The EU and peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo
This paper, the EU and peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is published as part of a series of Civil Society Dialogue Network discussion papers by the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office. In it, I reflect on the EU’s trackrecord in contributing to peacebuilding in the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly...
New book: EU foreign policy, Transitional Justice and Mediation: Principle, policy, and practice
This book analyses how the European Union translates its principles of peace and justice into policy and puts them into practice, particularly in societies in or emerging from violent conflict. The European Union treaty states that in its relations with the wider world, the EU is to promote peace,...
Supporting peaceful change in #Mali: recommendations for donors
In late 2013 and early 2014, I headed a research team (pictured left) on behalf of International Alert and Mouvement Malivaleurs. Our objective was to identify ways in which donors could contribute to long-term, peaceful change in Mali after the calamities of 2012. We listened to Malians from different walks of life from...
Make do, or mend? EU security provision in complex conflicts: the Democratic Republic of Congo
This article, published in European Security (2014), assesses whether the EU contributes to long-term positive change in societies emerging from violent conflict, helping them ‘mend’ or whether it simply encourages societies to ‘make do’ with the status quo. To do so, the article focuses on two of the...
The Nobel Challenge
The EU’s Nobel Peace Prize is well-deserved. The EU has transformed most of Europe from a continent of war to one of peace, as the committee said. It has done so by supporting democracy, human rights and the rule of law, building interdependent economies and institutions. Far from the spotlight...
Victory of form over substance? #UNSCR1325 at 11
The United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security celebrates its 11th birthday this week. In the world of peace and conflict, 1325 finally put women, peace and security as a composite issue on the global policy map. It instructed the world of diplomats, politicians...
Justice, Peace and Ivory Coast.
What is the ideal transitional justice scenario in Ivory Coast? the Belgian newspaper De Morgen asked me this week in an interview published on Thursday. It is always impossible to predict these types of questions, but there are some trends we can see from other places, which might help the...
The EU, transitional justice & mediation
The European Union is increasingly involved in mediating peace deals around the world, and has strong commitments to international justice and human rights. Including justice provisions for the victims of a conflict in the peace agreement may make an important contribution to a durable peace. In this paper published...