POLICY & ADVOCACY NEWSLETTER

AfP Newsletter - May 12th

Top News

 
 

U.S. Policy in Afghanistan

AfP and the International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) convened a high-level discussion on Friday, May 7th at 10am EDT: U.S. Policy in Afghanistan: What Withdrawal Means for Afghan Women and the Future. AfP’s Director for Policy & Advocacy, Megan Corrado moderated the discussion featuring two Afghan women leaders who embody the progress Afghanistan has made over the last two decades, Wazhma Frogh and Guissou Jahangiri and key policy leaders, including ICAN’s Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini and Refugees International's Hardin Lang. In light of the announced military withdrawal of U.S. forces, the panelists discussed potential implications on the peace process, the tremendous gains of Afghan women, girls, and minorities over the last 20 years, and necessary measures to prevent the unraveling of the gains made, violent conflict and regional destabilization. Watch the recording of the event here.

AfP’s Acting CEO Liz Hume was featured in a recent Devex article, As US Pulls Out of Afghanistan, Aid Groups Consider Role in “Endless Wars” by Michael Igoe, and stated her concern that Biden’s decision to withdraw troops without a sustainable peace process in place is worrisome. 

Reimagining Public Safety

AfP and the U.S. Peace, Justice, and Democracy Working Group are hosting a series of weekly webinars each Wednesday through July on Preventing and Reducing Conflict and Instability in the United States: Shaping What Comes Next. This series focuses on the conflict dynamics driving violence and instability, political and policy changes and the resources needed to build a society that is just, secure, and fair for all Americans. The next webinar, Reimagining Public Safety Through a Peacebuilding Lens: How Do We Really Get There? will be held on Wednesday, May 12th at 2:30 to 4:00pm ET. Click here to register, learn more about upcoming discussions, and watch previous webinars. 

Reimagining the Path to Peace: Assessing U.S. Foreign Policy in Biden’s First 100 Days

Last week, AfP’s Acting CEO Liz Hume moderated a conversation on President Biden’s first 100 Days on foreign and domestic conflict prevention policy achievements and challenges, and priorities for the peacebuilding and humanitarian fields moving forward. If you missed the discussion, you can find the recording here and AfP’s transition report to the Biden Administration, Reimagining the Path to Peace: Priorities for the New Presidential Agenda. Check out highlights on AfP’s Twitter under #FIRST100DAYS.

Conflict Prevention in the American Rescue Plan

AfP submitted a letter endorsed by 68 organizations to the State Department and USAID requesting robust integration of conflict prevention and peacebuilding programs in the U.S. Government’s COVID-19 strategy and funding from the American Rescue Plan. You can read the full letter here. 

Peace: We Build It

Brought to you by AfP, join host Tanya Domi for the Peace: We Build It! podcast. The third episode features genocide scholars Gregory Stanton, Founding President and Chairman of Genocide Watch, and Maxim A. Pensky, Co-Director of the Institute for Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention. In honor of Genocide Awareness Month, the episode includes a conversation exploring past genocides from Armenia to Darfur, as well as ongoing genocides of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang and the Tigrayans in Ethiopia. The episode also discusses President Biden’s decision to recognize the Armenian Genocide on its 106th anniversary and United States’ responsibility to prevent, address, and recognize crimes of genocide.

Be sure to also check out previous episodes, Violent Conflict is Increasing Globally and in the United States: What Do We Know and What Can We Do About It? and Why WPS? The Women, Peace, and Security Agenda Can Change the World.

 
 

Take Action!

The AfP Policy & Advocacy Team is Hiring!

AfP is seeking a part-time, dynamic Policy & Advocacy Assistant to support our Policy & Advocacy work this summer. Click here to learn more, including how to apply. Please share this opportunity with your young professional networks. 

Policy Action: Get Engaged with Policy!

