. The Balkan Forum
  41. Unioni i Punëtorëve Social të Kosovës
  42. Valon Arifi, civil society activist
  43. Vjollca Krasniqi, Academic, University of Prishtina
  44. Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VoRAE)
  45. Xhejrane Lokaj, civil society activist
  46. Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) Kosovo
  47. Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR) Serbia

‘A Force for Good?’ Examining UK Engagement in Fragile and Conflict Affected Countries

Posted on December 2, 2021 by -

The virtual event (6 December 2021) discussed the findings of the Foreign Policy Centre (FPC) and the Peaceful Change Initiative (PCi) publication.

The event and publication seek to re-examine the UK’s presence in fragile and conflict affected countries (FCACs) around the world at a time of continuing global geopolitical competition and added fragilities generated by the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of climate change.

To download the publication, click on this link: ‘A Force For Good?’ Examining UK engagement in Fragile and Conflict Affected Countries

Panel:

  • Rt Hon. Andrew Mitchell MP, former International Development Secretary
  • Fleur Auzimour Just, CEO of Peaceful Change Initiative
  • Dr Naho Mirumachi, Reader in Environmental Politics at Kings College London
  • Tim Molesworth, Senior Adviser, Conflict Sensitivity and Peace Technology at Peaceful Change Initiative

Ikram’s Journey with the Ajdabiya Social Peace Partnership: Developing Skills that Benefit the Community

Posted on December 2, 2021 by -

Ikram Mohamed Abdullah is the Ajdabiya Social Peace Partnership Public Relations Officer; she is a dynamic young woman who graduated from Ajdabiya University with a background in business and IT. She was invited to join the Ajdabiya Social Peace Partnership by the Head of the Partnership, who was impressed with her work in the community. The skills she has acquired through membership of the Social Peace Partnership have helped her both in conducting social peace initiatives and in her professional life.

Through the Social Peace Partnership, Ikram attended trainings on conflict analysis and conflict mitigation, strengthening her peacebuilding knowledge. She also participated in project management training, acquiring new skills in strategic planning and specifically SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) which have helped her to fundraise for her University. Ikram said:

“Ajdabiya University relied on the national government for funding (because it is a public institution) but unfortunately funding was cut because of the political crisis; this occurred at a time when student exams were about to start. When I met with people from the University, we discussed how we might use SWOT analysis to advocate for more funds and using this tool, we were able to mobilise networks, which resulted in private companies donating resources so that the exams went ahead.”

Ikram is proud of the social peace initiative to renovate the Ajdabiya General Hospital. The Social Peace Partnership produced a list of eight potential projects, that were announced on local radio. Residents were asked to vote for their favourite project with 80 per cent going towards the hospital renovations (involving 10 bathrooms, the construction of a separate entrance for Accident and Emergency and the construction of a women’s area to improve safety and privacy). The project was completed to a high standard, in three weeks, with over thirty volunteers helping out on specific tasks, including painting and plumbing – and within the budget of 40,000 LYD.

Ikram has also played a key role in the Social Peace Partnership efforts to strengthen livelihood opportunities for the most vulnerable community members in Ajdabiya. To date, over 200 people, including many women and youth, have been provided with vocational skills.  Ikram continues:

“Our sewing training project stands out to me, supporting women to earn an income. Selma, was a widow with five children who was struggling to make ends meet. She got a job as a cleaner with the Social Peace Partnership because her widow’s pension no longer covered her basic costs (due to inflation) and she fell into depression. Selma was invited to participate in the sewing workshop. She was very motivated and soon became the top student in the class. We gave her a sewing machine to take home so that she could start producing garments. She now works with a number of stores and supplies them with tailored pieces; she is slowly lifting herself and her family out of economic hardship.”

Unemployed women benefit from vocational skills training such as embroidery and knitting

Ikram’s work with the Social Peace Partnership and civil society more broadly has made her even more determined to pursue ambitious projects.

 “I want to make an impact and feel that I have achieved something important in my community. My work within the Social Peace Partnership has shown me that these projects matter to our society.”

