Day 2 - Panel 1
17 October 2024
Gustav-Stresemann-Institut,
Langer Grabenweg 68, 53175 Bonn
hybrid
Zooming in on Peace
Exploring New Trends in Peacebuilding Through the Lens of Research, Policy and Practice
Understandings of peace, peacebuilding and conflict resolution vary across conflict-affected regions. However, local understandings are often neglected in peacebuilding activities. This panel will explore whether and how they can be integrated into political and practical attempts at conflict resolution. Panellists will reflect on how current approaches can be adapted to take account of local understandings and, ideally, contribute to the development of more sustainable solutions.
10:30–12:00
Panellists
- Esther Omam, Reach Out Cameroon
- Boubacar Haidara, bicc
- Tomas Kontogeorgos, UNDPO
Chair: Claudia Breitung, bicc
12:00–13:00
Lunch
Our Panelists
Esther Omam
Esther Omam is the Executive Director of Reach Out Cameroon. She has been at the forefront of mediation and development issues in the South West Region with Reach Out Cameroon since 2000. Esther has created the movement called South West/North West Women Task Force (SNOWT) with more than 150 members to contribute to ending the current crisis in the two Anglophone regions of Cameroon. She was called to equally facilitate the creation of the South West Women Peace and Development Network and given the position of 1st Vice President for Peace and Development. Her focus has been on empowering vulnerable and marginalised populations for improved livelihoods through economic, social and cultural empowerment.
Boubacar Haidara
Before joining bicc, Boubacar Haidara taught at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ségou (Mali) (2018-2022). He has carried out a number of research missions for several institutions: World Bank Group, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Clingendael Institute, etc. Boubacar holds a PhD in political science and political geography, University Bordeaux Montaigne and laboratory ‘’Les Afriques dans le Monde’’ (LAM), Institute of Political Studies of Bordeaux, France (2015), a Master’s in International Management, Paris School of Tourism and Communication, Paris, France (2012) and a Master’s in Geopolitics, University of Paris Sorbonne-Paris 4, Paris, France (2010). He did his Bachelor’s in Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Clermont-Ferrand II, France, in 2008.
Thomas Kontogeorgos
Thomas Kontogeorgos possesses more than 24 years of service and experience in peace and security, civil affairs, program development, humanitarian work, stabilisation initiatives, conflict resolution, and mediation, community development and outreach, peacebuilding, civil-military cooperation, and public administration. He spent over 17 years in field settings and served with UN DPO missions as a Civil Affairs Officer (UNMIK, UNIFIL), Senior DDR Officer, Senior CVR Officer, and OIC for the Integrated office of DSRSG/RC/HC (MINUSTAH). Today, Kontogeorgos is the Chief of the DDR Section in New York HQ, where he provides strategic guidance to 12 staff members that backstop over twenty missions. He oversees and advises on programmes in peacekeeping operations and provides support to Special Political Missions and Member States involved in DDR processes. He co-chairs, together with UNDP, the UN Interagency Working Group on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (AWG-DDR).
Claudia Breitung
Since 2011 Claudia Breitung has worked for bicc in various capacities with a focus on the organisation of armed actors, pathways in and out of armed groups as well as weapons and ammunition management (WAM) processes. Since 2018 she has supported the UN Interagency Working Group on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (AWG-DDR) in the revision, operationalisation and dissemination of the Integrated DDR Standards (IDDRS). Currently, she is conducting research on regional approaches to dealing with armed groups in the Sahel region. Before joining bicc, she was a research assistant at the Institute of Sociology at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. For the Institute for Development and Peace (INEF) she conducted research on development cooperation in post-conflict situations. Her doctoral thesis focused on organisational behaviour of humanitarian agencies in their interaction with rebel groups.