Statement by the Alliance for Peacebuilding on the Conflict in Ukraine
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 24th, 2022
CONTACT
Nick Zuroski | (202) 822-2047 | nick@allianceforpeacebuilding.org
Washington, D.C., USA. – The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP), the leading nonpartisan peacebuilding global network of 160+ members operating in 181 countries working to end violent conflict and build sustainable peace, condemns the unprovoked Russian military invasion of Ukraine and urges the international community to act urgently and robustly to protect the people of Ukraine and prevent the conflict from spreading both within and beyond the borders of Ukraine.
People all over the world woke up to the shock of a full military invasion of Ukraine and the realization that a military offensive of this size has not taken place in Europe since World War II. This war could result in significant deaths, destruction, and a massive refugee and IDP crisis and extend beyond the borders of Ukraine.
The U.S. and its allies over the past few months have worked in close diplomatic partnership to avert this crisis. There is no alternative to diplomacy to end the violent conflict in Ukraine. AfP calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges all parties to continue sustained diplomatic efforts that lead to a sustainable peace agreement.
But beyond diplomacy, international donors must also stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and urgently increase assistance and support. Prior to this invasion, 2.9 million Ukrainians needed humanitarian assistance and 1.5 million were displaced. This military conflict will worsen the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Rapidly scaled-up support must include a robust humanitarian response and the protection of civilians to save lives and prevent massive suffering.
However, Russia has been trying to destabilize Ukraine internally for years by stoking community divisions, leading cyberattacks, and meddling in elections. AfP partners have been working with Ukraine’s vibrant local civil society to build social cohesion, prevent misinformation, strengthen institutions, and enhance economic development. These programs must be increased and new peacebuilding and conflict prevention programs, including atrocity prevention and human rights monitoring, must be immediately deployed. Increased support for local civil society must be swift and powerful.
Additionally, Russia is using this crisis to ramp up its weaponization of global dis- and misinformation. It is vital the U.S. and its allies understand the impact that these cyber campaigns have on stability and peace in Ukraine and globally. The international community must robustly fund multifaceted programming aimed at addressing the harmful impacts of these campaigns at both the national and international levels.
AfP urgently calls on the international community to continue diplomacy, support the people of Ukraine with unimpeded humanitarian and peacebuilding resources, and tackle Russia’s cybersecurity disinformation campaigns both in and outside of Ukraine to prevent further destabilization.
The Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP)—named the “number one influencer and change agent” among peacebuilding institutions worldwide—is a 501(c) 3 not-for-profit, nonpartisan network of 150+ organizations working in 181 countries to prevent conflict, reduce violence, improve lives, and build sustainable peace. At our core, AfP cultivates a network to strengthen and advance the peacebuilding field, enabling peacebuilding organizations to achieve greater impact—tackling issues too large for any one organization to address alone.