south-south peace & development thinkers · 2018-10-08 · sultain qaboos university, oman....

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SSC Peace & Development Team – August 2018 The mapping exercise and report was developed by Cecilia Milesi & Lauren Hess (UNOSSC)

United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation - UNOSSC

United Nations Office for

South-South Cooperation -

UNOSSCevelopment Team – August 2018 The mapping and report was undertaken by Cecilia Milesi & Lauren Hess (UNOSSC)

SOUTH-SOUTH PEACE & DEVELOPMENT THINKERS

MAPPING EXERCISE - PHASE 1: GROUP FORMATION

+1 212 646 5493

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+1 212 646 5493

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+1 212 646 5493

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[email protected]

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South-South Peace & Development Thinkers

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INDEX I. Executive Summary ...................................................................................... 2

Why a group of global South Thinkers on Peace & Development?......................2

Brief background & programmatic info…………………………………….......………………..2

Formation process & purpose of group……………………….…………………………………..3

Summary results………………………………………………………………………………………………3

II. Findings: A cross-regional community of practice on peace & development

global south thinkers .................................................................................... 4

1. Who joins and why……….………………………………………………………………………………………..4

Which Global South think-tanks form the P&D group today?..............................5

Regional spread and research focus………………………………………………………………… 6

Gaps identified……………………………………………………………………………………7

What existing think-tanks networks are represented?.........................................7

Gaps identified…………………………………………………………………………………….7

Interest in joining………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Patterns identified……………………………………………………………………………….8

Perceptions of relevant and potential impact…………………………………………………… 9

Patterns identified……………………………………………………………………………….9

Gaps identified…………………………………………………………………………………….9

2. What: Research focus…………………………………………………………………………………………….10

Research focus as described by think-tanks themselves…………………………………..10

Patterns……………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Examples of publications………………………………………………………………………………….11

Research methods……………………………………………………………………………………………12

Policy-influencing activities………………………………………………………………………………12

Gaps identified…………………………………………………………………………………..12

Facilitation experience……………………………………………………………………………………..13

Gaps identified…………………………………………………………………………………..13

Previous collaboration with UN entities…………………………………………………………..13

Patterns identified……………………………………………………………………………..13

3. Brief conclusion & next steps………………………………………………………………………………14

4. ANNEX 1: South-South Peace & Development Thinkers: Introductions


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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

WHY A GROUP OF GLOBAL SOUTH THINKERS ON PEACE & DEVELOPMENT?

“The peace, development and security Global South thinkers group” is formed with the aim to amplify the visibility, voice and influence of Southern proposals and alternatives for sustainable

peace. It will do so by producing and sharing research and evidence-based policy analysis and recommendations regarding the “peace, development and security nexus” across regions and by

engaging with state and non-state actors -including member countries, regional blocs, multilateral organizations, UN agencies and other key stakeholders- working to prevent and transform conflict.

We understand that this is especially relevant in the current global climate where conflicts

and man-made humanitarian crises are on the rise and when locally-relevant, innovative and effective Southern-led solutions and alternatives to positive peace are required to create contexts of dignity, justice and peace for all. With this in mind, and building on the successful experience of the South-South Global Thinkers: the Global Coalition of Think Tank Networks for South-South Cooperation – a joint UNOSSC – UNDP collective initiative which brings together more than 200 think-tanks from the Global South-, the

UNOSSC “Peace & Development Programme” is facilitating the formation of the specialized group.

BRIEF BACKGROUND & PROGRAMMATIC INFO

In late 2016, UNOSSC and UNDP partnered to establish the South-South Global Thinkers: the Global Coalition of Think Tank Networks for South-South Cooperation. As of today, the Global Coalition

brings together more than 200 Global South think-tanks, academic institutions and organizations that have a strong research component. This initiative allows think- tank networks to better connect with

each other in order to collectively address multi-disciplinary challenges, and to find channels to inform and influence the global development agenda on SSC and TrC through the development of frontier

research and knowledge.

Between 2016 and 2017, UNOSSC received demand from various countries, regional groups to more proactively engage in promotion on SSC on peace and development. At the same time, there were an expanding portfolio of nascent collaboration with other UN agencies focusing on peace, conflict and

humanitarian crisis - notably the Department of Political Affairs (DPA) and OCHA. At the same time, UNOSSC’s mandate was extended to include the coordination and integration of SSC across the UN system with the aim to increase the quality and quantity of SSC work.

UNOSSC identified the importance of “peace and development” as a core strategic area of

work essential for the achievement of the SDGs. UNOSSC understands that South-South and triangular

cooperation principles and approaches can greatly contribute to promote positive peace.

Consequently, in March 2018, UNOSSC established a dedicated expert team with the task to devise a

bespoke and holistic programme focusing on promoting SSC on peace and development, in

https://www.ssc-globalthinkers.org/



https://www.unsouthsouth.org/our-work/knowledge-and-advisory-services/south-south-cooperation-on-peace-and-development/





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consultation and in partnership with other specialized UN agencies, Global South countries and

regional blocs, academia and civil society actors, including think-tanks.

One key programmatic milestone is the creation of this specialized “peace, development”

group within the Global Coalition of Southern Think-Tank Networks for South-South Cooperation

FORMATION PROCESS AND PURPOSE OF THIS REPORT

This report presents the results to the invitation to join shared with all current networks of Global South thinkers (phase 1 of this project as per the concept note). Those who accepted the invitation, completed a survey assessing the scope of research currently undertaken by them.

SUMMARY RESULTS

10 think-tanks from across Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East indicated their interest in joining. Unfortunately, there is no representation from Asia, and there is

potential for greater sub-regional representation and target countries in other regions. Expanding representation should be a key focus of this group going forward.

Think-tanks are interested in joining the group as a means for better representation and visibility of Global South voices and perspectives as well as a conduit for meaningful policymaking in their respective regions and beyond.

The think-tanks cover a relevant range of peace and development research areas. They are actively involved in policymaking and facilitate learning and training in their respective countries/ regions, including of diplomats and government and CSOs experts.