AfP’s Policy Action page provides members and partners with opportunities to work with us to shape law and policy. This dynamic page contains ways to get involved with AfP through our working groups, and endorsing and developing legislation and policy briefs. It is also a great way to get connected with AfP’s work and other members. Sign-on opportunities include: 

UN Peacebuilding Fund: Call For Proposals

The UN Peacebuilding Fund has launched the 2021 Gender and Youth Promotion Initiative (GYPI) to advance the engagement of women and youth in peacebuilding through innovative approaches.This year’s GYPI will focus on: (1) promotion and protection of civic spaces, notably regarding land, indigenous peoples, and environmental issues; and (2) promotion and strengthening of mental health and psychosocial well-being for women and youth as part of local peacebuilding processes. Learn more here and apply by Friday, June 18th. 

Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention Grant Program

The Department of Homeland Security is making $20 million available through the Targeted Violence and Terrororism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program to help communities across the U.S. develop innovative capabilities to combat terrorism and targeted violence. Please refer to the Notice of Funding Opportunity for more details, eligibility requirements, and instructions on how to apply. The current closing date for applications is June 17th. 

Tell Congress: Stop Spending U.S. Tax Dollars on Weapons and War

Individuals are encouraged to join American Friends Service Committee and +Peace in calling on Congress to stop spending tax dollars on weapons and war and reinvest in our communities. Learn more and sign-on here. 

U.S. National Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) Commission

On Thursday, February 25th, Representative Barbara Lee (D-CA-13) introduced H.Con.Res. 19 and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) introduced S.Con.Res. 6 to establish a U.S. National Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation Commission. As of Friday, May 7th, the bill has 143 co-sponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary’s Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. You can join AfP and 244 other endorsing organizations by signing-up here. Learn more about the legislation critical to advancing U.S. peacebuilding here.

 

Working Groups

U.S. Peace, Justice, and Democracy Working Group

The U.S. Peace, Justice, and Democracy Working Group, co-led by AfP and Urban Rural Action, will meet on Monday, May 24th at 1:00pm ET to focus on the group's scope of work, next steps, and coordination with other coalitions and networks. Please reach out to Stephanie Budaker if you are interested in joining this working group.

Locally-Led Peacebuilding Working Group

Co-led by AfP, Peace Direct, and CDA Collaborative Learning, the Locally-Led Peacebuilding Working Group’s next meeting will be Thursday, May 13th at 10:00am ET. We will be hearing from a Yemeni peacebuilder, who was the first woman to participate in detainee exchanges, and officials from the UN Peacebuilding Fund about their upcoming thematic review and how to support locally led organizations. Please reach out to Megan Schleicher if you are interested in joining this working group.

Global Fragility Act Coalition

Mercy Corps’ online petition calling on Congress to fully fund the GFA generated nearly 11,000 signatures with high concentrations of support in key states, including Florida, Indiana, Maryland, Connecticut, Kentucky, and South Carolina. These signatures were delivered along with our FY22 appropriations requests. Thank you for helping to make this petition campaign successful! Please email Megan Schleicher to join this coalition. 

Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS) Coalition

The U.S. YPS Coalition held its Q2 coalition-wide meeting last Wednesday, April 28th, to discuss the new subcommittees, provide Congressional updates, and brainstorm ideas for coalition activities. You can find notes from this meeting here. The U.S. YPS Coalition is also organizing an advocacy day this summer to raise awareness and garner support for the YPS Act upon reintroduction. Please reach out to Megan Schleicher if you are interested in getting involved with advocacy day or joining the U.S. YPS Coalition. 

Material Support Working Group

The Material Support Working Group, co-led by AfP and the Charity & Security Network (C&SN), is working to eradicate legal barriers to the delivery of critical peacebuilding and humanitarian assistance around the world. The Group met on Tuesday, May 4th to discuss recent advocacy efforts and strategic opportunities. For further background on the issue, please read the joint AfP-C&SN Policy Brief, Fixing the Material Support Problem. Please reach out to Megan Corrado to join the working group or for information regarding its more recent convening.

Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE) Working Group

AfP’s  P/CVE Working Group will next meet in June. Please reach out to Megan Corrado to join. 

