This roundtable  concerns current issues in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). It shall focus on how protection is and might further be integrated across responses inside and outside the OPT. The UN's recent consolidated response refers to a protection crisis with serious and negative humanitarian consequences brought about by lack of respect for international law in OPT. How can advocacy be further strengthened as part of this response?

12.30: Arrival, tea/coffee

12.45 Hamed Qawasmeh, UN OHCHR OPT

13.15 Jane Backhurst, EAPPI UK/Ire, South Hebron Hills, OPT

13.40 Discussion and Q&A

15.00 Conclusions and close

Please arrive in time for tea/coffee, fruit, and feel free to bring your “brown bag lunch”/packed lunch.

Click here to download the invitation.

For more information or to register your participation, please contact EAAPI.

Background

The Journal of Peacebuilding and Development is calling for papers for V7N3, to be published in December 2012. JPD is a tri-annual refereed journal providing a forum for the sharing of critical thinking and constructive action on issues at the intersections of conflict, development, and peace. Housed at the Kroc School of Peace Studies at the University of San Diego, JPD develops theory-practice and South-North dialogues, foregrounding qualitative methodologies that highlight the micro, hidden impacts of dominant policies and practices, striving to advance innovation and effectiveness. This special issue will endeavor to capture and examine critical issues and questions on the topic of Infrastructure for Peace (I4P). 

While a relatively new concept, I4P is quickly gaining recognition for its importance as the standing infrastructure and capabilities for peacebuilding and prevention. These can take many forms at different levels: community-based through national civil society (local peace committees, national peace forums, etc.), governments (Ministries and Departments for Peace, Peace Secretariats, Peace Councils), and regional and international organizations (BCPR, MSU, PBC, PSO within the UN system, the Good Offices Section in the Commonwealth Secretariat). I4P also includes capabilities of peacebuilding and prevention, i.e. early warning systems, training institutes and academies, and traditional community-based conflict-handling capabilities.

The special issue is especially interested in articles that explore how I4Ps function, drawing lessons from practical experiences which can contribute to improved policy and practice. It aims to advance thinking around the role, value and contribution of I4P to peacebuilding (including also prevention and post-war recovery). The editors encourage authors to focus on comparative case studies, and examination of I4P at different levels (local, national, regional, international). Other specific themes of interest include: the role of I4P in prevention, and in particular evidence that is emerging through practical cases that illustrate results and impact; how I4P engages and fosters local and national ownership, rooting peacebuilding capabilities within communities, countries and regions; and gender and I4P. 

You can download the Call for Papers here.

For more information or to send abstracts/papers, please contact: Martha Garcia, Managing Editor, by e-mail to: jpd.production@gmail.com.