There is currently limited collaboration across Global South regions - with organizations mainly focusing in their countries/ region. Further coordination with specialized UN

agencies is considered an opportunity for deeper engagement and impact

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1IoRBsIshhvGdWZrBWcb1qK6zaJJ_vMKW


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II. FINDINGS: A CROSS-REGIONAL COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE OF

PEACE & DEVELOPMENT GLOBAL SOUTH THINKERS

1. WHO JOINS AND WHY

10 Global South think-tanks indicated that they want to join the thematic groupi.

Think-tanks are based in various countries in Latin America, Middle East, and Africa are part

of 5 current Global South Think Tank Networks. They conduct research, take part in policy influencing

initiatives, and facilitate capacity building activities beyond the borders of their own countries . For

example, SAIIA undertakes research in relation to peace and development across African countries and

explores the role and impact of Chinese, Turkish and other global powers and regional blocs in peace

and conflict within the region. Similarly, ILAIPP and the Global South Unit for Mediation (housed within

the BRICS Policy Center) conduct research regarding various national and sub-regional peace and

development challenges, policies and processes across Latin America and Africa.

Members are committed to turning their research into tangible policy outcomes; ensuring

that their work improves the lives of people within their respective regions. For example, Espacio

Publico, a think-tank based in Chile, consciously aims to make their research accessible beyond ‘elite’

policy circles in Latin America.

Think-tanks such as ASIES, Grupo FARO and REPOA recognize the importance of unity and

knowledge exchange for peace promotion within the Global South. Although all three have made

contributions to discussions in Central America, Latin America and Africa, respectively, their willingness

to engage with partners embodies the principles of South-South cooperation.

The range of experience indicated by members such as Oxfam and the Center for the Study

of African Economies (who have both noted the alignment of their previous research with this thematic

group) create the perfect opportunity for newer think-tanks, such as MENAPAR to collaborate while

sharing new and dynamic research such as indigenous peacebuilding initiatives.

The point of this mapping exercise is to expand and, between the time of the initial mapping and the

release of this report, some new think-tanks indicated interest in joining. One such think-tank is Sultan

Qaboos University. Therefore, while they are included in the membership of the South-South Peace &

Development thinkers group, their organisation did not participate in the initial mapping exercise.

In the following points, we present detailed information about the members above and who

will join the group during this initial phase.


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Which Global South think-tanks join the P&D group today?

ASIES, Guatemala & LatAm

www.asies.org.gt

BRICS Policy Center, Brazil & LatAm

www.bricspolicycenter.org

Center for the Study of Economies in Africa

cseaafrica.org

Espacio Publico, Chile & LatAm

www.espaciopublico.cl

Grupo FARO, Ecuador & LatAm

https://www.grupofaro.org/

ILAIPP, LatAm

https://ilaipp.org

MENAPAR, Bahrain & MENA

www.menapar.org

Oxfam, South Africa & Global

https://www.oxfam.org/en

REPOA, Tanzania & Sub-Saharan Africa

www.repoa.or.tz

SAIIA, South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa

www.saiia.org.za

Sultain Qaboos University, Oman


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Regional spread and research focus

In the graph below we present information as to where the think-tanks are based. As

mentioned above, there are representation from various countries Latin America, Africa, and the

Middle East. In the point “Gaps identified” we initially outline how the group representation could be

improved as well as other interesting findings which will guide our programming together with the

group.

Middle East & North Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa

Latin América

Bahrain

Oman

Middle East

Brazil

Chile

Ecuador

South America

Guatemala

Central America

Tanzania

East Africa

Nigeria

West Africa

South Africa

Southern Africa


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Gaps identified: Diversity and representation: This first group is unfortunately limited in terms of national and

regional diversity. Considering conflict-peace challenges, experiences and potential, it seems

that in a Phase 2 it is essential that we ensure representation from Asian countries such as

China and India. Similarly, the group could be strengthened by bringing more voices and

expertise from other Latin American, Africa and Eastern European countries -. More

representation from Eastern Europe/CIS states – such as Albania, Kosovo, Turkey – would also

add value to the expertise of the group. In the next phase of the initiative we will explores ways

to increase representation as an avenue for greater impact.

Lack of cross-regional sharing: considering the responses from this group, it seems that current

research is focused almost exclusively on the country and/or region in which each think-tank is

based. There is little cross-regional research and evidence-based policy-influencing work on

peace and development. Thus, there is a huge space for cross-fertilization, and the promotion

of solidarity and knowledge exchange across Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia;

thereby increasing the chances to raise critical insights and voices of Global South thinkers as

one.

What existing Global South think-tanks networks they represent?

Gaps identified: Only one of the Global Coalition networks is not represented – SiLKs

NEST

Oxfam

SAIIA

BRICS Policy Center

Southern Voice

The Center for the Study of

Economies of Africa

ASIES

GReCEST

REPOA

ILAIPP*

ILAIPP

Grupo FARO

Espacio Público

MENAPAR*

MENAPAR

https://www.ssc-globalthinkers.org/group/6/about


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Interest in joining

Members identified several reasons for their

interest in joining. They noted both - areas where

they could contribute and where they could gain.

Most commonly, members noted that the

alignment of their research focus and the stated

aims of the thematic group. It’s noteworthy that

the think-tanks consider the importance of

gaining/ increasing knowledge exchange across

regions with, for example, one think-tank

commenting that, “sharing experiences can help

members improve their understanding and

implement more effective policies”

In addition, some members remarked the

significance of sharing and using research produced in the Global South (by Southern thinkers) as a way

to avoid “augmenting stereotypes and … exacerbating the conflict in various regions”.

Most of the think-tanks were eager to be involved in an initiative that could contribute to tangible

change, emphasizing their hope for applied research. Given most members historical contributions to

discussions on peace, development and security issues, many offered to leverage their experience in

providing evidence-based policy recommendations (at local and international level) to “inspire positive

change”.

Patterns identified:

Several experienced members who can offer strong research and networking credibility

Desire to contribute to tangible policy and programmatic outcomes Strong focus on national-level interventions; hopefully this can be scaled up and integrated

Perceptions of relevance and potential impact

Six members consider this thematic sub-group to be ‘Very relevant and impactful’, three consider

it to be ‘Somewhat relevant and impactful’ and one did not respond.

regional relevance

knowledge exchange

alignment with

'pillars'experience

policy focus

potential

for positive change


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Desire for contextually relevant policies Overcome the imposition of Northern research which is promoted ahead of Southern

perspectives with think-tanks noting issues of “visibility” and “politicized research” as barriers to better peace and development solutions in the Global South Latin American members highlighted an increasing context of violence. One think-tank noted that, “in the countries that are part of our organization, they are Central American and South American countries where the rates of

violence, crimes, corruption, drug trafficking and prostitution are very alarming” and called for

greater regional dialogue to address these issues.