Digital Peacebuilding Community of Practice

AfP, the Toda Peace Institute, Mercy Corps, Search for Common Ground, and +Peace co-lead the Digital Peacebuilding Community of Practice. The working group is an open community of practice to advance digital peacebuilding.

Join the Digital Peacebuilding Community of Practice on May 18th at 11:00am EDT for a demo on harnessing digital marketing tools for social change and peacebuilding with Rose Meade Hart, a veteran digital marketer who is turning her expertise towards social change outcomes. Register for the demo here. The group recently convened a training session for effective online engagement with the Global Internet Forum to Counter Terrorism, please find shared resources here. Please reach out to Linda Zheng to join the community of practice.

 

Upcoming Community Events

Building the Peacebuilding Field’s Evidence-Based Practice

Join AfP, the Better Evidence Project, and One Earth Future Foundation (OEF) at a digital workshop on Wednesday, May 12th at 12pm ET. AfP’s Jessica Baumgardner-Zuzik and OEF’s Conor Seyle will present findings from their recent report, Some Credible Evidence: Perceptions About the Evidence Base in the Peacebuilding Field. This report analyzes results of a wide-ranging survey asking peacebuilders and researchers about their perception of what kind of evidence exists and what kind is needed to improve work in the peacebuilding field. The research finds that the peacebuilding field actually does have a widely shared and nuanced understanding of what evidence exists, and concludes that while the field has a robust evidence base describing what sustainable peace looks like, evidence for how to effectively deliver sustainable peace is lacking. Learn more and RSVP here. 

Online Consultation: Youth-led (Digital) Innovation and Resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa

Peace Direct is hosting a consultation from May 18-19 to understand how young people in sub-Saharan Africa are applying innovative skills and thinking to be more resilient, and to discuss issues that matter to youth in relation to building resilience through digital innovations. If you are a young person in the region, learn more and register here. The deadline to register is Monday, May 17th.

Climate and Conflict

Join AfP and InterAction’s Climate Mainstreaming Working Group on Wednesday, May 19th at 10:30am ET for Getting Practical: “The How” of Addressing Climate and Conflict Risks through Programs and Policy. The conversation will unpack some of the challenges in addressing climate and conflict risks. Speakers will highlight key findings from recent reports and case studies, and propose practical approaches to address complex risks and improving resilience. Learn more and RSVP here. The deadline to RSVP is Tuesday, May 18th COB.

Neuroscience and Peacebuilding

Join Beyond Conflict and the George Mason University’s Carter School on Wednesday, May 19th at 11am ET for Knowing Us, Knowing Them: Applying the Neuroscience of Group Dynamics to Reconciliation and Peacebuilding. This conversation will feature neuroscience researchers and peacebuilding practitioners to explore how brain processes can bring a deeper understanding to peace and reconciliation efforts. Learn more and RSVP here. 

Online Consultation: Closing Civic Space

From May 25th - 26th, AfP, CDA Collaborative Learning, and Peace Direct will invite local activists, changemakers, organizers, healers, and peacebuilders to a two-day conversation on “closing civic space.” Amidst the current global COVID-19 pandemic, growing scrutiny of systemic injustices, and rising violence and polarization, civil society organizations are facing increasing strain as they continue to serve their communities around the world. The consultation will discuss how local civil society actors are already responding to issues of closing civic space and consider how the international community can more effectively support, protect, and advocate on behalf of civil society. Apply here to register. The deadline to register is Tuesday, May 18th.

The Hive

Join +Peace, members, creatives, peacebuilders, and changemakers every Thursday at 1:00pm ET for the Hive—a digital co-creation space to learn, listen, share, grow, and belong. Participants will have the opportunity to co-design and co-create the culture of peace and justice we want to see in the world. Learn more and register here. 

The TRUST Network

AfP is a member of the TRUST Network, led by Mediators Beyond Borders International, an early warning and early response platform to mitigate conflict in the U.S. If you are interested in joining, you can learn more here.

