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Day 2 - Panel 2

part 1 in person - part 2 hybrid

Peace Between the Lines

Connecting Local Dynamics and Global Solutions for Armed Conflict

Armed violence and illicit flows of arms across borders continue to pose challenges to global, regional, national and local security and stability. While global solutions are often sought after, local dynamics are rarely taken  into account. For example, there is a gap between local and (inter)national knowledge of the cross-border dynamics of arms flows and armed violence. This participatory panel will explore how a better understanding of the  operations of armed groups and illicit arms flows in border regions can contribute to more sustainable solutions for activities that reduce violence. 


13:00–14:00                                   

part 1: Gallery Walk (in person)

Panellists

  • Juliana Buzi, UNDP
  • Tatiana Smirnova, Université de Sherbrooke 
  • Oyewole Oginni, bicc
  • Paul Holtom, UNIDIR

Chair: Milena Berks, bicc


14:00–14:30                                   

part 2:  Presentation of Outcomes (hybrid)

Panellists

  • Juliana Buzi, UNDP
  • Tatiana Smirnova, Université de Sherbrooke 
  • Oyewole Oginni, bicc
  • Paul Holtom, UNIDIR

Chair: Milena Berks, bicc

 

14:30–15:00                                   Coffee break

Concept Note: bicc Annual Conference Panel

Peace Between the Lines: Connecting Local Dynamics and Global Solutions for Armed Conflict

 

Our panel on “connecting local dynamics and global solutions for armed conflict” will dive deeper into local conflict dynamics in different parts of the world, including cross-border dynamics, illicit flows of arms and linkages to armed violence. We want to explore questions, such as: how are armed groups operating in border areas and what are the impacts of illicit arms flows in these spaces and beyond, for instance across national borders and transborder areas? In a second step, we want to further examine whether what is happening on the ground translates into national, regional and international policy. Is the local level adequately considered in solutions developed at the higher levels? What role does research play in this knowledge transfer? This is what we want to discuss in an interactive manner together with the audience and our panel guests.

In a second step, we want to further examine whether what is happening on the ground translates into national, regional and international policy. Is the local level adequately considered in solutions developed at the higher levels? What role does research play in this knowledge transfer? This is what we want to discuss in an interactive manner together with the audience and our panel guests.

 

Detailed description of the session

This interactive session will take the form of a “gallery walk” where participants will engage at thematic stations with the topics/thematic areas of the panellists.

Each panellist is assigned a fixed station. The participants are divided into four groups and visit each of the stations for ca. 10 minutes. We will start with the gallery walk after lunch at 1 pm.

Gallery walk:

Station 1 (Juliana Buzi, UNDP):

1)      What are the actual challenges in Western Balkans related to arms control, including the gender perspective?

2)      What are some concrete actions taken by the region to counter the challenges?

3)      Key benefits of a regional approach, lessons learnt, replication of such approach globally.

Station 2 (Tatiana Smirnova, University of Sherbrooke):

Focus of this station:

1)      Humanitarian organisations and armed groups: navigating the complex environment.

2)      Where do perspectives of local communities and external actors align, where do they diverge, and what is the resulting impact on peacebuilding options?

3)      The importance of research on armed groups for policy development.

Station 3 (Oyewole Oginni, bicc):

Focus of this station:

1)      Armed group dynamics in the Lake Chad Basin: How do armed groups operate in cross-border spaces? What are new patterns and trends?

2)      What are the impacts of armed groups’ operations/activities on the everyday lives of communities in these spaces?

3)      How do we conduct research in insecure spaces and why is it important?

Station 4 (Paul Holtom, UNIDIR):

Focus of this station:

1)      What has the international community done to address the illicit proliferation, diversion and trafficking of SALW and ammunition?

2)      What is working well, what are the persistent and emerging challenges for tackling illicit proliferation?

3)      What are new approaches, levels of engagement and “new challenges” in finding new solutions?

