Past Events

Polarisation in the Eastern European Neighbourhood – Moldova Case This event has been postponed until: 7 September, 13:00-15:00 (CEST) 13 July, 12:00 – 14:00 CEST   On Thursday, 7 Sept., 2023, the second event within the ‘Polarisation in the Eastern European Neighbourhood’ trajectory will kick off. After the country case on Georgia last month (see report here), this (online) country case session is on Moldova.   Register below if you’re interested in: Unpacking polarisation in Moldova through the lens of the social contract. Perspectives on this topic of two current and former Moldavian politicians. Participating in a discussion with them and each other on ways forward to reduce polarisation in Moldova. The role the EU and partners can play in supporting rule of law and democracy in Moldova   Background In established democracies, extreme ideological differences in a left to right scale between political actors is considered the definition of polarisation. However, in the Eastern European region left to right differences are generally not that pronounced and strong societal divides are based on geo-political orientation (Russia or the West) embedded in the value dimensions of social conservatism and social liberalism.   The war in Ukraine has put further pressure on these divides and increased the levels of polarisation in the region. These strong emotions and more extreme political discourse can lead to increasing isolation of various political actors from one another, making interactions more and more destructive and less conducive to democracy. This therefore enhances the possibility of political crisis and destabilisation in countries in the region and makes overcoming these divides more and more difficult. Thereby threatening both security (foreign interference, violence) and rule of law (politicisation, securitisation).   This session & broader trajectory Amy Eaglestone (researcher at the University of Birmingham) and KPSRL have initiated this event series under the KPSRL Thematic Headline’s subtheme ‘Resilience to Polarisation’, interrogating the specific mechanisms behind polarisation in this region and discussing possible responses from the perspective of the social contract. Moldova is the second of two country cases (the first one being Georgia), after which a roundtable will follow to inform EU-level policy and programming related to support for rule of law and democracy in the Eastern European region.   Register below to join us online on Thursday, 7 September, 2023 from 13:00-15:00 (CEST) via Zoom.   Click here to see the full Concept Note of this session and the broader trajectory.   Agenda Time Session Speaker 13:00 – 13:05 Welcome & summary trajectory Amy Eaglestone 13:05 – 13:10 Introduction speakers   13:10 – 13:20 Applying the ‘social contract frame’ to polarization Christian Kuitert (KPSRL) 13:20 – 13:35 Setting the scene I: polarization in Moldova Dorin Chirtoacă (Leader Liberal Party, Former Mayor Chișinău) 13:35 – 13:50 Setting the scene II: polarization in Moldova Inna Șupac (AIA-NRW, Former-MP Party of Communists) 13:50 – 14:00 Clarifying questions   14:00 – 14:05 Reflections from the ‘social contract’ perspective Christian Kuitert (KPSRL) 14:05 – 14:50 Main discussion   14:50 – 14:55 Extracted recommendations Amy Eaglestone 14:55 – 15:00 Closing Christian Kuitert (KPSRL)  

  Location: Online (Zoom) On 6 September, the fifth ‘Unboxing Localisation’ event takes place. This time, Women’s International Peace Center will take us through their approach to making programming genuinely inclusive to those affected. The objectives of the session are to: ·     Share experiences, lessons learned, best practices, and challenges related to the effective inclusion of the most-affected communities in locally-led programming. -      WIPC will provide specific cases of effective inclusion of the most-affected communities in Burundi, DRC and South Sudan; ·     Identify practical suggestions on how to effectively put most-affected groups in the lead for programming in terms of budgeting, design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation etc.; ·     Look at how donors can integrate such methods into their program design, with the help of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A more detailed agenda will follow soon. French translation will be available in the chat. About the ‘Unboxing Localisation’ trajectory At the Knowledge Platform Annual Conference 2021, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) organized a kick-off meeting for a trajectory to unpack the multi-facetted challenge of localization (recording). After dissecting the challenges ahead, the group agreed to commit to a trajectory that resulted in: A second session to define which subthemes were to be unpacked. Participants preferred focusing on sharing practical tools and practices of operationalizing localisation. A third one on ‘chains of influence’, so how to create space with those ‘up’ the chain for those  ‘down’ the chain from wherever you are within the SRoL sector. A fourth one on concrete ways to measure progress on localization with the help of a measurement framework. This is an invitation-only event. If you would like to participate, please email c.kuitert@kpsrl.org.