 

Additional News, Updates, and Publications

Global Fragility Act

 CSIS released A Policymaker’s Guide to the Global Fragility Act. This brief, written by Erol Yayboke, Daphne McCurdy, Annie Pforzheimer, and Janina Staguhn, provides a detailed look at the key foreign policy issues and how the GFA provides an opportunity for the U.S. to shift its approach towards violent conflict response to prevention and mitigation. The brief also provides evidence-based recommendations for leveraging the GFA to make places experiencing fragility and violent conflict more peaceful, secure, and prosperous. Read the full brief here. 

Operation Safe Corridor Evaluation

USAID/OTI recently released an evaluation of its program Operation Safe Corridor, performed last summer by Creative Associates. The report, Demobilization, Disassociation, Reintegration, and Reconciliation (DDRR) in Northeast Nigeria provides an overview of this effort, identifies new knowledge and emerging questions, and provides recommendations. 

Future Trends

AfP, in partnership with the Institute for Economics and Peace, has released the latest Future Trends, a weekly series taking a look at global news to gain insight into the future.

U.S. Peacebuilding Digest

AfP’s U.S. Peacebuilding Digest includes important topics such as racial justice, domestic violent extremism, strengthening democracy, and more. To stay up-to-date, check out the most recent resources here, including an article from The Guardian, Police Killings of Black Americans Amount to Crimes Against Humanity, International Inquiry Finds and Urban Rural Action’s Executive Director, Joseph Bubman’s article, Building Bridges Without a Foundation for Peace Won’t Work. 

Youth, Peace, and Security

UN Peacekeeping published an article, Empowering Youth as Agents of Peace, detailing how they are working to incorporate YPS principles into the work of their missions. 

Allwell Akhigbe, a member of Building Blocks for Peace and co-chair of the Knowledge Mobilization subcommittee of the U.S. YPS Coalition, was featured in a recent UN DPPA article about the power of youth peacebuilders. Grassroots: Peacebuilding by Youth, for Youth…and Everyone delves into Allwell’s experiences as a young peacebuilder and highlights the need for meaningful youth inclusion in peace and security. 

AfP’s Megan Schleicher and Peace Direct’s Vahe Mirikian published an op-ed in The Hill, Bold Leadership is Necessary to Curb Violence Against Youth, calling on the Biden Administration to enact meaningful policy change and recognize the importance of youth in peace and security. 

Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE)

AfP’s P/CVE Digest features key policies and reports, such as USAID’s recently released, Policy for Countering Violent Extremism Through Development Assistance, and cutting-edge research and analysis, such as Eric Rosand’s latest in Just Security, Twenty Years After 9/11, the U.S. Needs a Better Strategy to Prevent and Counter Violent Extremism. AfP’s P/CVE Digest includes recent statements, activities, and commentaries on P/CVE policy, as well as a repository of key laws and policies, essential background reading, and highlights of AfP member work. Check out the most recent resources, as well as our extensive library here.

Locally-Led Peacebuilding: A Global System in Flux

Conducive Space for Peace recently released a new report, A Global System in Flux: Pursuing Systems Change for Locally-Led Peacebuilding. This report gives a snapshot of the current space for locally-led peacebuilding globally and offers opportunities to expand the scope for strategic dialogue on the multiple entry points for systems change to better enable a shift of power to locally-led peacebuilding. 

Shift Power for Peace: Pioneering Peace

A new report from Shift Power for Peace—a collaboration between Peace Direct, Humanity United, and Conducive Space for Peace—called Pioneering Peace describes the successful impact of the program and details lessons, challenges, and opportunities for the future, as well as key recommendations for future digital support for communities preventing war and conflict. 

Seven Ways the 117th Congress Can Build Peace in Conflict Affected and Fragile States

At the beginning of the 117th Congress, AfP released a Congressional briefing book, Seven Ways the 117th Congress Can Build Peace in Conflict Affected and Fragile States., outlining specific policy recommendations to prevent and reduce violence and conflict and promote global stability. Please feel free to share and use the recommendations. Recommendations for foreign policy priorities for the Biden Administration can be found here.