This guide, using the examples of the GFA and WPS Act, outlines strategic, evidence-based narrative and framing approaches for U.S. policy and lawmakers to reframe their advocacy and communication. By applying these reframing narratives, advocacy within the government and the public will be more successful at effectively making the case for what peacebuilding is and why it must be centered, integrated, and robustly resourced in strategies, policies, and laws.
Read MoreWhile Congress and key agencies are devoting considerable attention to foreign assistance reforms and there have been some reforms to foreign policy decision-making, successful implementation of the GFA also requires a more concerted effort at reforming the foreign policy decision-making process.
Read MoreAI technology can vastly increase humanity’s capacity to make discoveries through machine learning and coherently summarize numerous text documents. However, AI can also easily generate mis and disinformation at a massive scale and, as a worst-case scenario, support deadly automated weaponry beyond human control. The peacebuilding field needs to raise awareness and educate how AI technology can positively and negatively impact global peace and security, and governments and multilateral organizations must urgently adopt robust AI standards and norms that prevent and reduce violent conflict, violence, and fragility and build sustainable peace. Additionally, peacebuilders should work with the technology sector to develop AI-powered tools that “translate” divisive rhetoric into peaceful language and thus promote social cohesion and peacebuilding.
Read MoreTo successfully implement the GFA, Congress and the Administration must develop a close partnership that requires a robust and regular communications strategy to build trust, share developments, create buy-in, and ensure sustained commitment to the GFA. The GFA offers a much-needed opportunity for the U.S. Government to experiment with programming, which could ultimately be the way ahead beyond the five priority countries and region for U.S. government strategies in conflict affected and fragile states. The Administration and Congress must foster and ensure a close partnership to communicate challenges and successes and what it needs for the GFA to succeed. While there are many bureaucratic, operational, and legal barriers and challenges, Congress can now address the following issues to ensure the successful implementation of the GFA.
Read MoreThe Alliance for Peacebuilding urgently calls lawmakers to action to collectively work together to address grievances across the political spectrum and provide the necessary resources to fund vital programs to prevent and reduce violent conflict and extremism and build sustainable peace in the United States. Peacebuilding organizations across the country are working to address the drivers of increasing violence and extremism in the U.S., and now it is time for Congress to devote sufficient resources to their efforts.
Read MorePreventing and reducing violent conflict and building sustainable peace globally is a bipartisan issue. Congress is leading on adopting practical laws and providing critical peacebuilding and conflict prevention funding. However, more work is needed to ensure peacebuilding and conflict prevention become central pillars and are integrated throughout U.S. foreign diplomacy and development strategies and policies. As the 118th Congress begins its work, it must elevate peacebuilding and conflict prevention and ensure the U.S. government has the ability to innovate, scale what is working, and change what is not. Now, Congress must provide much-needed resources to support partnership with conflict-affected and fragile states to address increasing violent conflict and extremism and promote security—at home and abroad.
Read MoreAs Afghanistan marks one year since the Taliban took control, the humanitarian and human rights situation in the country is devastatingly grim, particularly for Afghan women and girls. Severe food insecurity, an economic crisis, human rights abuses targeting women and girls, and overt gender discrimination have brought Afghanistan to the brink of humanitarian collapse and eroded decades of progress towards development and gender equality. The United States’ withdrawal from Afghanistan and the international community’s shift in attention and resources to the conflict in Ukraine continue to exacerbate the breakdown of safety, rights, and assistance for Afghan women and girls. As this situation further deteriorates, the U.S. must show leadership and take action to mobilize the international community to center gender equality and human rights in all diplomatic, development, peacebuilding, and humanitarian engagement in Afghanistan.
Read MoreThis policy brief outlines the importance of locally-led peacebuilding (LLPB) programming, identifies best practices for working to advance LLPB, and provides recommendations to the Biden Administration, Donors, and Practitioners for its meaningful implementation.
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