The potential for social contract reforms of civic and social movements in authoritarian and hybrid regimes  Organized by: KPSRL, in collaboration with the Group for Research and Information on Peace and Security (GRIP) and the Transnational Institute.  This webinar is an opportunity to explore the relationship between civic and social movements, hybrid and authoritarian regimes, and changes in the social contracts of these countries. Among the questions that will be explored are:   Which movements are most likely to grow and evolve in hybrid and authoritarian regimes?  What results, especially connected to changes in the social contracts, can be expected from social and political movements in such repressive environments or in the presence of pro-authoritarian movements?  How do social and political movements and the people inside them evolve over time?  What are the implications for external support?   Natalia Forrat will set the frame of the conversation by presenting a comparative research on what results social and civic movements are likely to obtain, and which are most likely to grow and be successful in repressive environments. She will introduce two case studies on experiences with social and civil movements in hybrid and authoritarian regimes.   Michel Luntumbue from GRIP will engage in conversation with Floribert Anzuluni of Congolese movement FILIMBI on the experience of civil and social movements that recently responded to West African authoritarian attempts. In the first phase of their emergence, citizens movements in West and Central Africa asserted themselves as protest movements against politicians’ bids for unconstitutional third terms in power. Now, it is interesting to see how these citizens' movements have adapted to continue playing the role of watch dogs of democracy and democratic spaces once their initial battle was over.  Walden Bello, former member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, professor at Binghamton University, professor of sociology and public administration at the University of the Philippines Diliman, and founder founder and chairperson of the left-wing alliance Laban ng Masa. (lit. Fight of the Masses) will share insights in the experience of social and political movements responding to authoritarian reforms prompted by the presence of far right populist movements.  Participants will be invited to engage directly with the presenters in further exploring their perspectives and distilling implications for policy and practice.   Register below to join us online on Monday, 17th July from 14:30-16.00 (CEST) / 13:30-15:00 (BST) online via Zoom.  Click here to check out the Concept Note.

Background Despite their inherent domestic nature, social contracts are, in one way or another, subject to the pressure of external forces, of which interventions aimed at strengthening the said social contracts are a special category. It is undeniable that development cooperation has become a key site of SRL interventions working towards reducing inequalities. In recent years there has been however, a growing concern over the historically embedded power dynamics that underlie international development cooperation. KPAC22 has also highlighted that many programming interventions are rooted in and framed using Western values, lenses, and knowledge systems which hampers ownership and legitimacy of power in non-Western contexts and undervalue local expertise and agency, and ignores history of colonization and other oppressive interactions among states. The latter resulting  in frail and aid dependent social contracts. Within this context, there is need to explore what an Feminist Foreign Policy means in practice for SRoL programming, what effects it might have on  interventions aiming to strengthen social contracts and  what backlash supporting from the exterior a feminist perspective in a given country might cause vis a vis of both national governments and communities. On June 26th 2023, The Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law  will host a conversation on implications of FFP on development cooperation, with a specific emphasis on SRoL programming.  The event will discuss what distinguishes Feminist Foreign Policy from previous (similar) policies and what this policy might look like in practice for SRoL programming. It will highlight the voices of practitioners in SRoL programming and offer policy recommendations on specific adjustments needed to fully operationalize the policy.   Key questions How do we ensure that  FFP enhances women’s rights while also tackling other power relations more holistically, using a rights-based and intersectional understanding(and approach) of feminism? How can an FPP help address pre-existing power dynamics undermining meaningful SRoL programming and policy (and the development cooperation ecosystem as a whole)? How can we operationalize an FFP in the SRoL sector? What ingredients are necessary and what challenges should we be cognizant of? How can we more meaningfully involve civil society organizations (including community-based organizations, women’s groups, youth…) in developing a feminist approach to SRoL? Key discussants 1.     Dr. Jutta Joachim, Senior Lecturer at Radboud University 2.     Fridah Githuku, Executive Director of Groots Kenya 3.     Alejandra Vicente, Head of Law at Redress and member of the GQUAL Secretariat   Register below to join us online on Monday, 26 June from 16:30-18:00 (BST) / 17:30-19.00 (CEST) at The Hague Humanity Hub (Fluwelen Burgwal 58, 2511 CJ Den Haag) or online via Zoom.  Click here to check out the Concept Note.

