News

Call for Contributions: Publications on Local Peacebuilding Approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa

The RESOLVE Network Secretariat invites proposals for RESOLVE Policy Notes from academics and researchers on lessons learned from local peacebuilding approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Extended deadline for submissions: December 14, 2020 

RESOLVE is expanding its research efforts in Sub-Saharan Africa with a new initiative, Learning from Local Peacebuilding Approaches, in partnership with the USAID Bureau for Africa. The RESOLVE Network Secretariat is soliciting a call for policy notes on contemporary challenges to traditional and local peacebuilding and conflict resolution approaches, incorporating policy recommendations to support development outcomes. The policy notes will investigate and frame the linkages between peacebuilding, governance and human rights, community resilience, and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE) at the local levels. 

Potential topics of interest include but are not limited to:

• Local, micro-level approaches to address the spread of conflict, violence, and extremism
• Countering and preventing violent extremism from a local perspective
• Lessons learned from local conflict mitigation and peacebuilding efforts
• Integrating formal and informal, traditional and non-traditional processes into national and
• regional approaches to addressing conflict, violence, and extremism
• Synergies between local peacebuilding and P/CVE
• The role of traditional and customary authorities in conflict resolution
• Ethno-religious conflict and its relation to peacebuilding
• Women in local peacebuilding and P/CVE efforts
• Youth in local peacebuilding and P/CVE efforts
• Impact of large shocks (e.g. climate change, natural and man-made disasters) on local
• peacebuilding mechanisms and approaches
• Transnational/cross-border social movements and coalition building
• Peacebuilding in authoritarian contexts impacted by violent extremism
• Online, offline, and/or hybrid peacebuilding/conflict mitigation strategies

Publication Format

RESOLVE Network Policy Notes distill insights and findings from research and the author’s own experience and expertise into short, brief memos for policymakers and practitioners. Policy Notes translate research findings from academia into easily understandable recommendations, key considerations, or applicable best practices for P/CVE policymakers and practitioners. Policy Notes commissioned under this series should focus on unpacking policy-relevant recommendations based on lessons learned from local peacebuilding approaches in Sub-Saharan Africa. The final RESOLVE Policy Notes will adhere to the attached RESOLVE Network Editorial Guidelines. Accepted Policy Note authors will receive compensation of $750 for their final contribution. 

Submission Requirements

• Proposals must focus on topics around local peacebuilding initiatives in Sub-Saharan Africa. Submissions can address but are not limited to the topics outlined above.
• Recommendations should prioritize development-oriented responses and approaches, with secondary consideration of other non-development policy tools.
• Proposals can speak to contextually specific dynamics (e.g. a specific conflict, social group, or region/country), or focus on broader trends, international linkages, and comparative dynamics.
• Multidisciplinary proposals exploring intersections between conflict mitigation, peacebuilding, P/CVE, violence prevention, and governance are encouraged.
• Contributions from researchers, policymakers, and practitioners who have worked alone or in collaboration are welcome.

• Submissions must be sent to resolve@resolvenet.org by December 14, 2020 including:

  • Abstract describing the proposed topic, research, and policy relevance (200-250 words)
  • Proposed outline following the RESOLVE Policy Note format (max. 2,000 words)
  • Brief biography of the author(s).

Contact

For questions related to submissions, please contact Ms. Bethany McGann at bmcgann@usip.org.

RESOLVE would like to thank the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) for its generous support for this initiative.