Gaps identified:

Although there are common issues across regions, there is limited collaboration. One think-tank

noted that currently “the possibility that they [Global South think-tanks] have to produce collaborative work, share experiences and influence change in the Global South is still fairly

untapped” highlighting the gap that such a thematic group may be able to address.

2. WHAT: RESEARCH AND POLICY FOCUS

In this section we present more information about the scope of research and activities being

produced/implemented by the members. This includes an overview of the topics (as self-described by

the members) and methodologies used as well as a summary table of their recent publications. Given

the policy-focused aims of the thematic group, it was also important to establish what sort of policy-

influencing activities they had participated in as well as what facilitative engagements they had

coordinated. All this information is presented in the next paragraphs.

promote Southern research

address context of increasing violence

opportunity to collaborate

navigate

path to development

policy focus

overcome

Southern

challenges


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Research Focus as described by the think-tanks themselves

In the graph below we present summary information of the think-tanks research focus around

peace and development. We invited them to present the topics in their own words, as we are mindful

that various issues are named differently across countries, regions and in diverse languages. We

analyzed these open-ended responses and clustered them in several selected categories (with the

number in brackets indicating the frequency of the responses):


Gender and youth inclusion and sustainable & inclusive development appear to be important

topics across regions While there were broad categories in which think-tanks overlapped, there were also several

specific research areas that could be deepen; for example, indigenous peacebuilding, cities and

diversity There does not appear to be any regional or sub-regional specificity to the topics. This

demonstrated overlap may provide a good opportunity for cross-regional knowledge exchange.

Examples of Publications produced by the think-tanks

To initially scope the thematic peace and development research being undertaken by the Global

South think-tanks, we requested them to share two most recent publications related with peace and

development pillars. In the table below, we present a summary of the information provided. In next

formation meetings (on-line and off-line) we will further explore the research capabilities of the group

and its quality in order to demonstrate the potential impact of locally relevant and participatory

research. Some of the think-tanks provided their materials to us which can be found in an online folder.

Conflict prevention, management & transformation, mediation, peacebuilding (7)

Sustainable & inclusive development (4)

Gender & youth inclusion in peace processes (5)

Regional and international policymaking for peace (5)

Good governance, transparency & anticorruption (3)

Security, counterinsurgency (3)

Cities

Education

Women, peace & security

Diversity & indigenous peacebuilding

Land reform & mining conflicts

Human rights

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1z3LbF0_kE65PUSnIDDTr38iNPhM66Eh2


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Organization Website Name of paper/publication 1

Name of paper/publication 2

LATIN AMERICA BRICS Policy Center, Brazil and Latin America

www.bricspolicycenter.org Mediação Internacional

(Reader on International Mediation containing basic texts translated into Portuguese)

Human Rights and Conflict Resolution: Bridging the

Theoretical and Practical Divide

ILAIPP, Latin America https://ilaipp.org Educación y desarrollo

humano (Review of education in Latin America focusing on

issues of unequal access)

Innovación y calidad en

educación en América Latina (Discusses issues such as the prevention of school violence

and explores the link between educational outcomes and democracy)

Grupo FARO, Ecuador & LatAm https://www.grupofaro.org/ Análisis de las fallas de implementación de la

política pública de lucha contra la trata de personas en Colombia, a partir de

los instrumentos de política. (Analysis of the failures of

implementation of public policy to combat human trafficking in Colombia -

based on policy instruments)

La lucha contra la trata de

personas en Colombia (2008-

2013): una política sin acabar

(The fight against human trafficking in Colombia (2008-2013): A policy without end)

ASIES, Guatemala & LatAm www.asies.org.gt Manual de capacitación para l íderes comunitarios

(Training manual for community leaders on conflict resolution)

La calidad de la mediación en Guatemala

(Investigating the quality of mediation in Guatemala)

Espacio Público, Chile & LatAM www.espaciopublico.cl Derribando mitos: propuestas de mejorar el acceso a la justicia ambiental en Chile

(Debunking myths: proposals to improve

access to environmental justice in Chile)

Más democracia para Chile: Propuestas para avanzar hacia una saludable relación entre dinero y política

(More democracy for Chile: Proposals to advance a healthy

relationship between money and policy)

AFRICA

The Center for the Study of Economies of Africa

cseaafrica.org Understanding the Causal Factors and Triggers of

Violent Extremism in Africa

Benchmarking Exercise 2017 (Report on the progress of the

Nigeria Natural Resource Charter)


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REPOA, Tanzania & Sub-Saharan África

www.repoa.or.tz Strengthening Legislatures: Some Lessons from the

Pacific Region

Resource nationalism and local content in Tanzania:

Experiences from mining and consequences for the petroleum sector

South African Institute of International Affairs (South Africa,

Africa)

www.saiia.org.za South Africa and the DRC: Evaluating a South–South

Partnership for Peace, Governance and Development

A Stitch in Time: Preventive Diplomacy and the Lake Malawi

Dispute

OXFAM (South Africa, Global) https://www.oxfam.org/en BAPA+40 in the African

context: Is there a role for peace and security?

South Africa’s Development

Cooperation: Opportunities in the Global Arena

MIDDLE EAST MENAPAR www.menapar.org Good Practices in Peace

building (SSC in the Arab

Region)

No second article submitted

Research Methodologies

The most common methodologies used by members were

quantitative, qualitative and participatory-action research. Most

highlighted the importance of combining fieldwork with their

“desktop” research.

Policy-influencing activities

Given the aim of the thematic group to contribute

to leading policy-oriented research in the Global South,

we asked the think-tanks to indicate how they had been

involved in policy-influencing initiatives in the past. 9 of

the 10 respondents indicated that they had prior

experience in this area. This included training

diplomats, commenting on national policies, providing

advisory services to the United Nations, and promoting

open governance initiatives.

Gaps identified:

Policy recommendations

From the 10 think-tanks, there were 8 instances of policymaking activities which included the development of peacebuilding interventions

Montoring & Evaluation

3 out of 10 think-tanks have contributed to M&E activities. This includes the development of M&E tools for measuring SSC and impact evaluation of public policies.

Knowledge exchange:

2 of the 10 think-tanks have practiced initiatives such as coordinating G20 peer-to-peer learning.


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Large focus on national government interventions with little cross-regional work.

Facilitation experience

Because the “SSC peace and development

programme” aims to partner with the P&D

think-tanks in order to increase the number

and quality of research in this area and also in

jointly convening policy and training spaces to

support our Global South partners around the

work, we asked the think-tanks to provide

more information in regards to their expertise

and experience in facilitating learning

initiatives.