When & Where International workshop Tuesday 20 June, 16:00-17:30hrs CEST (Amsterdam), 15:00-16:30hrs CET (Tunis). Background Tunisia’s transition process in 2011-2021 saw efforts to expand protections for civil liberties, hold free and fair elections, and elaborate a progressive constitution. Multiple public administration reform initiatives sought to address the significant deficit in public trust in state institutions and reshape the social contract. Initial optimistic expectations and demands for a rapid, radical break with the past came up against institutional resilience and resistance, echoing experiences in other post-authoritarian contexts. A multitude of initiatives, initiated by government and by civil society, centred around notions of accountability, transparency and rule of law, sought to shift relations between citizens and public administration away from hierarchical dyadic exchanges favouring patronage, nepotism and discretion towards institutional rules based on universalistic, clearly defined, legally established rights and procedures that delimit the exercise of public authority. Although almost all Tunisia’s democratic gains have been dismantled in the last two years, its experience of public administration reform merit examination. This online workshop will bring together academics, researchers, and policy makers to discuss the findings of a research project on renegoting the social contract through citizen-facing local public administration reforms in 2011-21. The project is funded by the Knowledge Management Fund of the Dutch Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law and carried out by the Jasmine Foundation in collaboration with The Hague University of Applied Sciences. The workshop will discuss the research findings based on survey data, interviews and focus group discussions. It will explore two specific initiatives that aimed to reshape citizen-state relations at local level through internal and external-facing reforms that sought to introduce greater transparency, accountability and participation in local state institutions. This workshop will discuss these experiences and the merits of adopting an empirically grounded approach to public administration reform that engages with local conflicts, perceptions and dynamics that differ between different localities and regions. The workshop aims is to generate, together with expert panellists and research participants, insights that are relevant to and beyond the Tunisian case. Programme Welcome and introductions Presentation of main research findings and policy recommendations – Dr. Intissar Kherigi, Dr. Sylvia I. Bergh and Dr. Hatem Kahloun Comments by panellists: Prof. Yasmin Khodary, British University in Egypt; Dr. Markus Loewe, German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS); and Prof. Ellen Lust, Gothenburg University Open discussion Conclusion   The workshop will be held mainly in English with English-Arabic/Arabic-English interpretation available.  Please click here for the Concept Note.

On Monday, 19 June 2023, the ‘Polarization in the Eastern European Neighbourhood’ trajectory will kick off with its first (online) country case session on Georgia.  In established democracies, extreme ideological differences in a left to right scale between political actors is considered the definition of polarization. However, in the Eastern European region while left to right differences are generally not that pronounced, strong societal divides exist that are based on geo-political orientation (Russia or the West) embedded in the value dimensions of social conservatism and social liberalism.  The war in Ukraine has put further pressure on these divides and increased the levels of polarization in the region. These strong emotions and more extreme political discourse can lead to increasing isolation of various political actors from one another, making interactions more and more destructive and less conducive to democracy. This therefore enhances the possibility of political crisis and destabilization in countries in the region and makes overcoming these divides more and more difficult. Thereby threatening both security (foreign interference, violence) and rule of law (politicization, securitization).  Amy Eaglestone (researcher at the University of Birmingham) and KPSRL have initiated an event series under the Thematic Headline’s subtheme ‘Resilience to Polarization’, interrogating the specific mechanisms behind polarization in this region and discussing possible responses from the perspective of the social contract. Georgia will be the first of two country cases (the second one being Moldova), after which a roundtable will follow to inform EU-level policy and programming related to support for rule of law and democracy in the Eastern European region.  Register below to join us online on Tuesday, 19th June from 12:00-14.00 (CEST) online via Zoom. Click here to check out the Concept Note.    

This webinar is an opportunity to bring together and discuss the practical implications of three strands of research on the balance of consent and repression that sustain social contracts in Authoritarian regimes, being conducted at Clingendael, the Freedom House, and the Institute for Integrated Transitions. Natalia Forrat (Freedom House and University of Michigan) will share two social roots of authoritarianism: union and division. It will use a case study of four Russian regions to discuss the tools that autocrats use to build their regimes from grassroots. Erwin Van Veen (Clingendael) will present 'shades of authoritarianism’ in the Middle East with a focus on the use of ideology, clientelism, and the security apparatus to maintain control in the face of mounting development needs, popular dissatisfaction, and protest. Alejandro Urrutia (Institute for Integrated Transitions) will present his ongoing research on ‘The Scope for Dialogue Between Civic and State Security Actors in Hybrid Regime Contexts' and discuss 1) the typical sources of resilience of hybrid regimes; 2) the mechanisms used by ruling parties to gain control or secure the loyalty of security forces; and 3) how civic and democratic forces can overcome common dilemmas when attempting to engage and dialogue with state security actors in such contexts. Participants to the webinar will be invited to engage directly with researchers to identify the most relevant implications for policy and practice. Register below to join us online on Tuesday, 13th June from 13:30-15:00 (BST) / 14:30-16.00 (CEST) online via Zoom. Click here to check out the Concept Note.

This webinar is an opportunity for student researchers from Myanmar to share their findings from their research projects about the social contract of citizenship after the 2021 coup in Myanmar. It will also launch the webpage that showcases their work. Supported by the Knowledge Management Fund, the project was designed to shift traditional power dynamics and recognize the researchers as the experts with local knowledge best placed to influence the trajectory of developments in their communities. International participants will also be able to engage directly with researchers working in fragile and conflict affected settings in Myanmar and refugee areas. For the wider security and rule of law community, the webinar will provide space to learn, via a concrete example, how conflict affected youth can articulate their changing relationship with the state. Register below to join us online on Wednesday, 10 May from 13:00-14:30 (BST) / 14:00-15.30 (CEST) / 18.30 - 20:00 (MMT) online via Zoom. Click here to check out the Concept Note. Click here to view the graphic recording of the event, by Claudia Meier.

