Bologna Peacebuilding Forum 2019

Concept

The Bologna Peacebuilding Forum is a framework for dialogue and exchange between scholars and practitioners working on conflict resolution, peacebuilding and development. The morning session will reflect on the role of civil society organizations (CSOs), exploring how they are adapting to the evolving nature of peacebuilding. The afternoon session will explore the relationship between CSOs and political institutions. Introduced by the research report “Supporting peacebuilding in a time of change”, the panel will explore the forms of cooperation between governments and civil society. Finally, the third session will feature an exchange between Ana de Vega, Senior Protection Officer UNHCR, and Mirvat Sayegh, a cultural mediator and refugee from Aleppo. The dialogue will focus on how peace can be promoted in a time of identity politics, and, in particular, how peacebuilding can benefit from the work of individuals with a direct experience of armed conflict, and how identity politics jeopardize this potential.

PROGRAMME

09:30 – 10:00 Arrival of participants and welcome coffee 
10:00 – 10:30 Welcome address

Bernardo Monzani, Agency for Peacebuilding
Virginio Merola, Mayor of Bologna TBC
Massimo Mezzetti, Regione Emilia Romagna
Michael Plummer, Johns Hopkins University

Launch of instant poll on peacebuilding 
10:45 – 12:45 Session 1 – The role of civil society organizations (CSOs) in building peace: actors and rules revised

Guiding question: Is the space for doing peacebuilding changing? If yes, how? And how are CSOs in particular adjusting to the changes?

Francesco Strazzari, Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies 
Martina Pignatti, Un Ponte Per...
Oliver Richmond, University of Manchester (via Skype)
Sanne Tielemans, Political Adviser to the EU Special Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina (former) 
Moderator: Roberto Belloni, University of Trento

Light lunch

14:15- 15:45 Session 2 – Political institutions and CSOs: a proficuous axis for peace? 
This session will be introduced by Andrew Sheriff, European Centre for Development Policy Management, who will start by presenting the research report “Supporting peacebuilding in a time of change”.

Representative from European External Action Service, TBD
Representative from Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs, TBD
Marco Lombardo, Municipality of Bologna

Moderator: Valentina Bartolucci, Agency for Peacebuilding

Coffee Break

16:15 - 17:45 Session 3 – Building peace in times of identity politics 
Guiding question: How does peacebuilding benefit from the encounter of
different cultures, and from the work of people with a direct
experience of conflict? How can we promote the role of refugees in times
of identity politics?

Keynote exchange:

Ana De Vega, UNHCR Senior Protection Associate Community Based 
Mirvat Sayegh, Cultural Mediator from Aleppo

Moderator: Raffaella Del Sarto, Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS Europe)
17:45 - 18:00 Final remarks

Bernardo Venturi, Agency for Peacebuilding 
Final instant poll

INFO e registrazioni: http://www.peaceagency.org