7 of the 10 respondents stated that members within their team possess facilitations skills.

Examples of facilitative engagements include organizing summits, training young policy

researchers, and coordinating multi-stakeholder engagement.

Gaps identified:

Several members did not answer this question. If this is because they had no activities to report, there could be an opportunity to encourage members to expand and share this skillset.

Previous collaboration with UN agencies To determine whether members had worked with UN agencies in the past (and where that engagement was concentrated) we asked them to list all the agencies with whom they had

previously collaborated.

Think-tank UN Entity / Agency BRICS Policy Center UN Academic Advisory Council on Mediation (DPA's

Mediation Support Unit)

The Center for the Study of Economies of Africa UNOSSC, UNDP

Oxfam UN-Women, UNDP ASIES UNICEF, UN-Women, UNESCO, UNDP

REPOA UNICEF, UN-Women, UNDP, ILO, UN-WIDER

Patterns identified: Limited engagement with UN from members; opportunity to find out why this is the case

Secretariat duties: 1 of the 10 think-tanks is fulfilling a leading roles in the development of SSC policy as the Civil BRICS Secretariat.

Multistakeholder engagement: 4 of the 10 think-tanks had experience in coordinating at national and global levels. For example, contributing to the EU-Africa Summit, organising regional think-tank dialogues.

Human capacity building: 4 of the 10 think-tanks focused on training initiatives that targeted a variety of institutions, including young researchers, students, diplomats, and civil society.


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5 of the 10 members cannot say for certain that they have collaborated with UN agencies in the past (Latin American partners in particular)

Potential for deeper engagement with UNOSSC UNDP is the agency with whom most partners have collaborated

3. BRIEF CONCLUSION & NEXT STEPS

Given the analysis above, it will be important to consider the following ideas and next steps as

UNOSSC moves to facilitate the establishment the “peace and development Global South

thinkers group” and implement programmatic activities together with them:

i. Ensure more country and regional diversity: open participation to more

specialized think-tanks

It is excellent to have 10 outstanding Global South think-tanks joining the group. They are well-

established organizations working collaborative with their “Global Coalition”networks and many

other key Global South stakeholders and groups. However, there are several key countries/ regions

with no think-tank representation. Considering this, and in line with what was originally outlined in

the concept note guiding the implementation of this project, it seems that in a Second Phase it will

be important to open up the participation to more think-tanks.

Some of them could be current members of existing networks -those who perhaps did not have

time/ institutional capability/ information to respond to the invitation on time or did not receive

the invitation from network Secretariats and focal points- as well as others outside of the Global

Coalition.

This will ensure stronger representation across countries and regions in alignment with the

United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation’s growing peace and development portfolio and

the need to ensure more diversity of local researchers and organizations producing, sharing and

tactically using evidence-based recommendations to influence peace and development policy. The

possibility to open membership and how best to do it (for example by invitation only or other

methods) will be explored and agreed with this “initial” group in the next two months.

ii. Tactically decide one or two cross-regional research outputs oriented to

policy influencing and to inform BAPA + 40

As all Global South countries and the UNOSSC (as Secretariat) prepare for the “Second High-

Level United Nations Conference on South-South Cooperation (BAPA + 40)” to be held in Buenos

Aires (March 2019), it will be vital to agree and produce tactical knowledge/ research products

including policy recommendations which UNOSSC will share with member countries and UN

agencies prior to the conference.

https://www.unsouthsouth.org/bapa40/

https://www.unsouthsouth.org/bapa40/


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Peace, development and security were not traditionally themes and areas of focus of South-

South Cooperation initiatives - for example, the Buenos Aires Plan of Action does not refer even

once to challenges and solutions related with creating contexts of durable peace and inclusive

development to prevent the re-lapse of violence conflict and/or security and violent crime issues

affecting Global South countries. The Conference will be a chance to influence this agenda and set-

up a new South-South framework. The role of Global South thinkers and their independent and

critical insights could be an enabler of constructive and well-informed deliberations in this regard.

Considering this, in the next two months, UNOSSC will facilitate agreement on what this

knowledge/research products could be considering various policy demands and interests relevant

to the negotiation process. Before January/ February 2019 we expect at least to publish and share

two “discussion papers” on collectively agreed areas. Initially, our analysis indicates that it would

be important to assess:

a. Emerging effectiveness and impact of South-South learning exchanges on peace

and development which have taken place, but in an ad-hoc basis (for example,

Colombia and Brazil supporting various African efforts related with peacebuilding,

state-building and peacekeeping) or g 7+ “Fragile to Fragile” exchanges as initially

mapped in our publication about this topic, etc.

b. Critical and historical analysis on the importance of South-South Cooperation

principles as enablers of peace and security. For example: is respect of national

sovereignty an enabler of peace and security? How do demand-driven approaches,

local ownership, horizontal engagement and mutual support promote contexts of

more peace? Are there case examples demonstrating the SSC principles are relevant

to promoting peace in the Global South? What can we learn from them? Why is it

that peace and security (linked to inclusive development and growth) were not

included in the Buenos Aires Plan of Action and what can we reflect about this?

Other topics will be considered upon and discussed with this “initial” group of Global South

thinkers, considering their research and policy experience gained over years of directly assessing peace

and development with Global South lenses. There is a small budget allocated with the purpose of

producing these outputs and organizing tactical collaborative events.

UNOSSC and UNDP look forward to an exciting and impactful collaboration with the

Global South peace and development thinkers!

UNOSSC | UNDP


South-South Peace & Development Thinkers: Introductions

The Association for Research and Social Studies (ASIES) is a private, non-profit think tank. Their

mission is to contribute to strengthening the democratic State of law and the integral development

of Guatemala through research and advocacy. Their vision is to be a center of thought leader in the

articulation of viable solutions to problems of the national reality. Watch their welcome video here.

ASIES’s P&D Group Members

Pablo Hurtado: Pablo is a lawyer, national and international consultant and author of diverse

publications in subjects of Human Rights and constitutional right. He has experience in teaching,

training and research in Human Rights in Central America. Pablo currently serves as the Executive

Secretary for ASIES.

Javier Brolo: Javier is a professor and researcher of political science. He is an evidence-based policy

researcher with multidisciplinary academic background and professional experience in consultancy

and university teaching. His interests lie in policy innovation and diffusion using rigorous research

methods and communication strategies in order to improve the performance of government

institutions.