When & Where The event will be held on 2 May from 17:30 - 19:00 at the Cafe Utopie Den Haag. This event does require registration, so that we may have an accurate estimate of the number of attendees. Please register here.   Background Join us for our latest Fireside Peace Chats event, co-hosted by Leiden University College, on 2 May. These events are informal, intimate discussions with global expert peacebuilders. We are delighted to invite you to a special event, “European Strategic Autonomy and a Rising China: Can Europe serve as a peace preserver between the US and China?” This event will be an informal, intimate exchange where attendees are encouraged to actively engage in discussion with each other and our guest speaker, Michael Swaine from the Quincy Institute of Responsible Statecraft. Joining us as a discussant, we also welcome Xiaoxue Martin, Research Fellow at the Clingendael China Centre. Throughout the discussion, Swaine will be discussing practical and relevant issues in Chinese international relations including; The concept of strategic autonomy in Europe as it relates to China and the US The ‘Taiwan issue’ and addressing speculated parallels with Russia’s war on Ukraine Supply chain pressures; production semi-conductors   Guest speaker Michael Swaine is one of the most prominent American scholars of Chinese security studies and has extensive experience working with US and Chinese government and military officials and scholars. Swaine was previously at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and the RAND Corporation. He advises the US government on Asian security issues, has authored and edited more than a dozen books and monographs, and directed for nearly two decades, along with Iain Johnston of Harvard University, a multi-year crisis prevention project with Chinese partners.

Description We invite you to join our discussion on Thursday, 13 April from 13:00-14:30 (CEST) to unpack the Analytical Paper written from last year's findings regarding the KPSRL Thematic Headline 'Reimagining Social Contracts'. The goal of this conversation is to kick off the thematic focus of 2023: Toward Just Social Contracts, whereby we aim to transition from conceptual thinking to operationalization. Joined by researchers, Brenton Peterson & Manar Zaki from Consilient Research and the Sababi Institute in Somaliland, we will hear about a project funded by the Knowledge Management Fund that showcases an example of how to operationalize the concept of a social contract. This case study looks at customary justice systems led by clan elders in Somaliland, and questions the feasibility of its long-term value and legitimacy in the (inter-)national arena.   Goals Unpack the analytical paper on last year’s findings regarding the Thematic Headline ‘Reimagine Social Contracts’ Presentation of the ’23 subthemes, operationalizing last year’s theme of social contracts (1) Participatory and inclusive social contracts, (2) Authoritarian social contracts and the security sector and (3) Resilience to polarization Announce already planned KPSRL events Show an example of what ‘operationalizing’ our thematic headline of strengthening social contracts looks like Map interest of the KPSRL network to contribute to this Thematic Headline throughout 2023 Background In 2022, the network of the Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law (KPSRL) unpacked its Thematic Headline ‘Reimagine Social Contracts’. This theme a.o. guided a kick-off webinar, a window of the Knowledge Management Fund (KMF) and the Annual Conference (KPAC22). The findings throughout the year have been bundled in an analytical paper. Through an online survey, the KPSRL network expressed an eagerness to unpack this complex theme further, moving from concepts to operationalization. To do so, during this event we jointly unpack the analytical paper and the more specific subthemes to dive into in 2023. Speakers Giorgio Ferrari, Learning Officer for KPSRL Consilient Research, Manar Zaki & Brenton Peterson Agenda We will first set the scene by discussing the analytical paper about 2022 and the subsequent sub-themes for 2023: (1) Participatory and inclusive social contracts, (2) Authoritarian social contracts and the security sector and (3) Resilience to polarization. Afterwards, Consilient Research shares their case, showing an example of how to operationalize the concept of a social contract. After a Q@A on these presentations, the participants are split into break-out groups per sub-theme. There, they (1) share examples of important research, conferences, projects, policy trends etc. on that subtheme and (2) indicate how KPSRL and its network can contribute in the coming year.   Time Topic Contributor 13:00 – 13:05 Welcome & background Christian Kuitert 13:05 – 13:20 The analytical paper & sub-themes Giorgio Ferrari 13:20 – 13:35 Operationalizing the social contract Consilient Research 13:30 – 13:45 Plenary questions - 13:45 – 14:10 Group discussions per subtheme - 14:10 – 14:25 Feedback plenary - 14:25 – 14:30 Next steps Sever Dzigurski      

