Tools and strategies to support peace and justice workers
This topic emerged as a theme of interest during the COP#1 session and was explored further at the COP#2 session. This is a call to bring the discussion forward towards action.
During this session we explored how we, as a community, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and how we have coped. Taking into account considerations of digital security and shrinking civic space, how can peace and justice workers adapt to realise the broader goals under SDG16? Throughout our conversation, we drew links between participant’s ideas and suggestions to create actionable objectives.
Goal: Identify the tools (technical and non-technical) that can be used to adapt our work to realise the broader goals under SDG 16.
We found that in many of our organizations, we have been similarly affected by the pandemic:
- Some of our programs and projects had to be canceled or paused;
- We are facing uncertainty regarding funding;
- It took us some time to figure out how to continue our work. For example, those of us working on Lobby and Advocacy know the importance of having diverse stakeholders on the same table. Given the current situation, we now have to be creative in finding ways to continue these policy conversations.
We, as a community, have been coping with the new changes through:
- Organizing online webinars, seminars, and trainings;
- Using channels such as Zoom and Slack to coordinate our work. For example, the Humanity Hub made its Slack channel public, so that practitioners that are not part of the Humanity Hub can also benefit from available resources;
- Adapting our work to be demand-driven, i.e. asking our local partners what form of support they need and adapting accordingly. Based on the feedback received, some organizations started developing manuals and guidance documents in local languages on how to localize SDG 16 and implement trainings on the ground.
What adaptive technical and non-technical tools and strategies are there to support peace and justice workers during this pandemic? The ecosystem in The Hague has much knowledge on mediating conflict and working in contexts of instability which can be used in this pandemic.
Next steps: Working together with the Humanity Hub on developing a Peace and Justice Café: a monthly Hague-based platform for conversations on specific themes through panel discussions and one-on-one conversations.
Get involved: More information here.
If you have any suggestions and ideas, please reach out to Alexandre Taillandier (Humanity Hub) via email or Slack and Yasmin Hegazy (Hague Academy for Local Governance) via email or Slack.