The Global South Unit for Mediation (GSUM) is an initiative of the Institute of International Relations of PUC-

Rio, through the BRICS Policy Center. The Center is dedicated to the analysis and study of global transformations

and their implications for Brazil and the Global South. It aims to contribute to the debate and policy-making in

order to reduce inequalities and promote a rights-based agenda. The BPC intends to influence public institutions,

legislators, civil society and others key stakeholders involved in the policy-making process. To achieve its

purpose, BPC works through a combination of training, qualified research, strategic analysis, and public

advocacy. Since 2011, BPC has been ranked among the world’s top think tanks and is a reference for the

academic community, policymakers and civil society organizations around the world.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/17m9s3AqxNADTsRoc2zWrquGGmOpz1RAx/view?invite=CNu5i60C&ts=5b86a33a

UNOSSC | UNDP


BRICS Policy Center/Global South Unit for Mediation’s P&D Group Members

Paulo Esteves: During the last 20 years Paulo Esteves has combined academic and policy oriented

work in the field of International politics. Since 2010 his research and publications have focused on

international development, south-south cooperation and emerging powers. Dr Esteves coordinated

policy dialogues, policy-oriented research and analysis, the evaluation of development programs,

served as UNDP consultant and ECOSOC advisor and was a research fellow at Rice University,

Copenhagen University and Brown University. Currently, he is an Associate Professor at the Institute

of International Relations (PUC-Rio) and the Director of the BRICS Policy Center. Was a founding

member of the Brazilian International Studies Association and its president from 2011 to 2015. Paulo

Esteves holds a PhD in Political Science.

Paula Drumond: Paula holds a PhD in International Relations from the Graduate Institute of

International and Development Studies (IHEID, Geneva). She is a researcher of the Global South Unit

for Mediation (GSUM) and also serves as a member of the academic network of the organization

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF). Paula holds a M.A. degree in

International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University in Rio de Janeiro (IRI/PUC-Rio). Her

research focuses on gendered dynamics of violence, peace and security.

Maira Siman: Maira holds a degree in International Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University

of Minas Gerais (2006), a degree in History from the Federal University of Minas Gerais (2005) and

a Masters in International Studies (with emphasis in Political Science) at the Graduate Institute of

International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland (2008), and a PhD in International

Relations from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio). She has teaching

experience especially in the area of History of International Relations. She is currently the deputy

coordinator of the "Global South Mediation Unit" (GSUM), which belongs to the Institute of

International Relations of PUC-Rio. Her areas of interest are: history of international relations,

international security, analysis of foreign policy and Brazilian foreign policy.

Isabel Rocha de Siqueira: Isabel Rocha de Siqueira is an Assistant Professor at IRI, PUC-Rio. She holds

a PhD in International Relations from the Department of War Studies, King's College London. At IRI,

she conducts research on international development cooperation, conflict-and-development issues,

state fragility, poverty, cash-transfer programs, IPS and quantification. She has recently published in

Global Governance, International Political Sociology (IPS) and Third World Quarterly.

Manuela Trindade Viana: Manuela is a PhD candidate in International Relations at Pontifícia

Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and holds a Master in Political Science from

Universidade de São Paulo (USP). She is the managing editor of the periodical Pontes, funded by the

International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD). She holds special interest for

research on security in Latin America, as well as on the dynamics of multiplication/transformation

of boundaries between war and crime in contemporary international politics.

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The Centre for the Study of the Economies of Africa (CSEA) is a non-profit think tank that conducts independent,

high quality applied research on economic policy issues in Nigeria and the rest of Africa. CSEA’s mission is to

enhance development outcomes through evidence- based research. CSEA was borne out of the need to bridge

the gap caused by the paucity of rigorous empirical research that affects the quality of policies implemented in

the African countries.

CSEA serves as a forum for quality research analyses, and policy dialogue by stakeholders from the private sector,

government, national assembly, and civil society. The policy-oriented research carried out by the Centre,

including the articulation of policy choices, tradeoffs and implications, is put forward to the general public and

decision-makers to stimulate rigorous debates on the effects of government policies on economic growth and

development in Nigeria and Africa.

CSEA is poised to assist in disseminating best practices to enable African governments improve their public

financial management systems. The Centre carries out applied research and presents policy options to enhance

macroeconomic stability, fiscal transparency and accountability Similarly, CSEA advocates for greater fiscal

transparency and accountability, reduction in leakages of public funds and improvements in governments’

delivery of social and public services. In addition, CSEA engages in capacity building with the goal of fostering

rapid economic growth and alleviating poverty on the African continent.

The Centre is one of the few think tanks in Africa under the Think Tank Initiative (TTI) of the International

Research Development Centre (IDRC), Canada, and has been consistently ranked as one of the leading think

tanks in Africa by the University of Pennsylvania’s Global Go to Think Tank Initiative, since 2008. Also, in 2013,

CSEA was named the ‘Best Research Institution in Africa’ by the Global Development Network (GDN) for its work

on a 5-year DFID funded project titled ‘Strengthening Institutions to Improve Public Expenditure Accountability

(SIIPEA), which evaluated Nigeria’s government policy interventions and programmes in education, water, and

health sector.

CSEA’s P&D Group Members

Dr. Chukwuka Onyekwena: Dr. Onyekwena is the Executive Director of CSEA. He holds a Ph.D in

Economics from University of Portsmouth, UK, a Master of Science degree in Economics from

University of Kent, UK, and a Bachelor of Science in Economics from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He

also holds a certificate in Executive Education, Financial Inclusion from John F. Kennedy School of

Government, Harvard University. His research interests include Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),

Trade, Global Economic Governance, Climate Change, and Financial Inclusion. Within these areas, he

has authored various peer-reviewed publications and led several research projects. Dr. Onyekwena is

a member of the steering committee of the West African Think Tank Network (WATTNet), a member

of the African Policy Circle (APC), Global Economic Governance Africa (GEGAfrica) and Governance of

Africa’s Resources Programme (GARN) both in South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA).

He had worked as a part-time lecturer at Economics Department of University of Portsmouth.

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Dr. Adedeji Adeniran: Dr. Adeniran is a Senior Research Fellow at CSEA. He holds a Ph.D from the

University of Witwatersrand, South Africa. He also holds a Masters’ and Bachelor’s degree in

Economics and Educational Management/Economics from the University of Ibadan. He previously

worked as a seasonal Lecturer in the Department of Witwatersrand, as a Data Analyst at the Analyst

Data Services and Resources (ADSR) and as a Teaching Assistant in the Department of Economics

University of Ibadan. His research interests cuts across macroeconomics, development finance, public

economics and policy analysis and experimental economics.