Join us for our latest Fireside Peace Chats event, co-hosted by Leiden University College, on 21 March. These events are informal, intimate discussions with global expert peacebuilders. Join us in hearing Fr Dionysius Mintoff from Malta on how to work for peace at the global level. Fr Mintoff will share his thoughts on how to address the key challenge faced by the world. He will announce the International Laboratory for Peace in The Hague that will focus on dialogue, education and practical solutions for peace. Walk-in registrations are welcome! Simply arrive at the location, Leiden University College Floor 1. In 2010 Fr Mintoff was awarded the inaugural FI Human Rights Award in Geneva, Switzerland and is a co-founder of Franciscans International. His Peace Lab was founded in Malta in 1971 with a mission for peace education. Today it also acts as a sanctuary for refugees and is a place of learning, inclusion, and acceptance regardless of personal beliefs. Programme:  17:30-19:00 Dialogue  Welcome Remarks by Robert Micallef, Lecturer Leiden University Key Note Intervention: Fr Dionysius Mintoff, Founder of Peace Lab Reflections and Q&A: Dr. Maja Vodopovic, Assistant Professor, Leiden University Fr. Dionysius Mintoff established the Pope John XIII Peace Laboratory in 1971, following an appeal made by Pope John XXIII, who called for the world to reflect on peace. “As a Franciscan, and a Maltese who has personally seen the outcomes of war, I decided to open a space that advocates for peace education in Malta” he explained some years ago in an interview. And it is no secret that Fr. Mintoff had been hoping to personally welcome the Pope and show him around, during the Apostolic Visit to Malta that had been scheduled for 31 May 2020 and was postponed due to the pandemic. The Peace Lab runs an extensive adult education programme. It has its headquarters at Hal Far, a site that was originally part of the HalFar airfield which saw intensive air combats during World War II.

How do we capture progress on our ambitions to work more localized and do we indeed see that such ways of working lead to better results? NEAR will share its Localisation Performance Measurement Framework, after which an in-country partner (NAHAB), an INGO (consultant Patrick Crump) and a donor (NL MFA) reflect on its applicability. Of course, there will also be plenty of room for you to share your views and initiatives on this theme with the other participants. Click here to download the agenda in English and click here to download the agenda in French. This is an invitation-only event. If you would like to participate, please email c.kuitert@kpsrl.org.  

Join us for our latest Fireside Peace Chats event, co-hosted by Leiden University College, on February 22nd. These events are informal, intimate discussions with global expert peacebuilders. The event focuses on the geopolitics of peace & conflict and decolonizing the debate on religion and peace & conflict. The speaker will focus on Sri Lanka as a case study with possibilities for comparative conflict analysis with Northern Ireland and Korea as well. No registration is required! Simple arrive at the location, Leiden University College Floor 1, for a welcoming, educational, and informal atmosphere to learn about and discuss peacebuilding and decolonization. Jude Lal Fernando is Associate Professor at the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies at Trinity College, University of Dublin. He is the director of Trinity Centre for Post-Conflict Justice. His latest publications are Resistance to Empire and Militarization: Reclaiming the Sacred ( 2021) and Faith in the Face of Militarization: Indigenous, Feminist and Interreligious Voices ( 2022). He has been a visiting professor in Tampere University in Finland, Uppsala University in Sweden and Ritsukeikan and Sophia Universities in Japan. He is the Coordinator of the People's Tribunal on Sri Lanka ( Dublin, Bremen and Berlin Tribunals) and lives in exile in Ireland due to his opposition to war against the Tamils in Sri Lanka.

Background For the past decade, addressing the root causes of conflict and irregular migration through ’’bottom up’’ civil society engagement and fragile states has been a priority for Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). The Addressing Root Causes fund(ARC fund-2016-2021) has been the latest centrally managed tender program that the MFA’s department for Stabilization and Humanitarian Aid (DSH) has launched and managed to this effect. Beyond implementation, the ARC program had the ambition to build a community of practice in which members take collective responsibility for learning, reflect on common challenges, encourage innovation and develop a repertoire of collective resources (experiences, stories, tools etc.). Building from lessons learned as part of ARC implementation and learning related endeavors, regional learning symposiums have been organized by ARC partners in May 2022, in order to capitalize on experience from peace, security and justice programs through collaborative learning and knowledge sharing, to establish shared understanding on lessons learned and best practice, as well as analyze challenges and opportunities on dealing with addressing root causes of conflict and insecurity in the Great Lakes Region, Horn of Africa and Sahel Region. Building from the said regional events, a global closing event will be organized in The Hague on December 7th and 8th, 2022 by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (BZ), the Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law (KPSRL) and ARC partners. The global event will offer space to discuss common lessons which can be learned across programs and how they could be fed into portfolio reflection for future programming and policy. Click here to download the full Concept Note. When The event will take place over two days, on December 7th and 8th, 2022.  Where On December 7th, sessions will be held online from 9:00AM to 1:15PM Hague Time. On December 8th,  sessions will be held in-person in The Hague at Beeld en Geluid from 9:00AM to 5:00PM; with the possibility to participate remotely.

