The African Union (AU) has partnered with international violence prevention and peacebuilding body Interpeace to boost continental peace efforts via a memorandum of understanding (MoU).
A signing ceremony at AU headquarters in Addis Ababa last week confirmed “a mutual commitment to promote nationally-led peace processes to achieve sustainable peace, prevent violent conflict, and enhance resilient capacities for peace and development” according to a statement.
Interpeace, according to its website, is “an international organisation that prevents violence and builds lasting peace. We have 27 years of experience working in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Europe and Latin America”. It sees itself as providing trust – “the glue that brings societies back together” – in the wake of violent conflict which “tears societies apart and colours relationships”.
The AU/Interpeace MoU was signed by Interpeace Vice President Simon Gimson and Ambassador Bankole Adeoye, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security.
Aligned with AU priorities and strategies, the MoU aims to support more inclusive and participatory peacebuilding approaches that are gender and youth responsive, as well as promoting the opportunity and potential of societies as agents of positive change to achieve stronger social cohesion and sustainable growth and development.
A statement issued to coincide with the signing has it: “Within the framework of shared mandates to advance conflict prevention and resolution, the AU and Interpeace will support each other through political dialogues, joint programmatic activities and joint policy and advocacy initiatives. Interpeace will provide technical support on conflict sensitivity and peace responsiveness and help sustain the AU in its conflict prevention capabilities to help member states mitigate root causes of conflict”.
“Anchored in Interpeace’s peace responsive approach, this programming aims to increase member states’ capacities to implement bottom-up, community-centred peacebuilding infrastructure, as well as inform development programmes contributing to peace.”
The continental body and Switzerland-headquartered Interpeace, with a presence in Nairobi, Kenya, will work on strengthening evidence-based programming to increase the effectiveness of AU co-ordination with member states and regional bodies and peacebuilding capacities.
“More concretely, the two will seek to carry out peace indexes and analyse findings to identify relevant programming approaches with a focus on mental health and psycho-social support as well as sustainable livelihoods.”
“We are delighted to formalise and deepen our engagement with the AU through this MoU. It affirms a joint commitment to increase AU member states’ capacity to foster bottom-up, community-led approaches to peace,” according to Gimson.
