PeaceCon 2024: Status Quo No more: Building Peace in the Time of Rising Violent Conflict

On September 10th - 12th, join the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP) and the U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP) in Washington DC for PeaceCon 2024: Status Quo No More: Building Peace in the Time of Rising Violent Conflict.

PeaceCon is not just any conference. It’s a gathering of global change-makers and problem solvers coming together to build and advance the peacebuilding field by showcasing innovative new programs and evidence-based learning and advocating for how we prioritize and center peacebuilding and conflict prevention in programs and policies to effectively address the most pressing issues of our time.

Background:

Since 2018, the world has continued to experience rising record-breaking levels of fragility and violent conflict. But are we addressing the most pressing drivers of conflict, including the fact that more than half of all global conflicts are driven by self-determination claims based on identity or calls for self-government? At the same time, social cohesion and trust—crucial correctives to drivers of conflict— are at an all-time low and declining rapidly. All of this is occurring against the backdrop of a new and uncertain multipolar world in which traditional peacebuilders must grapple with a dizzying array of new actors—state and non-state alike—exerting influence and resources in fragile settings worldwide.

The peacebuilding community must address the correct problems with scalable, evidence-based, and locally-led solutions that prevent and reduce key conflict drivers and build sustainable peace and resiliency. To do so, we need to reframe the narrative of peacebuilding as an actionable and practical approach to more effectively and urgently build champions among the public, policymakers, private, bilateral, and multilateral donors, the private sector, and beyond. At PeaceCon 2024, we will explore these issues and ways to ensure conflict prevention and peacebuilding are routinely and robustly integrated into all development sectors and funding streams and hold leaders accountable for their “prevention promises.”

Opportunity:

This year, to maximize engagement and discussion, we are moving beyond long panel presentations. AfP and USIP are seeking proposals from diverse organizations from the peacebuilding and conflict prevention community to convene creative, engaging, in-person or online conference sessions along one of the five conference themes (detailed below).

To ensure an excellent conference experience, all selected presenters should be prepared to take part in a short presentation skill building workshop before the event.

Day 1 (September 10th) will be hosted jointly by USIP and AfP. Days 2 and 3 (the 11th and 12th) will be hosted by AfP. Sessions about U.S. Peacebuilding will only be held on September 11th and September 12th.

The RFP process is competitive. We encourage those submitting proposals to carefully follow the instructions.

To submit your proposal, please complete the steps below.

Submissions are due on May 31, 2024, at 11:59 pm EDT. We will respond to all applicants by June 21, 2024. For questions, please contact Nick Zuroski (nick@allianceforpeacebuilding.org).

Proposal Submission: How to Apply

Step 1: Theme selection

Please read the below description for each theme and select only ONE PeaceCon 2024 theme of the five themes listed below that is applicable to your proposal. (Check one) *

1. Anticipating Shocks and Disruptions and Leveraging Innovations and Evidence-Based Solutions: Many large-scale shocks and disruptions are fundamentally changing how societies function and increasing threats of violent conflict and extremism—from artificial intelligence to climate change, shifting demographics and migrant patterns, and more. Sessions should address how the peacebuilding field can advance evidence-based norms, policies, and programs that ensure these disruptors and shocks can be anticipated and managed and how innovations and evidence-based solutions can build sustainable peace.

2. Integrating and Aligning Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention:
For too long, peacebuilding and conflict prevention have remained deprioritized and siloed in policies, programming, and funding mechanisms, leading to missed opportunities to address drivers of conflict and crisis and build sustainable peace. The peacebuilding sector must champion and develop coordinated policy responses and programming that advance integrated approaches. Sessions will explore the impacts of integrated and multisectoral policy and programmatic approaches, learning, best practices, and standards that can be scaled to ensure we address the correct drivers of conflict. They will also explore solutions to overcoming siloed approaches to development assistance, diplomacy, security cooperation, and other sectors, including health, technology, brain science, and beyond.

3. Rebuilding Social Cohesion and Trust:
Peacebuilders refer to social cohesion as “the glue that holds societies together.” Societies with high levels of social cohesion (trust in institutions and promoting strong social relations and capital show greater resilience to shocks and conflict, while lower social cohesion can lead to violent conflict and instability. Today, social cohesion and trust are rapidly declining globally. Sessions will focus on what is and is not working systemically to promote social cohesion at the vertical level (between citizens and governments) and at the horizontal level (between communities) and why it is vital to building peace.

4. Reframing Peacebuilding Narratives:
The peacebuilding field needs to be more effective in its collective messaging because it continues to struggle to communicate what peacebuilding is, why it matters, and how it can advance the field. Sessions will address how we can effectively reframe how peacebuilders and the media communicate to build robust champions with policymakers, lawmakers, and the public. Proposals under this theme should explore reframing narratives and storytelling in peacebuilding and how to disseminate them best.

5. Peacebuilding in a Multipolar World:
In a multipolar world, the peacebuilding community now must grapple with a growing and increasingly diverse set of peacebuilders. A diffusion of power has empowered non-traditional actors, including emerging “Middle Powers”, regional organizations, and non-state groups, to enter the peacebuilding space. New alignments are reshaping the landscape of conflict mediation beyond the traditional parties at the negotiating table and must be taken into account. Facing new actors and disruptors, the peacebuilding community must refit and update the traditional peacebuilding toolkit to effectively address conflict around the world.

Anticipating Shocks and Disruptions and Leveraging Innovating and Evidence-Based Solutions.Integrating and Aligning Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention.Rebuilding Social Cohesion and Trust.Reframing Peacebuilding Narratives.Peacebuilding in a Multipolar World.

Step 2: Format of Proposed Session

We encourage submissions for interactive sessions, workshops, or other creative in-person or digital formats. We are moving away from long presentations followed by a brief audience Q&A. Note no hybrid session will be held. Select online or in-person format for your presentation

Digital (digital presenter(s) available to digital attendees only).In-Person (in-person presenter(s) available to in-person attendees only).

Yes, I would like to be considered for the Digital Track if my proposal is not selected for the In-Person Track.No, I would NOT like to be considered for the Digital Track if my proposal is not selected for the In-Person Track.

Briefly explain how the session will be optimized for an engaging experience—in-person or digitally.*

I acknowledge and understand.

Step 3: Tell us about your Proposed Session

Proposed Session Title (Max 100 Characters)*

In 600 words or less, describe the proposed session. What is the problem you are trying to solve? How will the session be practical, solutions-oriented, and challenging to paarticipants? How will your proposed session further the goals of the conference theme you selected? *

In 300 words or less, What are the expected outcomes of your session?*

In 150 words or less, describe your session as you would like to to appear on the conference agenda. *

Step 4 Information about the Lead Applicant and Additional Presenters

Lead Applicant Organization/Affiliation*

Organization Name

Point of Contact for Lead Applicant Organization*

First NameLast Name

I acknowledge and understand.

Email Address of Point of Contact for Lead Applicant Organization*

Position/Title of Point of Contact for Lead Applicant Organization*

City and Country of Lead Application Organization*

Organizational Website of Lead Applicant Organization

List Additional Organizers if Applicable - Full Name, Organizational Affiliation, Email

List the full name, organizational affiliation, and email address of all proposed session speakers and moderators. A maximum of 4 participants (including panelists and moderator) are permitted. Please coordinate with potential speakers before submitting a proposal.*

Please provide bios for each of your speakers, to be displayed in the conference agenda, limiting each bio to no more than 200 words. *

I acknowledge and understand.