Fireside Peace Chats series are informal, intimate chats with peacebuilders who have either lived in for an extended period of time or are from conflict-affected environments. This is the first event kicking off the series. Dr. Randall Puljek-Shank has more than 20 years of experience in peacebuilding in the Western Balkans in programme design, implementation, training, evaluation, and research. Randall holds a PhD in Political Science from the Radboud University Nijmegen. His doctoral research deepened his interest in the intersection of civil society and politics of ethnically divided societies.

News We're going hybrid again! On 20 October, 2022, we are thrilled to be able to welcome our participants in-person at a beautiful venue, the Louwman Museum, in The Hague, as well as online through our virtual venue.  Click here to view this year's program. Click here to view this year's Program Timetable. Click here to check out the virtual venue that we built last year. Click here to view this year's Concept Note. About the Conference The Knowledge Platform Annual Conference #KPAC22 is the Platform's signature event that brings together our vibrant community for thought-provoking discussions. This year will be our 10th Annual Conference, and as in previous years, we invite representatives from national and international governments and policy organs, think-thanks, journalists, INGO practitioners, activists, diplomats, and field researchers from around the globe to join us. These diverse actors assemble each year with a singular aim: to present their latest projects and freshest ideas, and engage their peers to learn and improve security and justice policy and programs. This year's theme is Reimagining Social Contracts. What is the glue that holds societies together? In the Western tradition of political thought, the answer is often the ‘social contract’: citizens giving up part of their freedom in exchange for a stake in society and collective services. That contract is a fiction; there is no such document, and every societal arrangement has its own history and form. Humans were never free and unbound in the state of nature. However, it is a useful fiction. It provides us with a common language for the ‘bigger picture’ of what is fair and just; who gets what and who provides it. Using this fiction, we see how many countries struggle in coming to inclusive, legitimate and sustainable societal arrangements. Simultaneously, we see that international interveners struggle to achieve their aims because of factors linked to broader societal arrangements or due to the application of Western ideas in societies with different a ideological background, culture or history. Reflecting on this, the Knowledge Platform Security & Rule of Law (KPSRL) community indicated the need to Reimagine Social Contracts. This means supporting indigenous solutions and community responses to Security & Rule of Law (SRoL) arrangements and reflecting on the role Western actors play in doing so. Our use of the verb ‘reimagining’ includes a series of interconnected moments and actions, although in practice never chronological nor separate. Three key points of reimagining are envisioned to constitute the ‘flow of the day’ for KPAC22 and are thus central in our call for contributions: Reinvent, Rearrange & Renegotiate. Please read the full Concept Note to learn more. Attention all artists, artivists, creatives, dreamers: we are calling on you to share creative expressions of - or contributions towards - reimagining social contracts. In the lead up to the big day, we are unpacking what social contracts actually are and what reimagining can look like. One of the ways we are doing this is through a this call for contributions to artistically interpret what Reimagining Social Contracts can mean. There are two ways to respond to this call: 1) sharing an art piece that you created yourself; 2) sharing an art piece made by someone else that you appreciate and resonate with, that inspired you or others to reimagine social arrangements and relations. For example, think of a song that became an anthem of a protest, a street art that connected conflicted communities, a poem about security or performance for reconciliation. To submit a piece, you should simply share your post on LinkedIn or Twitter (Instagram coming soon), tagging us along with the hashtag: #InspiREimagine. If the piece you’re sharing is your original, please add the 2nd hashtag: #MyLens. Artwork submitted by 30 September will be displayed and shared at our Annual Conference, and the original art piece that generates the most likes on social media during the voting period 1-10 October will win a small prize. We encourage you to explore all different kinds of mediums: audio, visual, movement, and more. Our Secretariat team will also be sharing some of our own ideas and interpretations – so be sure to follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter (Instagram coming soon)! Please help us disseminate this call and… let’s get creative!