Joseph Ishaku: Joseph is a Research Associate at CSEA. He holds a Masters in Economics from

University College London (UCL), United Kingdom and a Bachelors degree in Economics from the

American University Nigeria (AUN), Yola. His research interests include Development Economics,

Education, Sustainable Development, Poverty and Program Evaluation.

Samuel Bodunrin: Samuel is a Research Associate at CSEA. He holds an MSc in Economics from the

University of East Anglia (UEA), United Kingdom, and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the

University of Ibadan, Nigeria. His research interests are mainly in the areas of Macroeconomic

Management; Trade, Investment and Growth; Program Evaluation, Poverty Measurement and

Analysis; and Energy, Environment and Climate Change policies. He previously worked as an Analyst

at Time Economics, Abuja, as a Research Assistant at the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the

President and Research Analyst at Himmel Global Partners Ltd.

Why we joined this group

Peace and Development has featured prominently in CSEA’s Research; falling within the auspices of our thematic

area- Natural Resources, Energy and the Environment. In our work on SDGs, we recognize how conflict inhibits

growth and development. On one hand, issues bordering around natural resource control and governance is at

the forefront of violent conflicts in Africa. These conflicts which are usually protracted is a major inhibitor to

economic growth and development in Africa and is a threat to the achievement to the Sustainable Development

Goals.

On the other hand, many Africans are increasingly leaving their communities as internally displaced persons

(IDPs) at the national level, and as refugees at the regional or international level as a result of insurgencies (as

in Nigeria), and post-election violence (as in the Democratic Republic of Congo). Every case is much more than

a personal tragedy, as forced migration threatens to undermine the achievement of Africa's broader

development objectives and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Through the South-South Global Thinkers: Peace and Development Group, we hope to contribute to global

discuss on peace and promote peace and inclusive development through cutting-edge and evidence-based

research.

Espacio Público is an independent think tank that seeks to contribute to the building of a more just, transparent

and democratic society, which allows economic, social and political development that benefits all people.

To this objective, we contribute through the collaborative generation of ideas and proposals, offering spaces for

reflection and dialogue that allow us to take our societies to development, in an inclusive way and aware of our

environment. We work with high methodological standards, making rigorous use of the evidence.

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We aspire to resolve some of the great challenges faced by emerging countries like Chile, to advance in the

construction of a new consensus about the development model, the role of the State, economic growth and its

relationship with the environment, social justice and respect of diversity.

We offer an independent and transparent meeting place to summon the different actors to dialogue, promoting

a quality debate that allows generating agreements that are projected over time, promoting changes in our

societies and better opportunities for all. In Espacio Público we value pluralism and the effort of deliberation in

order to achieve agreements assuming our differences.

Through advocacy, we seek to directly influence authorities and decision makers, to set the direction and

priorities of the public agenda. Similarly, we hope to make a contribution in the involvement of citizens in the

debate on public policies, through information and dissemination of ideas, allowing all people to participate and

build a common vision of democratic, inclusive and sustainable development.

Watch their introductory video here.

Espacio Publico’s P&D Group Members

Petra Albutz: Petra is a sociolinguist trained at the Universities of Heidelberg and Cologne, Germany,

and has a Master in Development Policy from the Swiss Federal Polytechnic Higher School (ETH) Zurich,

Switzerland. She has professional experience in cooperation between multilateral, public and private

institutions in emerging countries in Latin America and Central America. Petra has worked in different

agencies of bilateral and multilateral cooperation (GIZ, ECLAC) and in the social sector of Chile (FOSIS,

Ministry of Social Development), coordinating international knowledge exchanges and transfers of

public social policies.

Camila Palacios: Camila is a lawyer of the Catholic University of Chile with specialization studies in

International Law of Human Rights and Environmental Law. She has worked in the Ministry of Justice

and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, providing advice on the incorporation

of international standards into national legislation, in matters of institutional strengthening, security

and justice, indigenous peoples' rights and public policies with a human rights approach.

Grupo FARO (Fundación para el Avance de las Reformas y Oportunidades) is an Ecuadorian civil society

organization, independent, nonpartisan, plural and secular, whose mission is to influence policy making to build

a more democratic, innovative, sustainable and inclusive society. Since 2010, Grupo FARO is part

of ILAIPP network - Iniciativa Latinoamericana de Investigación para las Políticas Públicas.

Grupo FARO is a legal and non-profit organization that promotes sustainable development in Ecuador and Latin

America, based on research and knowledge, which have been crucial axes for our institution since its origins, in

2004. Grupo FARO has developed projects and research in different areas. Our current main fields are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHLECJlcOVw&feature=youtu.be

https://www.grupofaro.org/

https://ilaipp.org/

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citizenship and democracy; government and transparency; social development and equity; science, innovation;

natural resources; sustainable development; programs and policy evaluation.

Among the strategic objectives that Grupo FARO has proposed, are: create and promote plural, diverse and

informed spaces for collective action that influences public policy design at local, national and regional levels,

and promote good practices in citizen engagement and public policy management.

Grupo FARO’s P&D Group Members

Estefanía Terán: Estefania is a Lawyer, Magister on Public Policy and Governance, and Coordinator of

the Area of Democracy, Transparency and Active Citizenship of Grupo FARO. She graduated from the

Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador with the title of lawyer specializing in international law.

She also holds a master's degree in Public Policy and Governance from the German University "Hertie

School of Governance" obtained with a scholarship from the DAAD (German Agency of Academic

Exchange).

She has several years of professional experience in coordination and management of technical

assistance projects, strengthening of democratic processes, regulatory analysis, and international

relations and cooperation. Throughout her professional career, she has led and assisted projects that

have involved a diversity of actors, including authorities, political organizations and civil society,

academia, youth, women and groups of different nationalities. During her work experience, she has

worked in the non-governmental sector (National Democratic Institute for International Affairs) and

in public institutions (Council of the Judiciary, Council of Citizen Participation and Social Control,

Ministry of the Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Internal Revenue Service).

Vanessa Montenegro: Vanessa is a Sociologist and Magister on Public Policy and Research Coordinator

of the same area. She also serves as a researcher and teacher at FLACSO Ecuador and Universidad de

Nariño. She is a consultant and coordinator of projects in public policies, local development, human

rights, migration and priority attention groups in agreements between local governments, national

governments, NGOs and International Cooperation.