 

Closing plenary discussion:

At 2 pm we will come back to plenary to debrief the central inputs of the gallery walk together with the audience. Panellists will share one key message from the walk with us and short reflections on the role of research for their work in line with our main theme of the conference: “Why field research matters to policy and practice”. An open debate with the audience will follow to wrap up the session, including the audience online.

We look forward to seeing you there!

 

Our panellists:

Juliana Buzi:

Juliana Buzi joined the UNDP SEESAC team in March 2014. She is primarily responsible for coordinating SEESAC’s regional cooperation and arms control policy-related activities as well as overseeing SEESAC’s activities related to the coordination and monitoring of the Western Balkans SALW Control Roadmap. Juliana holds a degree in philology from the University of Tirana and has completed post-graduate studies at the Albanian Diplomatic Academy. Prior to joining SEESAC, she worked for the NATO Support Agency - NSPA (former NAMSA) in the implementation of the Anti-Personnel Mines Project in Albania (2000-2001). During 2002-2014, Juliana served as Programme Specialist with the Albanian Mine Action Executive for the implementation of the Mine Action and Hotspots Clearance Programme in Albania. In addition, she held the position of Project Officer at the Geneva International Center for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), as well as at the Implementation Support Unit for the AP Mines Ban Convention (2006-2008) based in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Paul Holtom:

Paul Holtom is the Head of the Conventional Arms and Ammunition Programme at UNIDIR. He conducts research into, and supports efforts to build capacity to address, the illicit trade, diversion, and uncontrolled proliferation of conventional arms, including small arms and light weapons (SALW) and ammunition. Paul has authored and co-authored various publications on the international arms trade and conventional arms control, with a recent focus on the Arms Trade Treaty, weapons and ammunition management, and the diversion of conventional arms and ammunition. Before joining UNIDIR, he was the head of the Policy and Capacity Support Unit at the Small Arms Survey, Deputy Director of the Centre for Peace and Reconciliation Studies at Coventry University, and Director of the Arms Transfers Programme at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. Paul holds a PhD and Master’s degree in Russian and East European Studies from the University of Birmingham, UK.

Oyewole Oginni:

Before joining bicc’s projects on regional approaches to dealing with Armed Groups in the Sahel, Oyewole was a junior researcher at the Center for Development Research (ZEF), University of Bonn. His PhD dissertation addressed the issue of civilian loyalty and agency in insecure spaces of the LCB region. In the past eight years, Oyewole has worked as a principal investigator/researcher on different EU-funded projects dealing with early recovery and transition from armed conflicts, women and peacebuilding, and more recently, as a Forced Migration Specialist at UNOPS. Between 2017 and 2022, he served as a technical advisor and expert on Africa-EU partnership projects on peace and security. His unique experience in this role includes the design and evaluation of calls for proposals, monitoring of partners’ projects, round-table meetings with the Head of States, EU and African Parliamentarians, funding agencies and multilateral actors on the promotion of local ownership in development cooperation in crisis regions.  

Tatiana Smirnova

Tatiana Smirnova is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Sherbrooke (Canada) and a conflict analyst with expertise in the political and security dynamics of West Africa. She holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales and an MA in Political Science from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris. With extensive experience working for NGOs and a robust academic background, she has held positions at the University of Quebec (Canada) and the University of Florida (USA). Her current research focuses on conflict dynamics in the Sahel and Russian-African relations. Tatiana has contributed to numerous academic and policy reports.

 

Our chair:

Milena Berks

Milena Berks is a senior advisor and researcher at the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies (bicc). There, she is part of a joint project with the African Union and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations on regional approaches to dealing with armed groups in the Sahel, where she is researching the Lake Chad Basin and Chad in particular. Currently and in the past, Milena focuses on disarmament, demobilisation, and reintegration of former combatants (DDR), as well as small arms control. She has held various positions in research and practice, such as in the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) in New York, the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), but also development cooperation in Niger. Milena Berks holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Louvain (UCL), where she is also writing her doctoral thesis on the reintegration of former combatants in Niger.