Context: Unpacking KPSRL Thematic Headline Towards KPAC22 In the run-up to our KPSRL Annual Conference (‘KPAC22’) in October, KPSRL wants to start unpacking this year’s thematic headline of ‘Reimagining Social Contracts’. The idea for such an ‘unpacking trajectory’ is firstly exploring the concept itself in this kick-off webinar, after which we further apply it to more specific subthemes in subsequent events or deliverables. The Kick-Off Webinar On Tuesday 12 July (14:30 – 16:00 CEST), we will host our kick-off webinar in order to: (1) unpack the uses of the concept of a ‘social contract’ for the Security & Rule of Law sector. (2) gather input from our community on possible contributions to the other ‘unpacking activities’. In the webinar, we suggest to explore the usefulness (and redundancy) of the lens of social contracts for SRoL: how is such a concept useful in contexts with limited state capacity and/or intra-elite competition? What can or should Western SRoL actors learn from ‘non-Western’ ideas of social contracts? And how can this lens help us to reimagine security and rule of law arrangements, or SRoL interventions? Do we see recent (regional) trends of how (re)negotiations of social contracts take form? We do that by looking at the Middle East and North Africa region, with the help of these two discussants: Amal Bourhrous works for SIPRI, where she worked on several reports on social contracts in the MENA region (namely Libya, Iraq and Lebanon) from several angles. A.o., this entails a paper on protests across the region, the (ethno)sectarian political systems in Iraq and Lebanon, and an exploration of how Iraqis envision a reimagined social contract. Laila Al-Zwaini will bring in her experience as an Arabist and legal expert, researching ‘non-Western’ concepts of citizenship, civil, civility and civilization (madaniya) and non-western forms of key services for a social contract (shari’a law) – concepts that can provoke the SRoL community to think beyond its western-oriented state principles. Agenda It will be a 90 minutes session where two discussants kick off the conversation in a moderated, 35 minute conversation during which there will already be moments where the KPSRL community can join in. However, the remaining time is specifically dedicated for discussion amongst the audience.  

On May 2nd, KPSRL supports Civil Society Platform for Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (CSPPS) and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in their launch of a learning trajectory on 'Unboxing Localisation for SDG16+'. The aim is to provide strategic and practical input for localisation policy and programming through an exploratory and iterative co-creation process between relevant actors within the NL MFA, CSPPS/Cordaid, and external, linked (Southern) civil society organisations and partners in the realm of SDG16+. A central goal is learning from Southern partners in what practical ways donors and INGOs can support them best in doing their work. If you are interested in attending, please email Christian Kuitert (c.kuitert@kpsrl.org).

La jeunesse africaine est devenue un acteur collectif majeur des transformations sociopolitiques survenues sur le continent, souvent par ses engagements pacifiques en faveur de sociétés plus inclusives et plus démocratiques, au-delà du formalisme institutionnel. Ces jeunes, ouverts sur le monde et utilisant les réseaux sociaux pour s'exprimer et nouer des alliances, réclament non seulement un accès aux opportunités et aux meilleures conditions socio-économiques, ils incarnent surtout de nouvelles façons de faire et de vivre la politique. Un processus d'institutionnalisation des revendications a pris la forme de mouvements citoyens structurés, comme «Y'en a marre» au Sénégal, «Le Balai Citoyen» en Burkina Faso, ou "Filimbi" et "Lucha" en RD Congo. Michel Luntumbue et Claire Kupper présenteront leur livre électronique (E-Book) : «Jeunesse africaine, fracture générationnelle et réinvention du lien politique en Afrique subsaharienne ». Quatre acteurs de la société civile africaine, militants de mouvements citoyens emblématiques, réagiront à cette présentation et partageront leurs points de vue sur les perspectives des nouvelles formes d’engagement des jeunesses africaines dans les luttes pour des changements politiques. Cette table ronde virtuelle est organisée dans le cadre d’un projet du GRIP répondant à l’appel d’offre du Knowledge Management Fund (KMF), dont l’objectif est de soutenir des initiatives innovantes qui contribuent à améliorer les connaissances dans le domaine de la sécurité et du renforcement de l'Etat de droit, en particulier dans les contextes fragiles et touchés par les conflits.

Although the situation in Afghanistan is not dominating the headlines as it did by the end of last year, the effects on both security and especially the humanitarian situation are still ongoing. KPSRL previously held a closed roundtable whereby SRoL experts gave input to the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs on how to keep supporting the SRoL situation in Afghanistan. Now, it’s important to involve the whole KPSRL community to broaden that discussion in an open webinar, by linking it to SRoL (development cooperation) challenges in other contexts - with the Sahel as an urgent focus. Dutch researcher Dr. Willemijn Verkoren will first share her perspective, given her research experiences on conflict, security and preventing violent extremism - culminating into her recent book ‘Out Of The Spiral Of Violence’ and her recent position paper to Dutch Parliament on the situation in Afghanistan. Afterward, Dr. Niagalé Bagayoko will complement those reflections from an African Security Sector perspective, given her role as chair of the African Security Sector Network. As always with KPSRL, there will be plenty of time for the audience to step into the discussion, share their experiences and ask questions to our two guests.

On Thursday, November 18th, KPSRL facilitates a roundtable where a group of experts on Afghanistan will step into dialogue with policy makers from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Given the recent turnover of power in Afghanistan, the aim is to identify which long-term implications should be further investigated - both for Security & Rule of Law (SRoL) in Afghanistan and its implications for the SRoL sector more broadly. If you have any questions or interest in this event, please email Christian Kuitert (c.kuitert@kpsrl.org).