The Latin American Initiative for Public Policy Research (ILAIPP) was established in 2014 and seeks to generate

a space for collaboration among knowledge-producing organizations to devise innovative proposals from and

for Latin America about public policy.

ILAIPP is a regional, non-profit, non-partisan and independent academic network. It currently convenes 12 Latin

American think tanks - 4 from Central America and 8 from South America.

This network is inspired by the need for Latin American societies to achieve sustainable economic, social, political

and institutional development, and for everyone to reach decent standards of living and fully exercise their

freedoms and capabilities.

http://ilaipp.org/

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Economic development and human rights promotion, through the implementation of coherent and strong public

policy are topics of great interest for ILAIPP. We foster the exchange of knowledge on: economic development,

poverty reduction and human rights promotion; and we will be happy to get to learn from experiences on this

regard, from all around the Global South.

ILAIPP’s P&D Group Members

Alejandro Galarza Verkovitch: Alejandro has been Director of Planning and Follow-up in the

National Secretariat of the Public Administration; Head of Unit, Coordinator, Expert and Specialist

in International Relations in: the Ministry of Social and Economic Inclusion, the Ministry of Labor,

the National Secretariat of Public Administration and in the Council of Citizen Participation and

Social Control; Coordinator of Markets in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Integration of

Ecuador. Professional with more than 6 years of experience in the Management of International

Relations and Development Projects, has had under his responsibility to support and advise the

Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador and various State Ministers, in the management of:

international affairs, foreign trade, cooperation and development projects.

The Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Research (MENAPAR) think tank aims to connect

academicians with practitioners to enable them to make evidence-based policies that enhance human

development. They go beyond the administration of public services to focus on the recipients – the citizens and

residents of the country. MENAPAR believes in research that is inclusive, involving all stakeholders especially

those who are recipients of the policy. I joined the Peace & Development Subgroup to be able to promote the

idea of positive peace without which they believe sustainable development is not possible. If we want a truly

peaceful world, we must work for justice for all.

MENAPAR’s P&D Group Members

Shagufta Ahmad: Shagufta Ahmad is Senior Project Officer for the Middle East and North Africa Public Administration Network (MENAPAR). She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering from Santa Clara University, California and an MBA in Islamic Finance from Open University Malaysia. She is currently preparing for her PhD in comparative public administration vis-à-vis ethical economics. Shagufta has over 15 years of diversified USA and Bahrain experience in both non-profit and for-profit sectors (education and software industries, community service organizations) with over 5 years of quality assurance experience in higher education. She holds a strong interest in Research and Development using IT platforms for innovative solutions in public administration. Shagufta is also a strong proponent of the SDGs with special interest in strengthening a research eco-system in the MENA region for inclusive public policy development.

Dr Salem AlAbri: Dr. Salem AlAbri is an Assistant Professor of Management at Sultan Qaboos University. Salem earned his PhD from the Australian National University, Australia. Prior to joining academia, he worked in the HRM field in the oil and gas industry. Salem has over ten years of teaching, research, training, and consulting experience. He has taught a wide range of courses at both the undergraduate level as well as the postgraduate level. His research interests cover various aspects of human resource management and organizational behavior. Specifically, he has conducted research

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on the interplay of culture and leadership in Middle Eastern context. He has presented in a number of international conferences including the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management.

Oxfam is an international confederation of autonomous and interdependent organisations working together

with partners and local communities in more than 90 countries. Oxfam part of a global movement for change,

empowering people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty. Oxfam South Africa - OZA has

been working on issues related to foreign policy issues, including South-South Cooperation (SSC) for 6 years. A

particular area of expertise is focused on improving the accountability and transparency of Southern

governments. Oxfam South Africa, along with Oxfam Southern Affiliates and other civil society partners has been

working on SSC at national, regional and global levels. This has included work through the Network of Southern

Think Tanks (NeST) on developing a monitoring and evaluation framework for SSC, building a civil society (track

three) mechanism for engagement with the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping and

developing a civil society working group to engage with the New Development Bank and the Africa Regional

Center in particular.

OZA believes that peace and development are inextricably linked, and in the African context this is extremely relevant. Much of South Africa's development cooperation takes place in the form of mediation and peacebuilding. In the lead-up to BAPA +40, NeST has been developing policy papers to stimulate discussion, including a focus on peace and security.

Oxfam’s P&D Group Members

Amanda Lucey: Amanda Lucey has over a decade of experience in peacebuilding and a Masters degree in transitional justice. She has managed projects on thematic areas such implementing the sustaining peace resolutions, enhancing UN-AU-RECs linkages, transitional justice, south-south cooperation (including writing Botswana's SSC strategy) and South African Foreign Policy. She also has an extensive publications record and has worked with a wide variety of stakeholders locally and globally, including international and regional organisations, governments and civil society. She currently puts these skills to use as a South-South Coordinator for Oxfam.

Marianne Buenaventura: Marianne has over twenty years of experience in international development in Africa. Demands on development programmes have evolved over the recent years, with more emphasis being placed on multilateral interactions across sectors and disciplines. Accordingly, Marianne’s work has increasingly been focused on forging partnerships and collaboration with various actors, including government, NGOs and business. Marianne is passionate about expanding the reach of effective development programmes, especially in applying her capabilities to new, innovative projects tackling poverty and inequality in South Africa and internationally. She is highly skilled in programme and grants management, with a proven track record in all phases of the project cycle,

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including project design; grant applications, being awarded significant grant funding; and, project implementation. She has been based in South Africa for the past 16 years where she currently serves as the Project Lead for South-South Cooperation at Oxfam ZA, but has also worked in Malawi, Burundi, the U.S., China and France.

Kevin May: Kevin May is a programme manager of Oxfam Hong Kong, based in Beijing. His grant making currently focuses on organizations and partnerships that promote the positive influence of China on the poor people of other developing countries in Asia and Africa, especially smallholder farmers, rural women and indigenous people. Prior to that, he worked at an environmental NGO where he supported the development of policies and programmes that promote company transparency, corporate reporting on environmental factors and corporate social responsibility. He received both his master’s degree in law and bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Hong Kong. Meryem Aslan: Meryem Aslan joined Oxfam as the Country Director of Turkey Office in 2013. Since joining Oxfam, she has been working across BRICS and MIKTA countries with specific focus on the role of emerging economies in international development and humanitarian aid. She has 27 years of international experience working with United Nations and civil Society organisations at program coordination, policy design and management positions in a range of countries and fragile states in South and Central Asia, Africa, Middle East and Latin America.