She is particularly committed to continuing to support women in her community, so that they can play a more meaningful role and develop their potential.

“While women still face discrimination in our society, I believe that there is no obstacle too large that can prevent them from achieving their goals. We have the opportunity to take on positions as policymakers, to create real change.”

Advocating for Social Inclusion through the ‘Bader’ Campaign in Libya

Posted on November 29, 2021 by -

In February 2021, a national campaign was launched to raise the profile of young peace leaders through the ‘Bader’ (‘initiate’ in Arabic) social media Facebook campaign.

The campaign encouraged young Libyans to submit project ideas that promote social peace, gender equality, social inclusion and community cohesion. Naseem Bin Halim was one of three prize-winners. He is a 24-year-old science graduate from Zliten who is passionate about advocating for the rights of people with disabilities; his aspiration is to ensure their full participation and integration in society by addressing obstacles and challenges they face in their daily lives.

Naseem is Head of Engineering at the Organisation for Development focused on the construction of ramps that provide easy access to locations/buildings. He recently constructed access points to the beach in Zliten so that all the local community could enjoy the seaside. When submitting his proposal, he identified he would like to construct more ramps on Zliten pavements, as well as at the entrance of public buildings, such as the University and Social Security Office.

To view Naseem’s story, please click video below.

Strengthening Youth Civil Society Networks through the ‘Bader’ Campaign in Libya

Posted on November 15, 2021 by -

In February 2021, a national campaign was launched to raise the profile of young peace leaders through the ‘Bader’ social media Facebook campaign (‘Bader’ means ‘initiate’ in Arabic).

The campaign gathered and disseminated stories of youth leadership in peacebuilding and civil society projects – and called on young Libyans to submit their ideas for projects that promoted social peace, community cohesion, gender equality and social inclusion. The campaign received over 15,000 likes from people spanning over 30 cities in Libya; this popularity led to over 500 story submissions in the space of one month. 

Salem Ibrahim was one of three prize-winners. He is a civil society activist from Benghazi who works at the Civil Society Commission. He is committed to supporting young people to start up and manage their own organisations, creating civil society support networks. He recently launched an online platform called ‘Impact’, which helps people launch their own community projects. Salem also focuses on supporting civil society actors to advocate amongst government decision-makers and raise awareness about the importance of a legal framework to protect civil society in the country.

Salem’s aspiration was to organise a series of training sessions that sensitise Libyan decision-makers/politicians about challenges/obstacles that civil society in Libya faces, including restrictions on their activity. The training sessions would include information on international principles of civil society protection, the role of civil society in dialogue and national reconciliation, and the value of establishing and managing peace-building networks.

To watch Salem’s story, click on the video below.

Amplifying the Voices of Young Activists in Libya

Posted on November 15, 2021 by -

The ‘Bader’ campaign was launched on Facebook on 17 February 2021, on the 10-year anniversary of the Libyan uprising. The campaign provided a platform for young leaders from different communities in Libya to talk about their experiences of promoting peace, social cohesion, and women’s inclusion. By amplifying the voices of young peace activists, Bader sought to inspire others to take action. Within a month of its launch, the Bader Facebook page had received 15 thousand likes and over 500 stories had been submitted by young activists across Libya. Through the campaign, 3 young leaders were selected to receive grants of up to 20,000 LYD to implement their projects. One of these young leaders is Mona.


Mona is a 29-year-old media activist from Sebha with a degree in Radio and Television Media. She has launched an online radio station called ‘Voice of Peace’ to promote social cohesion in the south of Libya. The radio station broadcasts in the three languages spoken by Sebha’s different community groups, Arabic, Tebu and Targi, to promote inclusion and mutual understanding. The radio station will host young people from these community groups to spread positive messages of peaceful coexistence. Mona was fundraising to purchase the necessary transmission and studio equipment that will allow her team to develop the project and move from internet to radio broadcasting, so that they can reach more people in Sebha and the Fezzan region.

To watch Mona’s story, click here.