Sessions & Timetable Please click here for the Conference timetable and check out all of our sessions! About the Conference The Knowledge Platform Annual Conference #KPAC21 is the Platform's signature event that brings together our vibrant community for thought-provoking discussions. This year will be our 9th Annual Conference, and as in previous years, we invite representatives from national and international governments and policy organs, think-thanks, journalists, INGO practitioners, activists, diplomats, and field researchers from around the globe to join us. These diverse actors assemble each year with a singular aim: to present their latest projects and freshest ideas, and engage their peers to learn and improve security and justice policy and programs. This year's theme is Asymmetric Power. The KPSRL community has become increasingly vocal about seizing this moment of upheaval to redress asymmetric power structures. While the sector has long been preoccupied with inequality and injustice in societies, pressure has been mounting to address unequal power distribution within the peace and development sector itself. Rallying cries have risen around ‘decolonizing aid’, radical flexibility in financing and accountability, and donor commitments to affirm transformative resilience and strengthen the localization of support. These encouraging aspirations, however, must attend to legacies of exclusion, inequality and asymmetry; not only within societies, but also within SRoL and development partnerships.   Click here to download the full concept note. News To gain access to the KPSRL Annual Conference you will have to show your EU Digital COVID Certificate (DCC) to demonstrate your vaccination status upon arrival at the venue. Please make sure that you have the following ready when arriving onsite: • Your photo ID • Digital COVID Certificate proof of vaccination, recovery or 24hr negative test result Please click here for a more detailed description of our COVID-19 safety regulations for KPAC21. Keynote Speaker This year, we are honored to welcome Séverine Autesserre to the KPSRL Annual Conference 2021 as our Keynote Speaker. Dr. Autesserre is an award-winning author, peacebuilder, and researcher, as well as a Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University. She is the author of The Frontlines of Peace, Peaceland, and The Trouble with the Congo, in addition to articles for publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, and Foreign Policy.  Please click here to read her full bio.  

In her new book, The Frontlines of Peace, Séverine Autesserre sheds light on how typical aid interveners have been getting it wrong, and—more importantly—how a few of them have been getting it right. Based off her own experiences from across the globe, Autesserre reveals that peace can grow in the most unlikely circumstances. She tells the stories of the ordinary, yet extraordinary individuals and communities that have found effective ways to confront violence. By detailing the concrete, everyday actions that make a difference on the ground, Autesserre challenges prevailing wisdom about war, peacekeeping, and conflict resolution. She shows that we must radically change our approach if we hope to build lasting peace around us—whether we live in Congo, the United States, or elsewhere. Join us for an intimate discussion with the author for a book reading and signing event in The Hague on October 13th, the day before the KPSRL Annual Conference. You can purchase her book by clicking this link, or buy one at the event itself. This event is co-hosted by the KPSRL & The American Book Centre in The Hague. Please note that the seats for this event are limited, so registration will happen on a first come, first serve basis. Registrants will be contacted leading up to the event with more information about COVID-19 safety precautions and details about the event.

Background From 2016-2020, the Department for Stabilization and Humanitarian Aid (DSH) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs managed five Dialogue and Dissent Strategic Partnerships, for lobbying and advocacy purposes, together with CARE Nederland, CORDAID, GPPAC, NIMD and PAX. All programs have been evaluated, which led to interesting insights on what the programs delivered, how the partnership worked, and what the challenges have been. A meta-analysis exercise focusing on some relevant findings and conclusions of the evaluations is currently being conducted to find out whether some common lessons can be learned across the programs. The exercise also aims to determine how such lessons can also be used for the new partnerships of DSH under Power of Voices, possible new (SRoL) policies, the Theory of Change and finally for portfolio management. The meta-analysis aims to be a joint exercise of Dialogue and Dissent partner organizations and the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, under the technical facilitation of the Knowledge Platform Security and Rule of Law. Building from the results of the meta-analysis exercise, a sense-making workshop to discuss key findings will be held on September 15th, 2021. Participants will dive deep into the meta-analysis findings and discuss recommendations and the uptake process for future programming and policy-making. Please click here to download the full concept note. Guiding Questions How was learning embedded in the programs (TOC development, learning agenda development, learning agenda implementation)? How and to what extent did this lead to (good practices of) adaptive programming in fragile contexts? What were the challenges and what contribution did adaptive programming have on better results? How did the (strategic nature of the) partnership concept work, with specific attention to the role that MFA HQs and the embassies played?; including on how an enabling environment was created for learning and adaptation. Registration In case of questions, please send an email to Giorgio Ferrari at G.Ferrari@kpsrl.org or Messina Laurette MANIRAKIZA at M.Manirakiza@kpsrl.org.