REPOA was formed in 1994 in Tanzania with the mandate to contribute to the alleviation of poverty in its multiple dimensions through research and capacity building. Over time, REPOA’s mandate has expanded beyond alleviating poverty to encompass growth and socio-economic transformation for poverty reduction. REPOA envisions to be a leading research institution in the production of knowledge that will contribute to improving the lives of people in Tanzania.

REPOA’s P&D Group Members

Dr Abel Kinyondo: Dr. Abel Kinyondo is the Director of Strategic Research at REPOA, a leading think-tank in Tanzania specializing in socio-economic issues. He has headed the Department of Geography and Economics at the University of Dar es Salaam (DUCE) and previously worked for the United Nations Development Program. He holds a Ph.D. from Monash University (Australia), a distinction in Master of Art (Economics) Degree from the University of Botswana and a first class Economics Degree from the University of Namibia. Dr. Kinyondo has over 10 years of researching experience having published in internationally reputable journals such as in the Oxford’s Development Studies and Parliamentary Affairs. He has also led several teams of experts in formulating various socio-economic policies, regulations and codes of ethics in Tanzania and beyond. Dr. Kinyondo currently investigates issues pertaining to enterprise development, employment, industrialization, natural resources management as well as governance.

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Dr Donald Mmari: Dr. Mmari is an economist with vast experience in development policy analysis, socio-economic research, and institutional development. He holds a PhD from the International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam, an MBA from University of Oregon and an MA (Economics) from the University of Dar es Salaam. He has been actively involved in the preparation of national development policies, including National Strategy for Growth and Reduction of Poverty, the Natural Gas Policy of Tanzania in 2012 and the Second Five Year Development Plan in 2015/16. He has published articles, working papers, policy briefs, and research reports on the extractives sector, manufacturing, governance, social protection, and on export competitiveness of agricultural commodities. He has actively engaged the preparation of Tanzania poverty and human development reports from 2001 to 2011. Dr. Mmari has immense economic policy and management experience accumulated over the years of his various positions within REPOA and outside, and membership in the Board of Directors of public entities. He is currently the Executive Director of REPOA.

The South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA) is an independent public policy think tank advancing a well governed, peaceful, economically sustainable and globally engaged Africa. Our work spans foreign policy, governance, the environment, economic policy and social development, linking local experiences with global debates. Our African-generated knowledge provides local and regional decision-makers with independent, evidence-based options for Africa’s future development. We provide an open platform for the public to engage with these issues, and facilitate discussions between a wide variety of partners. Consistently recognised as being among the leading think tanks in the world by the Global Think Tank Index (compiled by the University of Pennsylvania), all our findings are freely available in the form of publications, videos, and opinion and analysis pieces.

SAIIA’s P&D Group Members

Elizabeth Sidiropoulos: Elizabeth Sidiropoulos has been SAIIA’s Chief Executive since 2005. Before her

current appointment, she was director of research at SAIIA from 1999 to April 2005. She was previously

research director at the South African Institute of Race Relations and editor of the highly acclaimed

Race Relations Survey (now the South Africa Survey) an annual publication documenting political and

constitutional developments, and socio-economic disparities in South Africa. She is the editor-in-chief

of the South African Journal of International Affairs. She is a member of the International Advisory

Board of the Indian Foreign Affairs Journal, the journal of the Graduate Institute of International

Development in Geneva and the International Journal Chinese Quarterly of Strategic Studies under the

Shanghai Institutes for International Studies (SIIS).

Aditi Lalbahadur: Aditi joined SAIIA as a researcher in December 2011 after she completed an M.Litt

(with distinction) in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of St Andrews, in Scotland. She is a

Chevening Scholar (2010) and the recipient of a National Research Foundation Bursary (2001). Before

joining SAIIA in 2008 as a corporate research and media officer, Aditi provided research and speech

writing support in The Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, under President Mbeki. She holds an

Honours degree in Political Science from The University of Natal, Durban (2002) and a Bachelors degree

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from the same university (2001), where she undertook a triple major in Political Science, Law, and

Media & Communications. She has a strong interest in the international politics of Southern Africa.

P&D Group Facilitators

Cecilia Milesi: Cecilia is an Argentine sociologist with over 20 years of experience from working in the fields of conflict prevention and transformation, inclusive development, human rights and mobilisation for change. She is currently Senior Adviser on Peace & Development, at the United Nations, United Nations Office for South- South Cooperation. 

She has held leadership and advisory roles at renowned organisations around the world: Amnesty International, Oxfam, Conciliation Resources, CDA Collaborative Learning, BRICS Policy Center / Global South Unit for Mediation, Interamerican Development Bank, SES Foundation, Subir al Sur among others. She engages with social leaders and organisations in Latino America, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Cecilia’s expertise includes action-research, facilitation of change processes, conflict and context analysis to inform the design, evaluation and management of complex and multi-country programmes. She has special interest in participatory and bottom-up programme design and implementation, systems thinking, campaigning and participatory policy making.

Cecilia holds a degree in Sociology (University of Buenos Aires, honours), a Masters in Violence, Conflict and Development (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, merit) and a Certificate in Anthropology and Social Development (FLACSO, Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences). She is a certified facilitator, mediator and expert in the analysis of systemic conflicts involving governments, communities and private companies (University of Cape Town, South Africa and Camden Mediation, UK).

Cecilia regularly presents her research and systematised lessons from practice in conferences and platforms worldwide. All her publications and projects are available on-line at: www.ceciliamilesi.com

http://www.ceciliamilesi.com/

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Lauren Hess: Lauren is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Foreign Service at Georgetown University as Fulbright Scholar. Focusing on Global Politics and Security, she is interested in the intersection of gender and security, global identity politics, and the geopolitical dynamics of BRICS. Prior to pursuing graduate studies, Lauren completed a BA in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and a BA (Hons) in International Studies at Stellenbosch University.

She previously worked for the South Africa-Washington International Program, an NPO dedicated to developing youth leadership among South African students through both personal and professional development. She also served a research assistant in gender politics under the South African Research Chairs Initiative, where she focused on understanding the history of sex work legislation in South Africa.

In her current role as a Policy, Research and Outreach Intern for the United Nations Office for South-South Cooperation she provides remote support for the development and implementation of projects for the Peace and Development portfolio.

south-south peace & development thinkers · 2018-10-08 · sultain qaboos university, oman....

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